Coalition for Otero Mesa :: Protecting New Mexico's wildest grassland from oil and gas development.

Home | Contact Us | Site Map

Coalition for Otero Mesa :: Protecting New Mexico's wildest grassland from oil and gas develoment.

En Español

NEW Photos of

Otero Mesa,

September 2006

Find out more about birds in Otero Mesa.

This site is sponsored and maintained for the Coalition for Otero Mesa by the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, New Mexico's premier wilderness organization.

Please visit us at www.nmwild.org

Success for Otero Mesa!

On Thursday, April 19th, a coalition of ranchers, hunters, conservationists and water experts hosted the Otero Mesa Public Forum in Alamogordo. This event in large part was organized by the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA).

Almost 200 people from Alamogordo and surrounding communities attended the event to hear about Otero Mesa's fresh water aquifer, the area's wildlife and how oil and gas drilling could impact this special place. The purpose of the event was to bring the community together and demonstrate that southern New Mexican's care about their quality of life, and that a few days worth of oil and gas will NOT take precedence over water, wildlife, and wilderness.

At one point during the forum, moderator, Rick Simpson (a hunting guide and Lincoln county commissioner) asked the audience "who supported a moratorium on drilling in Otero Mesa" so that a thorough study of the Salt Basin aquifer could occur. Everyone in the room expect for one person raised their hand!

The following day, the Alamogordo Daily News ran a front-page story covering the event. This story was then picked up by the Associated Press and ran in several other papers, including the Albuquerque Journal, Las Cruces Sun-News, and Santa Fe New Mexican. Read the full article here: http://www.alamogordonews.com/news/ci_5709469

Friday morning, April 20th, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance brought four of the five speakers from the forum to meet with the Alamogordo Daily News and encourage the paper to editorialize in support of the moratorium. Rancher Tweeti Blancett, wildlife expert and high school teacher Steve West, energy and economics expert Bill Brown, and Craig Roepke with the Interstate Stream Commission all attended the editorial board visit. The outcome was that the next day, the Alamogordo Daily News editorialized in supporting our efforts to call for a moratorium on drilling in Otero Mesa! Read the editorial here: http://www.alamogordonews.com/opinion/ci_5719278

Subsequently, on April 19th, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, requesting that all leasing and drilling be put to a halt so theÂ U.S. Geological Survey, Sandia National Labs, and Interstate Stream Commission could conduct a thorough study of the Salt Basin aquifer. This is tremendous news. Please call Senator Bingaman and thank him for taking the lead on calling for a moratorium but urge him to keep fighting to protect Otero Mesa.

It is because of your letters, calls and pressure to our elected officials that we are gaining real traction in our efforts to protect Otero Mesa. Many thanks! This past week was a real watershed moment in the campaign. Now we must begin to aggressively pressure Senator Domenici and Congressman Pearce. Senator Domeniciâ€™s staff has indicated that the Senator may be willing to support a moratorium on Otero Mesa. Please help us to make this a reality- the time is NOW! Please call and fax your letters and comments today.

Senator Bingaman: (202) 224-5521

Senator Domenici: (202) 224-6621

Congresswoman Wilson: (202) 225-6316

Congressman Pearce: (202) 225-2365

Congressman Udall: (202) 225-6190

Send your Free Fax Here!

Tell NM's Delegation that YOU Want a Moratorium on Drilling in Otero Mesa

Court Finds Drilling can Move Forward on Otero Mesa

Please call and write Sen. Jeff Bingaman and ask him to stand beside Governor Richardson in calling for protection of Otero Mesa. As the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Bingaman is in a unique position to influence protection for areas like Otero Mesa.

If you have already sent a letter, please tell us!

Sign up for our email alert list to stay informed about ongoing efforts to protect Otero Mesa. Check out the most recent email newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time, and we won't give your name or phone number to the telemarketers. If you own a business, be sure to check the box that says "I want to endorse the Campaign for Otero Mesa." Read more about why business support is critical to the our campaign.

We need to educate more people about the threat to Otero Mesa. Tell friends or family about our campaign either on your own or by using our tell-a-friend page.

Browse the site to learn more about Otero Mesa. Here are some places to start:

Go to the RESOURCE CENTER and read articles, reports, factsheets and more
Otero Mesa in the news
Attend upcoming events, presentations and outings

Otero Mesa Species of the Week

Northern Pygmy Owl

Northern Pygmy Owl-

The Northern pygmy owl, scientific name: Glaucidium californicum, is a tiny woodland owl, primarily active between dusk and dawn and are very secretive in nature. The Pygmy owl spends most of the year in solitude, roosting in thickets in order to avoid predators.

The Northern pygmy owl is a predatory bird and has been known to feed on just the brains of other birds and the soft abdomen of some insects. Typically the owl eats small mammals, small reptiles and amphibians. During the winter the owl will store surpluses of food in caches of considerable size.

Northern Pygmy owls are largely dependant on abandoned woodpecker nests but also nest in naturally occurring tree cavities. The trees that the pygmy owls nest in are primarily dead and coniferous. Courtship rituals include an exchange of food and snuggling. The female owl lays an average clutch of 3-4 eggs starting in April and ending in June. In the late summer, early autumn, the family of owls will part having lived together all summer.

These owls are found strictly in the western United States along the Rocky Mountain range and in some parts of Arizona . There is low concern in regards to their population.

View the Otero Mesa Species Archive