River Thoughts

Our community is illustrating Aldo Leopold’s remark that our "paradoxical mixture of appetite and altruism for our recreational lands” requires tough decisions among opposing interests.

Organizers of the 4^th Annual River Run (October 17^th, with a smaller event October 10th) proudly proclaim they expect thousands of people, many from outside New Mexico, for a rally in which jeeps, trucks, and off-road vehicles race up and down the Rio Grande. They hope to donate funds raised to a charity and to needy families. They’re particularly excited about organizing a fun event after months of relative isolation.

Unfortunately, the rally would be disastrous. A huge gathering of strangers in town, eating, drinking, and laughing together, could easily become a COVID-19 “superspreader” event. State officials in charge of enforcing the Public Health Order, New Mexico State Police, and Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office are on alert.

Rally organizers expect at least a thousand people from Arizona alone; but out-of-state visitors are required to quarantine for 14 days, which would preclude participating in the event.

The event requires a special event permit from the International Boundary and Water Commission, which controls the riverbed. All departments, including Environmental, must review the permit application. The process is usually lengthy. Organizers were unaware of the permit requirement until last week, and may not have applied yet. They also would have to obtain appropriate liability insurance against personal injuries and property damage.

Several conservationist organizations sent IBWC a detailed letter explaining damage the rally could do, including harm to migrating birds and to four riparian habitat-restoration projects.

Southwest Environmental Center Executive Director Kevin Bixby said, “the river, despite its appearance at times, is a living ecosystem. Those pockets of water – which are fun to drive through – contain fish, on which herons and egrets depend for food. They’re particularly important right now for migrating waterfowl.” The rally would destroy vegetation, erode riverbanks, and spill a lot of oil and gas in the river.

Elaine Stachera Simon of Mesilla Valley Audobon Society said the event would harm birds, including migrating birds, by destroying insect larvae and other food sources. “There are other places they could do this. The migratory birds have no alternative. No one is anti-ATV. We’re pro-wildlife.”

Another conservationist said that no sane community, after approving use of public land for the Rio Grande Trail, creating a corridor plan highlighting its river as a functioning survival route for migratory and resident species, spending funds and effort on wetland and riparian restoration, co-hosting Species in Peril workshops and lectures, and spending $200 million to raise levees, would then support “a monster truck/ATV rally with hundreds, if not thousands, of resident and out-of-state vehicles pummeling this same corridor, threatening all these investments and commitments.”

Doña Ana County Commissioner Shannon Reynolds said, “I’m in favor of outdoor recreation, if it’s done right – in cooperation with nature, not an abuse of nature – and with appropriate permitting.”

As often happens, both sides involve good people trying to do what they feel is good for the community. We should listen to all viewpoints – and hope the current controversy educates all of us.

Aldo Leopold suggested we "quit thinking about decent land-use as solely an economic problem. Examine each question in terms of what is ethically right, as well. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." 

                                                           – 30 – 

 

 [The above column appeared this morning in the Las Cruces Sun-News, as well as on the newspaper's website and on KRWG’s website. A radio commentary based on it will air during the week on both KRWG and KTAL (101.5 FM, http://www.lccommunityradio.org/), as well as being available on demand on KRWG’s site.]

For those interested in looking further into this, here’s a video clip of last year’s event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha4h4uas_FE&fbclid=IwAR0ufPEw9lBHq25A2MFh0exyJ9Y1p42_UdOfksIW87CR6N9D3iFsVu38JO4]

[I look forward to discussing this on radio Wednesday morning with both Randall Limón and Kevin Bixby, and perhaps others. By the way, “Speak Up, Las Cruces!” this week will include: at 8, our candidate forum for New Mexico House District 33, with incumbent Rep. Micaela Cadena, whose opponent, Beth Miller, has apparently pulled out or declined to appear; at 8:30 or so, we’ll talk about this difference of opinion regarding the river; at from 9-10 we’ll discuss the proposal for New Mexico to have a state bank. Proponents and opponents will participate, including bankers, a credit union executive, County Treasurer Eric Rodriguez, and his electoral challenger Bernadette Dorazio. We invite listeners to call in with questions or brief comments.  (101.5 FM, http://www.lccommunityradio.org/)]

[By the way, it's not clear whether or not the River Run organizers have actually applied for a permit yet.  That process turns out to be quite complicated; and I know from prior experience that applications for a license or permit from the IBWC can take a while.  Organizers have an alternative site in mind, although I'll admit I hope they postpone the whole thing.  It's just basic arithmetic that drawing many visitors from out-of-state and elsewhere within the state right now, some of whom will stay here a night or two, eating in restaurants and drinking in bars, just seems unwise right now from a pandemic viewpoint.  But it'll be interesting to talk further with both organizers and conservationists.  ]