Vasquez, local advocates rally to protect Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks from public land sell-off

Community hike and press conference underscore bipartisan push to preserve access, culture and economy tied to New Mexico’s public lands

Organ Mountain News report

LAS CRUCES - U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez joined conservation advocates, local leaders and residents at Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument on Tuesday to denounce revived proposals in Congress to sell off millions of acres of public land across the West — including lands in southern New Mexico.

The community event included a group hike and press conference, held in response to a provision in the Senate’s version of the federal budget reconciliation bill that would authorize the sell-off of more than 3.3 million acres of federal public land. A similar proposal was blocked in the House earlier this year, due in part to Vasquez’s leadership in the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus.

“Standing here at Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks, I’m reminded that what’s at stake isn’t just this monument — it’s the future of millions of acres of public lands across New Mexico and the West,” Vasquez said. “These lands are part of our identity. They support local jobs, protect sacred Tribal sites, and give our kids a chance to connect with the outdoors. Our public lands are not for sale. Period.”

Watch Rep. Vasquez's full remarks:

Local leaders echoed his message, pointing to the monument’s economic, cultural and environmental value.

Carrie Hamblen, CEO of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce and a New Mexico state senator, emphasized how much the local economy depends on outdoor tourism.

“In Las Cruces, our community has embraced this monument,” she said. “The hiking, the camping, the recreation — it all brings people into our stores and restaurants. Our monument isn’t for sale, and our community has shown that it should be left alone.”

Patrick Nolan, Executive Director of Friends of Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks, described the land as central to southern New Mexico’s shared identity.

“These lands hold our stories. They’re home to essential wildlife. They improve our community’s health,” Nolan said. “Their value isn’t in what can be extracted from them — it’s in what they already provide.”

Mark Allison of New Mexico Wild warned that efforts to shrink or remove protections for national monuments would be a betrayal of years of grassroots organizing.

“Nearly 90% of New Mexicans — across the political spectrum — support keeping our monuments intact,” he said. “They’re not just lines on a map. They’re sacred, ecological, cultural treasures. Selling them off would be theft of historic proportions.”

Jesse Duebel of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation said the fight to protect public lands goes far beyond recreation.

“These are the places where we gather firewood, hunt, fish, and feed our families,” he said. “They’re our gym, our church, our grocery store — they’re in our DNA.”

Romir Lahiri, with the Conservation Lands Foundation, said the proposed land sales would disproportionately hurt working-class New Mexicans and marginalized communities.

“This scheme blocks access to regular Americans while ignoring Indigenous, Hispano and local communities who depend on these lands for cultural and economic reasons,” he said.

Maude Dinan of the National Parks Conservation Association added that the push to weaken protections comes amid broader federal rollbacks.

“This isn’t just about one monument,” Dinan said. “It’s about the Trump administration’s continued erosion of public land laws, Tribal engagement, and conservation protections nationwide.”

Vasquez, who co-founded the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus with Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), has made protecting public lands a central part of his legislative agenda. He previously joined a letter urging the Department of the Interior to preserve Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks in full, citing its cultural and ecological significance.

“As long as I’m in Congress,” Vasquez said, “I’ll keep building bipartisan support to make sure our public lands are protected for future generations.”