CDTC thanks Shelby Hallmark for permission to repost his letter to the editor, “A better future for rural NM,” Silver City Daily Press, March 23, 2021.
Dear Editor,
I’ve lived in beautiful Grant County for more than 10 years now, and I’ve seen firsthand the growth of our local economy derived from protected federal lands like the Gila National Forest.
The Gila, our nation’s first designated wilderness, attracts thousands of visitors to rural communities across southwest New Mexico.
New Mexicans, as well as out-of-state visitors, flock to the Gila to hike, ride, camp, bird, hunt, fish, swim, raft, and simply breathe free. They stay here, they spend their money locally, and they help power our local economies and support sustainable jobs for Grant County residents.
Even in conservative rural counties like Catron County, small businesses and residents benefit from hunting and fishing, as well as unique outdoor recreation opportunities within the Gila National Forest like the Catwalk and the Cosmic Campground.
Yet if you’ve read what the oil and gas industry has been saying since President Joe Biden’s executive orders on climate change, you’d think that rural New Mexico economies are inseparable from the oil and gas industry. That’s simply not true.
New Mexico’s outdoor economy is a booming sector for the state and is currently producing $2.4 billion a year, with the potential to continue strong and sustainable growth. In Grant County, outdoor recreation jewels like the internationally renowned Continental Divide Trail and the pristine Gila River bring thousands of visitors (and their money) to our community each year, and the number keeps growing.
Since 2014, when Silver City partnered with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and became the first CDT Gateway Community, local businesses have seen the benefits of promoting their connection to green spaces — increased traffic in their restaurants, gear outfitters, hotels, and shops. And some even stay and become part of the community.
In southeast New Mexico, places like Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Otero Mesa, White Sands National Monument, and the Lincoln National Forest, also bring in much-needed economic-base revenue from visitors from outside the region, and the potential is there to continue growing those economic sectors as well.
The growing popularity of these areas demonstrates that investment in trails and green spaces is an important investment in the economies of rural communities. And this month, the New Mexico Division of Outdoor Recreation released a toolkit to help rural communities build their outdoor recreation economy even more.
Like the majority of New Mexicans (per a Colorado College survey), I believe oil and gas development on national public lands should be stopped or strictly limited, as opposed to expanded. The oil and gas industry needs to come to grips with this real change in public attitudes.
We all know about the looming dangers of climate change if we continue extracting fossil fuels at the present rate. But two recent studies show that proximity to oil and gas production sites also has immediate damaging effects on our health. “Air Pollution and Covid-19: A Dangerous Combination” examined five counties in New Mexico and found that exposure to air pollution from oil and gas extraction potentially increases the rates of infection and death from COVID-19. And a recent report from the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environment, co-authored by UNM College of Nursing Dean Dr. Christine Kasper, clearly makes the case that communities located next to oil and gas fields, refineries, and other polluting industries bear a disproportionate burden of health impacts from environmental contamination.
What we want for our state and our rural communities is clean air, clean water, and a healthy future for our grandchildren. Now is the time to address the damage of man-made climate change, and to embrace New Mexico’s ancient tradition of reverence for our precious and unique landscape. The oil and gas industry should listen to the majority of New Mexicans and get on board.
— (s)Shelby Hallmark, Silver City
From Silver City Daily Press, March 23, 2021
About the Continental Divide Trail
The CDT is one of the world’s premiere long-distance trails, stretching 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide. Designated by Congress in 1978, the CDT is the highest, most challenging and most remote of the 11 National Scenic Trails. It provides recreational opportunities ranging from hiking to horseback riding to hunting for thousands of visitors each year. While 95% of the CDT is located on public land, approximately 150 miles are still in need of protection.
About the Continental Divide Trail Coalition
The CDTC was founded in 2012 by volunteers and recreationists hoping to provide a unified voice for the Trail. Working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land management agencies, the CDTC is a non-profit partner supporting stewardship of the CDT. The mission of the CDTC is to complete, promote and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, a world-class national resource. For more information, please visit continentaldividetrail.org.
