To All Outdoor Lovers,

We, all the lovers of the Dona Ana Mountains whether you bike, hike, horseback, muleback, cave, 4 Wheel Drive or just the occasional adventurer. The University (NMSU) is deciding whether or not to with draw public access to the Dona Ana Mountains. We must campaign and campaign hard to keep our access.  The key is to persuade just three people.  Three key people.  Tell them of our PASSION for the Dona Ana's.  If just 3 of the Board of Regents vote to allow access, we have won!  Each and every one of us MUST write to each and every member of the Board of Regents explaining our love of these mountains.  We must convince many people both inside and outside of our circles of friends to do the same.  We must contact the papers and let the city know.  We must get our friends in El Paso involved.  Texans know well of land closures.  We must do this now so that by the time the Board of Regents meets in July, each and every one of them will have received hundreds (hopefully thousands of letters) asking them to let us retain our access. DO NOT PUT THIS OFF!

We should tell them of all the things that we have done to help to keep the Dona Ana's clean and beautiful, such as trash removal (thousands of pounds over the years), raking out tracks, and all the talks with people about staying on roads and trails and respecting the land. We should tell them that we are the good guys.  We can help them.  Aid them.  It is very costly to enforce a total closure.  There must be a better way.  Maybe a total closure of the lands north of the Dona Ana's and west of the Interstate would work.  That is the area where almost all the problems are anyway.  The University wants to close County Road E-079.  If we are allowed access to the Dona Ana's (from the Summerford's to the southern end of the range) then we shouldl support the closing of County Road E-079 (which runs north of the Summerford's past the ranch house), which will help in their security efforts. However if they insist on a total closure, we must work against their efforts to close County Road E-079.  Maybe there can be a land swap with the BLM. We must contact friends, neighbors, business associates, students and anybody who may have even a remote interest in the outdoors.  Talk to strangers.  Ask them if they ever go into the mountains.  Ask them to contact the Board of Regents.  Copy this letter.  Give it to everybody and anybody.  Get involved.

Mr. John J. Van Sweden, term expires Jan. 1, 2003. (Vice President)
V7 Ranch --HC 62 Box 10
Raton, NM 87740-9701
(505) 445-3002

Ms. Antonia L. Roybal, term expires Jan. 1, 2003. (Secretary-Treasurer)
P.O. Box 1806.
Mesilla Park, NM 88047
(505) 646-3207

Mr. Adelmo "Del" E. Archuleta, term expires Jan. 1, 2003. (Member)
Molzen-Corbin & Associates
2701 Miles Road, S.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87106
(505) 242-5700

Vice President of the Regents

1500 Snow Road

Las Cruces, NM 88005

KIESER, RICHARD J DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE BOX: 3545 Office Phone: (505)646-2807