Help permanently protect America's Wildest Grassland

New Mexico's Otero Mesa is the largest and wildest Chihuahuan Desert grassland left on public lands in this country. Yet, this ecological gem has been under serious threat from potential oil and gas drilling since the beginning of the Bush Administration.

Help protect this special wild place by asking Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to permanently protect Otero Mesa's wildlands as part of the Bureau of Land Management's Conservation System. If Otero Mesa is not protected we risk forever losing this ecological gem to the devastation of industrial development.

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Subject:

Dear Secretary Salazar:

(Edit Letter Below)

I am writing to urge you to secure permanent protection for Otero Mesa, the largest and wildest Chihuahuan Desert grassland left on public lands in this country. Otero Mesa is home to a half-million acres of wilderness-quality lands, invaluable cultural and historical resources, a thousand native species, and the Salt Basin Aquifer, which is potentially the largest untapped fresh water aquifer left in the state of New Mexico. These significant resources are imperiled by industrial development, and we now have an opportunity to prevent further damage by protecting this important grassland ecosystem.

Earlier this year, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on litigation brought by The Wilderness Society, the State of New Mexico, and a number of other conservation groups challenging the Resource Management Plan Amendment for Otero and Sierra Counties. In addition to recognizing the ecological importance of Otero Mesa, the court specifically found that the RMP Amendment did not adequately consider the potential for oil and gas development to impact wildlife species and contaminate the Salt Basin Aquifer. Furthermore, the court found that the entire RMP Amendment was flawed because BLM did not consider an alternative to protect all of Otero Mesa from oil and gas drilling.

Recent economic analyses also reaffirm the benefits of protecting Otero Mesa, showing that drilling Otero Mesa would create few economic and fiscal benefits, while potentially foreclosing future economic opportunities from outdoor recreation and tourism.

As the Bureau of Land Management prepares to re-craft a management plan for Otero Mesa, this is a crucial time to ensure the area gets protected as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. Notably, Governor Richardson supports permanently safeguarding this spectacular gem of New Mexico, along with local ranchers, religious leaders, state representatives, county commissioners, city councilors, archaeological societies, sportsmen associations, and local residents. I urge you to take action in light of this widespread support.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your address]

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United States Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar

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Help permanently protect America's Wildest Grassland