{"id":163062,"date":"2016-06-22T13:18:41","date_gmt":"2016-06-22T19:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=163062"},"modified":"2016-06-23T09:00:36","modified_gmt":"2016-06-23T15:00:36","slug":"public-lands-should-be-places-that-welcome-and-reflect-all-americans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/06\/public-lands-should-be-places-that-welcome-and-reflect-all-americans\/","title":{"rendered":"Public lands should be places that welcome and reflect all Americans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p>

The Organ Mountains near Las Cruces, which are protected in a national monument created by President Barack Obama.<\/p><\/div>\n

COMMENTARY:\u00a0<\/strong>President Obama\u2019s recent visit to Carlsbad Caverns underscored how important having protected natural areas and historic sites is to local communities and our state and the nation as a whole — and it provides us with a great opportunity to reflect on Obama\u2019s public lands legacy.<\/p>\n

Here in New Mexico, Obama has protected more than 725,000 acres of public lands in two national monuments. His doctrine has been to not only protect lands of scenic beauty and ecological importance; it has also focused on celebrating our nation\u2019s history and the diverse voices that tell different parts of the American story. The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte National Monuments are great examples protecting natural beauty as well as areas that are critical to telling the full story of the West.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy photo<\/p>

Henry Rael<\/p><\/div>\n

Recently, a coalition of diverse voices (http:\/\/bit.ly\/centdiv<\/a>) outlined a bold agenda for the future of our national parks and other public lands. Taking their cue from President Obama \u2013 who has protected more land and water than any modern president, including spaces that commemorate African-American, Native American,\u00a0Latino, Asian-American, and women\u2019s history \u2013 this group has developed a Centennial Vision Statement<\/a> for the next 100\u00a0years of our shared public lands.<\/p>\n

This vision includes ensuring our public lands are inclusive and reflect the stories and struggles of all Americans. As a part of this approach, the coalition developed the following three guiding principles to inform future public-lands policy:<\/p>\n