NEWS
Public lands chief tips hat to NM delegation
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was in Albuquerque in late April to praise the omnibus public lands bill sponsored by Bingaman and signed into law. Salazar tipped his trademark Stetsonto Bingaman and the rest of New Mexico’s congressional delegation for passing the bill, which will protect public hunting and fishing grounds across the West, including the Sabinoso area east of Las Vegas, N.M.
Among other highlights for New Mexico, the bill authorizes a study of the Salt Basin aquifer beneath Otero Mesa, as a prerequisite to oil and gas development; protects the Snowy River Cave in Lincoln County by designating it as national conservation area; creates the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument near Las Cruces to preserve dinosaur tracks, and establishes water delivery systems in both eastern and northwestern New Mexico.