Rep. Vasquez Partners with Mescalero Apache Tribe in Renewed Effort to Protect Otero Mesa and Further Southeast Wildlife Conservation Goals
CARLSBAD, N.M. — On Monday, August 14 and Tuesday, August 15, 2023, Representative Gabe Vasquez (N.M.-02) reinforced his commitment to conservation in New Mexico’s second congressional district with visits to Otero Mesa and the Blue Spring Ranch in Eddy County. The visits underscore Vasquez’s continued leadership in developing common-sense conservation proposals that include diverse stakeholders, including Tribes and private landowners.
“In a district that faces dire climate challenges, we must all come together to conserve our most critical resources and protect our cultural heritage,” said Vasquez. “As New Mexicans, we are deeply connected to our land, water and wildlife, and this week we had a chance to forge new partnerships in southeast New Mexico to discuss the future of conservation and prioritize areas that are important to protect for future generations. I’m committed to working with diverse partners to find sustainable ways to address these challenges, while also growing our economy.”
On August 14, Vasquez joined Tribal leaders from Mescalero Apache and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo on a hike at Alamo Mountain in Otero Mesa, where they discussed the future protection of the largest remaining Chihuahuan Desert grasslands.
“There are few places left in the world as special as our own Otero Mesa,” said Vasquez. “I was honored to spend time on the Mesa with Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Mescalero Apache Tribal leaders to discuss the cultural importance of this landscape, energy development and hard rock mining in the region.”
Vasquez also met with the Center for Environmental Health Management & Monitoring (CEHMM), a conservation non-profit organization based in Carlsbad, to explore the success of voluntary conservation programs that support the goals of the Endangered Species Act during a visit to the Blue Springs Ranch. CEHMM provides environmental consulting services for various industries and leads wildlife conservation projects in Eddy County.
“Thank you to Congressman Vasquez and his staff who joined us in the field! I am so grateful for the opportunity to discuss the ongoing cooperative conservation through CEHMM’s Candidate Conservation Agreement programs,” said Emily Wirth, Executive Director of CEHMM. “The work that CEHMM and our industry and ranching partners are doing daily, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is of utmost importance to the conservation of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Dunes Sagebrush Lizard and Texas Hornshell Mussel.”
The two-day visit affirmed Vasquez’s commitment to addressing the district’s environmental challenges head-on by working with a multitude of stakeholders and conserving New Mexico’s land, water and wildlife.
###