In 2013, Dona Ana County received $9 million dollars in federal money to pave Baylor Canyon road and the unpaved sections of Dripping Springs Road. But some county residents fought the project and the county commission only approved paving for Dripping Springs Road.
A study commissioned by the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce said the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument should generate an additional 7.4 million dollars in tourism every year.
But some say those economic projections are not realistic; not as long as the two roads leading up to the site remain coarse and unpaved.
“We are hoping we can increase visitation throughout the whole monument and this is a key access point to our primary visitor center within the national monument” said Bill Childress director of the Bureau of Land Management, Las Cruces.
Childress says visitation is up as much as 30 percent since the monument was designated. He says paving both Baylor Canyon and Dripping Springs road would further boost visitation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKLP7T5GfpU&feature=youtu.be
A Bureau of Land Management impact assessment also found the paving would have “no effect” on any federally threatened, endangered species or BLM sensitive species.
“We did analyze the potential impacts to the national monument also we made sure that proceeding with this project would not be in conflict with the presidential proclamation that established the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks designation and that is all within the environmental assessment that was prepared” he says.
Jim Kroger lives near Baylor Canyon road
“Your impact statement doesn’t include the human beings out there. It is going to hugely impact us everyone out there is against it “
Kroger says the dirt sections of Dripping Springs road probably should be paved but is concerned if Baylor Canyon road is paved it could become overwhelmed with traffic.
“I finally last year found my little dream house in Baylor canyon area. I really enjoy it out there. I can go out there after a hard day at work and I can relax and sit on my back porch look at the mountains, enjoy the wildlife there and it is very quiet and it is very sedate. If you pave Baylor Canyon road it is not going to be any more“
The conflicting challenges of better public access and increased traffic led the Bureau of Land Management to offer three road enhancement options.
Fully pave both Baylor Canyon and Dripping Springs roads, pave the dirt sections of Dripping Springs road and lay gravel on Baylor Canyon or leave both roads untouched.
In the end the Dona Ana County commission voted unanimously to pave Dripping Springs but only make gravel improvements to Baylor Canyon.
“I wanted to jump up and shout! But I didn’t know if I was allowed. Tremendously ecstatic” said Jim Kroger
County Commission Chair Billy Garrett says the decision will provide sufficient access to the key visitor areas in the monument without detracting from the natural area.
Despite earlier assertions from the county it was revealed in the meeting that federal funds not used in the road enhancement cannot be diverted to other County road projects and will instead go back to the federal government. The paving of Dripping Springs Road and improvements to Baylor Canyon Road will begin in January.
