Citizens’ Task Force for
Open Space Preservation
openspaces@zianet.com
Public
Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons
State
Land Office
PO
Box 1148
Santa
Fe, NM
87504-1148
RE: Trail
infrastructure and auction of east ˝ of section 34 (T 22S, R 2E)
July
19, 2004
Dear
Commissioner Lyons:
The
Steering Committee of the Citizens’ Task Force for Open Space Preservation
would like to make one request relating to the public auction of the eastern
half of section 34 (T 22S, R 2E) near Las Cruces, NM. As you evaluate the bids and their conformity with local
government plans, we ask that you consider whether the proposals address the
protection of an open space and trail corridor along the North Fork of the Las
Cruces Arroyo, which crosses the southeastern corner of the section.
In
March 2002, the Las Cruces Metropolitan Planning Organization (the MPO) adopted
a trail plan for an interconnected trail system along irrigation facilities and
several of the major arroyos as part of its long-range transportation plan for
Las Cruces, and the North Fork of the Las Cruces Arroyo is included in that
trail plan. Two significant steps have
already been taken toward the creation of the trail along that arroyo:
1.
In
May 2003 the City of Las Cruces approved the master plan for the Mission Hills
development along the North Fork, in which the developer, Mr. Philip Philippou,
committed to establishing a trailhead approximately 1 mile downstream from the
SW corner of section 34 and building the first section of the trail.
2.
The
Bureau of Land Management is currently proposing an exchange for the eastern
half of section 3, which lies between Mr. Philippou’s property and section 34,
and in that exchange process, the BLM is requiring the developer to protect the
arroyo and provide public access for a trail corridor.
The
MPO is our community’s federally mandated, long-range transportation planning
body, and we fully support the trail plan as a critical component of a
multi-modal transportation plan for our rapidly growing population. We were pleased to see in the public notice
announcing the auction for section 34 that you would be including proposed
infrastructure and conformity with local plans in your evaluation process
(paragraph 7), and we request that you include the MPO’s trail plan in your
considerations.
Sincerely,
Nancy Stotz
Meeting Coordinator
Citizens’ Task Force for
Open
Space Preservation
505-521-8087
CC:
Jerry King, Asst. Commissioner
Ken White. Las Cruces Office SLO