Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:24:39 -0600 (CST)
From: NRDC - Frances Beinecke biogemsdefenders@savebiogems.org
Subject: Help protect an endangered natural treasure
Organization: NRDC

 

Dear --,

The Obama Administration is deciding right now whether to grant strong protections to New Mexico's priceless Otero Mesa, the largest and wildest expanse of Chihuahuan Desert grassland left in the country.

Otero Mesa is home to 1,000 native wildlife species, including mule deer, mountain lions, black-tailed prairie dogs, golden and bald eagles, and more than 200 species of migratory songbirds. New Mexico's healthiest and only genetically pure herd of pronghorn antelope also find refuge there.

This spectacular sanctuary for wildlife has been repeatedly threatened by industrialization.

Urge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to grant permanent protection to this 1.2-million-acre natural treasure.

In addition to its diverse wildlife, thousands of ancient petroglyphs, as well as archaeological and historical sites, lie nestled in Otero Mesa's volcanic Cornudas Mountains, including several ruins from the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Route.

In a dramatic court victory last year, we struck down a Bush-era scheme to hand over Otero Mesa to the oil and gas industry. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the Bureau of Land Management approved the plan without considering its full potential risks to the region's fragile wildlife and drinking water resources.

As the Bureau of Land Management reconsiders protections for Otero Mesa, we must make our voices heard.

Please help protect Otero Mesa forever:
https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1737


Thank you for taking action to protect this thriving desert grassland.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President Natural Resources Defense Council


 
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