Open Space and Trail Network
20 January 2005
1. Recreational Trails Program grants will be available soon. Application essentially identical to previous year’s, though some of the language has been tweaked slightly to clarify instructions. Contact Don Shepan for more info.
2. Sandy Geiger is working with a group to develop a new West Mesa Regional Park proposal—anyone interested is invited to participate. She also has several copies of 1000 Friends on NM document on water policy if anyone wants a copy.
3. City of Las Cruces has completed first round of public input into new Master Plan for Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. Many Network participants were involved in focus groups; a public meeting was held Thursday evening to summarize focus group results and solicit more input. To be added to mailing list for the process, contact Brian Harper.
4. Trust for Public Lands will be making a work session presentation to City Council, tentatively scheduled for Feb 14, in order to initiate a discussion about their potential role as a technical advisor for upcoming public finance measure.
SWEC project
The Southwest Environmental Center is trying to acquire a 15-acre parcel of land a little over a mile north of the Picacho Bridge, just north of the end of the Outfall Channel. The property abuts the levee and federal land on the east side of the river. Property owners interested in selling to a conservation buyer who will protect the remnant bosque habitat the property contains. SWEC is looking for private and public money to acquire so site can be protected, and so the 7 acre feet of water rights tied to the property will be available for restoration projects along the river.
County has recognized an advisory committee working on a plan for Tortugas Mt. Gregg Henry and Roger Lord are citizen reps on committee. NASA withdrawal land is likely going to revert to BLM in 2005. State legislature gave NMSU $175,000 last year for trail work on the NMSU side of the peak. NM Heritage Preservation Alliance placed the NASA lands and adjacent potters’ field on list of NM’s most endangered places in response to nomination by Precious Desert Cooperative.
Advisory committee has identified several stakeholders interested in developing plan for the site: NMSU, BLM, Tortugas Pueblo, Precious Desert Cooperative, Back Country Horsemen, Las Cruces Homebuilders Association, NM Farm and Ranch Museum, Piro Tribe, Doña Ana County. Issues that need to be addressed include controlling access (excluding vehicular traffic and limiting use to mt. bikes, hikers, and horses) and long-term management. Rough plan drawn up for peak to date includes parking areas, informational signs, and access control structures.
Discussion ensued about how best to spend the state money. Would require legislative approval to change designation from trail work to more comprehensive planning effort. Homebuilders will be visiting the legislature on Feb 16 and offered to make the request for such a change. Gregg and Roger will organize a meeting of the interested stakeholders within next week or so to decide if that’s what should be done.
Review of process to date: Draft Vision distributed May 2004. Presentations made to the Network, League of Women Voters of Greater Las Cruces, La Frontera Land Alliance, Las Cruces Homebuilders Association, plus 2 public meetings. Document and maps also made available at CTF website, and announced via short articles via a few community groups’ newsletters. Feedback received in form of comments and questions during/after presentations, questionnaires (after public meetings—low return rate), and emails/letters from Network participants and presentation attendees.
Summary of feedback:
Overall general reaction positive, supportive of underlying goal of creating regional open space system.
In terms of specific areas/projects mapped, received no feedback that any specific areas or projects should not be included. A couple of comments about additional small sites or trail links that should be included were received. So, the overall content of the Vision has not changed significantly—the areas and projects included are the same, but the overall structure and presentation has been re-organized.
Two problems with overall structure and explanation emerged from feedback:
Major changes in response to those problems:
Presentation of components of system simplified and re-organized so it could be described as a system of core areas linked together by a network of connections. Phrase “Open Space and Trail Areas” dropped in favor of “Natural Areas.”
One page overview and simplified map developed so a one-page handout (text copied on back of map) could be distributed instead of lengthy document when appropriate.
Brand new implementation section created to include recommendations for specific areas/projects.
Language clarifying the Vision’s role as a tool for long-range planning and prioritization—a way to bring all jurisdictions to consensus—was expanded.
CTF requesting permission to list Network participants in Acknowledgements, feedback on revised Vision, and letters of support/endorsement from non-governmental organizations in preparation for making presentations to governmental jurisdicitions. Rationale for jurisdictions to adopt: consensus on Vision is first step toward regional cooperation; all the components of the system described in Vision are regional assets that enhance quality of life of all area residents and that have incredible potential for economic development for all jurisdictions.