LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Following years of work by many people in New Mexico, President Barack Obama will designate the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks as a national monument.

The president is expected to formalize the designation Wednesday.

Mark Allison, executive director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, says his group is among a broad coalition of organizations and people that worked together over the past decade to get the monument designation.

"It really represents years of work and broad-based community support and a very diverse coalition of folks that include business leaders, faith community, scholars, sportsmen and conservationists,” he says. “And I think it's been described as a national model."

White House spokesman Jay Carney says by establishing the monument the president will permanently protect more than 496,000 acres to preserve the prehistoric, historic and scientific values of the area for the benefit of all Americans.

Allison agrees, noting that the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument preserves and protects an immense area of wilderness, mountains, Native American culture and New Mexico history for generations to come.

"Industrial uses – oil, gas, mining – things like that will be prohibited,” he points out. “And the area will be protected for traditional uses including grazing, but also recreation, and obviously the wildlife and habitat and biodiversity, and all those important resources as well."

The national monument designation is expected to create millions of dollars of economic gain through new tourism in Southern New Mexico.





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Two new national monuments in California are in jeopardy after the White House announced a plan to revoke them and then appeared to retreat.

On Saturday, the White House told the Washington Post President Donald Trump planned to rescind President Joe Biden's order creating the Chuckwalla National Monument near Palm Springs and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in Northern California. Then language about the moves disappeared from a White House fact sheet with no explanation.

Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation, which advocated for the creation of the two new monuments, said the move was not unexpected.

"This administration has been pretty clear that they want to utilize federal public lands as a giveaway to corporate polluters and private developers," Goldbeck noted. "We are anticipating, whether it's these two monuments or others, that there will be some attempts to reverse federally protected public lands."

Trump claimed the monuments "lock up vast amounts of land from economic development and energy production." But Goldbeck pointed out Chuckwalla has not been targeted for oil and gas drilling or mining but rather is most valuable for outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat. The White House has yet to take concrete steps to rescind the monument designations.

Brandy McDaniels, national monument lead for the Pit River Nation, said the tribe has been fighting off geothermal development and other industrial uses for decades.

"This is not a Biden vs. Trump situation. It is a tribally led initiative that's been going on for a very long time," McDaniels explained. "This is a sacred landscape for our people. It is the actual place of the creation narrative of our people."

Sáttítla, also known as the Medicine Lake Highlands, is also home to the headwaters providing much of California's drinking water.


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The Sierra Club is taking the Trump administration to court, joining a slew of legal challenges over the mass firings of federal workers.

Sierra Club Managing Attorney Gloria Smith said the purge conducted by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency will have immediate impacts on Colorado's public lands and parks.

Trails won't be maintained and campgrounds will not be cleaned up.

"You know, after a long winter and the snow and storms, there's a lot of work that goes into making a park presentable and safe for the high season," said Smith, "when millions and millions of people visit."

Federal judges in California and Maryland have ruled that the firings were illegal, and ordered the Trump administration to immediately rehire up to tens of thousands of probationary workers across multiple agencies.

The Maryland court ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought by Colorado's Phil Weiser and 20 other state attorneys general.

The Trump administration has called the rulings an unconstitutional effort to seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch, and promised to appeal.

Smith said she supports the recent court decisions, but notes it remains to be seen whether or not the Trump administration will follow court orders.

She said park visitor safety, wildlife protection, and wildfire prevention are all still at risk. And she said workers dedicated to protecting lands owned by all Americans deserve better.

"Obviously this is of the highest importance," said Smith. "People have lost their jobs. This is going to affect communities, people's families. They can't pay their rent or their mortgages."

Sierra Club members are especially concerned about firings at the National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - which includes the National Weather Service.

Smith said real-time weather service data is vital.

"For example, on a rafting trip, if there's a huge storm then there are flash flood risks," said Smith. "So the National Weather Service is absolutely critical."

By Danielle Zulkosky for WISH-TV.
Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration

Indiana Dunes National Park has lost five employees in the wake of federal cuts hitting national parks, which has raised concerns about park safety and maintenance.

Save the Dunes is an official partner of the Indiana Dunes National Park. The nonprofit is focused on the preservation and restoration of the Indiana Dunes.

Betsy Maher, executive director of Save the Dunes, says the loss of staff could lead to longer lines and poorly managed facilities.

“(It could lead to) unkempt bathrooms, possibly closed down camping sites, overflowing trashcans,” Maher said, highlighting the potential impact on park visitors.

At least one person who mowed the park was laid off, meaning grass could be unmanaged for visitors at times.

But it’s not just bathrooms, grass, and trash cans. The reduction in staff also poses safety risks, with fewer park rangers available for rescues and medical attention.

Maher also emphasizes the importance of maintenance workers and firefighters.

“This area is very prone to fires,” Maher said. “It takes active management to keep those fires at bay.”

Other employees who were let go worked in areas such as restoration management. The park has borders the zig zag through northern Indiana sometimes coming up against industry or residential areas.

Maher says these employees were “critical” for preserving the park’s biodiversity in these areas. Lack of preservation along the borders can have “catastrophic” consequences.

“You have very actively managed lands on the national park side and completely unmanaged lands right across the border,” Maher said. “So it’s very easy for those invasive species, especially those plant species, to get dropped and to take hold in the national park.”

Indiana Dunes National Park is renowned for its biodiversity. Maher said it is the fifth most biologically diverse National Park in the United States.

Despite the challenges posed by staff reductions, Save the Dunes will continue to advocate for the protection of the Indiana Dunes National Park’s unique environment and visitor experience.


Danielle Zulkosky wrote this article for WISH-TV.


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