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Recent News
Friends Group Submits Letter of Support for Caja del Rio
Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
December 13, 2024
President Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
The Honorable Debra Haaland, Secretary
U.S. Department of Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20242
The Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Dear President Biden, Secretary Haaland, and Secretary Vilsack:
I am writing on behalf of Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. We are a non-profit partner that works with local federal agencies aimed at the preservation, conservation and expansion of our Monument, as well as facilitating connections between our local community members and the Monument through youth educational programs and community educational events aimed at fostering stewardship for our public lands and waters.
I write to formally express Friends of Rio Grande del Norte’s enthusiastic support for national monument designation of the Caja del Rio, 106,883 acres of the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service public lands southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument has been a tremendous success here in New Mexico. Whether it’s the beneficial economic impacts or the protections for the area’s cultural resources, New Mexicans and visitors alike cherish our National Monument. Given the popularity of Rio Grande del Norte, and the huge support that Caja del Rio has already amassed, we have no doubt that Caja del Rio will prove to be another success story for land protection and cultural preservation.
We make this request in solidarity with and support of diverse interests in New Mexico including Tribes and Pueblos, Hispano communities, local governments, grazing permittees, chambers of commerce, business owners, faith leaders, sportsmen/women, veterans, and outdoor recreation, community, youth, and conservation organizations.
The Caja del Rio includes one of America’s most iconic landscapes and an area of profound cultural, historical, archaeological, and ecological significance. With cacti forests, burrowing owls, bald and golden eagles, herds of elk and deer, and black bears and cougars, the Caja del Rio serves as critical wildlife habitat and a lynchpin of wildlife connectivity in the Upper Rio Grande.
The area's human history is as vibrant and diverse as the ruggedly beautiful landscape. Since time immemorial the Caja del Rio has been home to various Indigenous communities and contains thousands of Native American petroglyphs as well as significant cultural, spiritual, and archaeological sites. The area is also home to the National Historic Trail of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro as well as an iconic stretch of Route 66.
The Caja del Rio is one of the most endangered landscapes in New Mexico and the American Southwest, facing many threats including illegal dumping, desecration of sacred cultural resources, mining, and user created roads. Permanent protection will help address many of these threats.
We urge you to act while there is still time to ensure this iconic landscape is given the attention and protection it deserves.
Sincerely,
Nick Streit
Executive Director
Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
CC:
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (NM)
U.S. Ben Ray Luján (NM)
U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)