Bush Administration Quietly Eliminates BLM Wilderness!

The Department of the Interior wants to stop wilderness protection on public lands from this day forward. In less than five minutes, you can make a powerful statement to your elected officials and help protect our natural heritage for future generations.

In a nutshell, the latest measures taken in Washington will:

Prevent the BLM from conducting wilderness inventories and offering wilderness study areas to the public as alternatives for land management. This could have serious implications for our wild public lands in New Mexico, such as Otero Mesa.

Revoke wilderness protections for those lands that were deemed “wilderness quality” after 1993 by the BLM.

Thwart any further review of millions of acres of wilderness quality lands in New Mexico that were never properly cataloged in the Reagan/Watt era.

Deny citizens the right to work with the BLM to secure wilderness recommendations for their own public lands.

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA) is urging its members and friends to pick up the phone and call their elected officials. Our Governor, Representatives, and Senators need to hear from their constituents how important public lands protection is to you and how the latest round of rollbacks from the Department of the Interior will devastate years of wilderness inventory efforts completed by citizens all over New Mexico and the West.

By preventing wilderness designation, this Administration is facilitating the development of oil, gas, and mineral production on lands with wilderness qualities. Once wilderness is destroyed, it cannot be retrieved.

These are YOUR Lands. You Deserve Better Than This!

Take five minutes and call Bill Richardson, Rep . Tom Udall, and Senator Jeff Bingaman.

Ask that they contact the Department of the Interior and Secretary Gale Norton to request that she retract her settlement that halts wilderness reviews within the BLM.

Ask that they tell the Bush Administration to reinstate and fully comply with its obligations under the law to fairly consider wilderness resources and their many multiple use benefits as an integral part of planning for public lands—YOUR public lands!

Tell them about a personal experience you have had in wilderness—volunteering, watching wildlife, or spending time with family or friends—or why wilderness is important to you.

Phone Numbers and Addresses

**For websites and e-mail addresses, click on the name.

Governor Bill Richardson

Office of the Governor

State Capitol

Room 400

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 476-2200

Senator Jeff Bingaman

703 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

(202) 224-5521

(202) 224-2852 fax

Congressman Tom Udall

502 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

(202) 225-6190

Congressman Steve Pearce

1408 Longworth
Washington DC 20515
202-225-2365

If you think of it, please copy the NMWA on your letters so we can keep track of our member outreach efforts on behalf of wilderness. CC: your letter or tell me about your call to the above offices at nathan@nmwild.org . Thanks!

From the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and Future Generations, Thank You.