OVERVIEW:  West Mesa Regional Park

Submitted by the West Mesa Regional Park Committee of the West Side Neighbors Coalition, February 11, 2005

 

Disclaimer:  Private property owner participation is voluntary.  This proposal and associated maps do not imply any proprietorship over private lands.

 

Introduction –The proposed West Mesa Regional Park encompasses three square miles of the desert escarpment west of the Rio Grande and immediately south of Interstate-10 (I-10), in the rapidly developing area between downtown Las Cruces and the airport.  Trails connecting this proposed park to the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park would establish an area of continuous parkland that would provide numerous recreational opportunities, replete with spectacular Organ Mountain views and rich native Chihuahuan desert and Rio Grande riparian habitats.

 

Benefits – The park would provide the following:

  1. A wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities. The arroyos, sand hill ridgebacks, and adjacent irrigation canals provide natural trails for hiking, jogging, mountain biking, and horseback riding. 
  2. Preservation of habitat for a wide range of wildlife including quail, hawks, egrets, owls, herons, coyotes, reptiles, and rabbits. Bird and wildlife viewing and nature study by students in nearby schools would be encouraged.
  3. Watershed protection and recharge for the major aquifer underlying the Mesilla Valley.  Natural areas clean the air and water. The park would reduce the need for costly flood control projects.

4.       Protection of an area rich in archaeology, culture and history. The area is rich with remnants of Indian pit house culture, adjacent to the Mexican Land Grant of 1853 and the Town of Mesilla.

 

City, Extra Territorial Zone, and County Comprehensive Plans strongly discourage development of the escarpment and flood prone areas, and encourage preservation of arroyos as open space.  This reflects the convictions of Doña Ana County citizens, that is, protecting scenic natural areas is central to preserving quality of life.  Protection of the escarpment is critical since unpredictable movement of arroyos and the high cost of flood control in this area make development unusually costly and destructive.

 

Land Acquisition – see Land Status Map (Click Here. File is large, 860 KB, and will take some time  to download.)  In order to make the West Mesa Regional Park a reality the following land has to be acquired or protected.

  1. 520 acres of T23S, R1E section 29 – Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land south of scenic view rest area.  This BLM land was leased until recently by the City for a City Park under the Recreation and Public Purpose Act (RPPA).  We propose that:

§         BLM designate the area as protected and retain it as a park during the revision of its regional management plan, or

§         the RPPA lease be reestablished with the City, County, or other entity for a park.

  1. 80 acres of T23S, R1E SW1/4NW1/4 and NW1/4SW1/4 section 33 – BLM.  We propose that BLM designate the area as protected and retain it as a park during the revision of its regional management plan.
  2. All of section 32 of T23S, R1E – State Trust Lands. This section currently is leased by Doña Ana County Flood Commission for the purpose of flood control.  We propose that the Commission continue this lease until the City or County or other entity lease or purchase the section for the purpose of recreation and flood control.
  3. Privately owned portions of sections 28 and 33 of T23S, R1E.  Considering the significant benefit of this proposed park, we propose that BLM acquire this property, trading it for developable land elsewhere in its disposal pool.  Failing this,

§         we will seek other ways to acquire the property, or

§         we advocate the establishment of a trail system that dedicates the larger arroyos (100-year floodplain) and ridgebacks as trails connecting the eastern border of the private portion of the proposed park with the public land (State and BLM) to the west within the park. The park boundaries would also be adjusted.

 

Management and Funding – If the park becomes established through BLM via the revision of BLM’s regional management plan, then management and funding would fall under BLM’s guidelines with public assistance in the form of a local stewardship program.  If the RPPA lease is reestablished by the City or County, the management and funding would be determined by the City or County or a multi-jurisdictional open space authority that may be established in the future. If the RPPA lease is established under another entity, the management and funding would remain with the entity.

 

Park Development – see Conceptual Development Map (Click here. File is large, 901 KB, and will take some time to download.) The West Mesa Regional Park would be developed in phases as funding permits.  A few priority development objectives are listed.

  1. Create park access from the west along I-10 via frontage roads or the scenic view rest stop.  Create a formal picnic, parking and observation area directly south of the I-10 rest stop.
  2. Create a trail system and maps.
  3. Explore access and parking from the eastern edge of the park via county or private roads and through trail agreements (conservation easements) from private property owners.
  4. Install trash receptacles and trail signage as needed for safety and park preservation.
  5. Develop recreational facilities as appropriate at the top of the escarpment.
  6. Establish a stewardship program with adjacent neighborhoods and other interested parties.
  7. Connect the West Mesa Regional Park with the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park via retained BLM land along the escarpment (see Aerial View Map. Click here; file is large, 1.7 MB, and will take some time to download.) and via the adjacent Picacho Drain to the east, a trail on the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Proposed Trail Plan. 

 

West Mesa Regional Park Committee (a committee from the West Side Neighbors Coalition) – Sandy Geiger (526-5972, sgeiger@nmsu.edu), Pat Teller (526-3068, patteller@earthlink.net), Steve McCleary, Ann d’Olier, Delano Lewis, Janet Darrow, Steve Fischmann, Greg Magee

 

Additional Public Support and Planning Rationale – The WMRP Committee will submit additional information regarding public support and planning rationale as it is gathered.

§         The public lands within the west mesa escarpment as well as this proposal for a West Mesa Regional Park are included in the Vision for an Open Space and Trail Plan for Doña Ana County proposed by the Citizen’s Task Force for Open Space Preservation. 

 

 

02/23/2005 wmrp.2.11.05.light