Otero Mesa
February 10, 2006--New Report Documents Ecological Importance of Otero Mesa
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Success! Governor Richardson declares support for Otero Mesa!
U.S. Brushes Aside N.M. Drilling Protests
February 10, 2006--New Report Documents Ecological Importance of Otero Mesa
The case for protecting Otero Mesa from oil and gas development was strengthened today with the release of a new report titled, The Last Desert Grasslands – the Biological Case for Protecting Otero Mesa. The report documents the ecological importance of Otero Mesa as one of the largest remaining examples of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands, and the likely damage that would occur if there is oil and gas development. Principle author of the report, Dr. Walt Whitford, is a nationally recognized expert on Chihuahuan Desert grasslands.
Grasslands like Otero Mesa were once a common feature of the Chihuahuan Desert, but most have either disappeared or been reduced to small patches that no longer support their original complement of plant and animal species. Today, these grasslands are considered one of North America’s most endangered ecosystems.
“The variety of plant and animal life at Otero Mesa is spectacular, and includes many rare and threatened species.” said Dr. Whitford, “But, once gone, it will be gone forever. You can’t undo the kind of damage that would result from drilling operations.”
Key findings of the report include the following:
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Otero Mesa contains one of the largest expanses of native grasslands remaining in the Chihuahuan Desert, and probably the largest on public lands in the United States;
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Otero Mesa is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, but is especially important as habitat for grassland birds, which have experienced more severe declines in recent decades than any other category of North American birds;
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Oil and gas development would fragment Otero Mesa’s grasslands and pave the way for their conversion to desert scrub dominated by shrubs such as creosotebush and mesquite;
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BLM’s claim that the impacts of oil and gas development can be mitigated is flawed because restoration of black grama grasslands is highly unlikely and has never been accomplished, despite many attempts.
"We all want to know the facts about Otero Mesa before the federal government proceeds with oil and gas leasing," says Joanna Prukop, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. "Governor Richardson has proposed a plan that would carefully manage this internationally recognized desert area and this report provides valuable new information in support of that plan." The State of New Mexico is currently in court seeking to block the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plans to allow drilling on Otero Mesa.
Kevin Bixby, Director of the Southwest Environmental Center and coauthor of the report, agrees. “It would be a crime to sacrifice this last, great example of Chihuahuan Desert grassland for a relatively small amount of natural gas,” said Bixby. “Improvements in energy efficiency and the development of clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar is the fastest, cheapest and smartest way to meet our energy needs, without destroying the last of our natural treasures.”
Oscar Simpson, President of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, praised the report as a confirmation of the experience his members have had when they visit Otero Mesa. “One reason for the popularity of this area with sportsmen is the robust health of the land and wildlife. It needs to be protected.”
Dr. Whitford is widely recognized within the scientific community as an expert on desert ecosystems. He served as professor of biology at New Mexico State University from 1964-1992, and as Senior Research Ecologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1993-2000. He is the author of Ecology of Desert Systems published by Academic Press, as well as more than 250 publications on arid ecosystems.
Copies of the report are being delivered to BLM offices in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, to offices of state and local officials and to members of Congress. “We need our public officials to understand just how important Otero Mesa is,” said Bixby. “It’s our last chance to preserve a sizeable chunk of one of the world’s most biologically diverse and endangered desert habitats.”
The report is available online at the Southwest Environmental Center’s.
Contacts: Kevin Bixby (575) 522-5552
Oscar Simpson (575) 259-5766
Walt Whitford (575) 521-1358
Few people have heard of Otero Mesa. Fewer still have visited it. Encompassing more than a million acres in southern New Mexico, Otero Mesa is vast, remote, full of life, and on the short list of federal public lands targeted for oil and gas development. Located between the Guadalupe Mountains and the Tularosa Basin, nobody paid much attention to Otero Mesa until a well drilled by Roswell-based HEYCO found natural gas in 1998. Subsequently besieged by requests from oil companies to drill on more than 250,000 acres of Otero Mesa, the Las Cruces office of the BLM called a halt to further exploration until it could figure out how to go about opening up the area for leasing.
The stark beauty of Otero Mesa belies its
ecological significance.
This vast tableland
contains one of the largest intact grasslands in New Mexico and in the
Chihuahuan Desert, a fact of no little ecological significance since
90% of North America's grasslands have disappeared over the past 300
years. Many prairie wildlife species--particularly birds--are on the
decline throughout their ranges.
One can tick off the importance of Otero Mesa species by species. The endangered Aplomado falcon historically occurred there, and a falcon was sighted on the mesa as recently as 1999. The area is considered a prime location for releasing captive-raised aplomados under a planned reintroduction program.
There are more than 20 black-tailed prairie dog colonies on the mesa, remnants of the great prairie dog nation that swept virtually unbroken across southern New Mexico as recently as 1907. The Otero Mesa prairie dogs are some of the last remaining Chihuahuan Desert populations of this species--a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Uniquely adapted to desert conditions, they are viewed by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish as the best source of animals for recovery efforts elsewhere in the arid portion of the species' range.
The mesa's pronghorn antelope population is considered one of the healthiest in the state. Renowned among hunters for its trophy-sized animals, it is one of the few herds not wiped out by 19th century hunting and subsequently restocked with pronghorn from other parts.
The mesa is a vital corridor linking the Sacramento and Guadalupe Mountains for wildlife such as mule deer and mountain lions. Merriam's elk, bison and desert bighorn sheep historically wandered the mesa, trailed by Mexican wolves.
The area's unique values are well recognized within conservation circles. The Nature Conservancy considers Otero Mesa to be of "global ecological significance." At a workshop of experts convened by World Wildlife Fund in 1997, Otero Mesa was identified as a conservation priority in the Chihuahuan Desert. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deems it essential habitat for the recovery of the falcon in the southwestern United States. The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance surveyed the area recently and identified over 460,000 acres of suitable Wilderness designation. In short, Otero Mesa is a national treasure about to be sacrificed to meet America's profligate energy.
“On January 31 st, in front of over 500 supporters of the Otero Mesa in downtown Albuquerque, Governor Bill Richardson declared that the state will devote its full resources to preventing the destruction of the Otero Mesa by proposed gas development. This is a huge step forward in the campaign to save Otero Mesa, and is due in large part to the diligent efforts of concerned citizens across the state and region.
The Governor’s Executive Order directs the state agencies with jurisdiction over natural resources (including the State Engineer, the Department of Game and Fish, and the Department of Environmental Protection) to block the state permits that are necessary to carry out gas drilling – including waste pit permits and water rights. Although the federal government retains the ultimate authority on whether to allow drilling, this will make the destruction of the Otero Mesa far more difficult for the gas companies.
Although this is a great step forward, the fight to permanently protect the Otero Mesa has truly only begun. The threats to this land will remain until the Bureau of Land Management withdraws their drilling plan, and legislation is passed to provide long-term protection.