Network Meeting Summary

17 Sept 2003

Announcements:

Trail updates. Money for northward extension of La Llorona trail is in place; construction to start soon. May be done as early as mid-November. A request was made to look into extending southern end of trail the few hundred feet from current end to Calle del Norte—road bikes can’t get from the road to the trailhead through the soft sand. Also, City Council will consider funding request to build northern extension of Triviz bike path at Oct 6 meeting. Assuming it passes, construction would start mid-October, and trail could be completed by early 2004.

Soledad Canyon gate has been removed by homeowners. BLM parking lot and signage are in place, though site is not being “advertised.”

Susan Tweit to read from her collection of essays about the Chihuahuan Desert at SWEC Friday night.

Vision/Map Group Update:

Current version of the draft maps and text for the brochure were distributed. Quick feedback on brochure text suggested that some of the goals listed some very specific uses which seemed to contradict the way other goals were presented in a more general way. The next Network meeting will likely be dedicated to a more thorough discussion of the brochure draft.

Management Handout Discussion: Issues and Questions Raised

· What is the mechanism by which anything could get done? Do we need policy-maker approval?

· Hybrid option may make sense at this time. In the short term, establish or work with a non-profit to act and educate; perhaps a multijurisdictional governmental entity would be established in the long-term (3-5 years). Network could act as advisory group. Resources for creating a 501-c3 might include The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Lands, NM statewide land trust, National Park Service, and National Land Trust Alliance. A suggestion was made that instead of creating a new 501-c3, it might make more sense to hook up with an existing one with a complementary mission. Roles of non-profit could include: Policy shaping, help with planning of management entities, and work with private land-owners on key tracts of land.

· The question was raised: can we afford to wait to establish the multijurisdictional governmental piece of the hybrid? Should a structure like the MPO be proposed now? Model exists in MPO bylaws and JPA; this might be a planning body more than a management body.

· Will policy-makers support their jurisdiction’s involvement if the funding issue is unresolved? Open space may not be very high on the list of priorities for the county given all the other issues they are dealing with. Perhaps we need a financial plan to accompany any request of policy-makers.

· Need vision completed before know what to ask anyone to fund and/or manage.

· Terry Sullivan, Susan Krueger, Helen Zagona, and existing funding/management group (Nancy Stotz, Cathy Mathews, Beth Bardwell) agreed to follow up on this discussion with additional research, perhaps working toward a potential action plan for the Network to consider.