{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/press-releases/udall-heinrich-introduce-organ-mountains-desert-peaks-conservation-bill", "Udall, Heinrich Introduce Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Conservation Bill", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Martin Heinrich", "H001046", "www.heinrich.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Udall, Heinrich Introduce Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Conservation Bill\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tBill would designate national monument to boost economy, create jobs, enhance recreation and hunting  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 12, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u00a0Today,\u00a0U.S. Senators Tom Udall\u00a0and\u00a0Martin Heinrich\u00a0introduced legislation to preserve some of Do\u00f1a Ana County\u2019s most iconic landscapes, while boosting the region\u2019s tourism and outdoor economy, creating jobs and improving hunting and hiking opportunities.\u00a0The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Conservation Act would designate the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks\u00a0National Monument to conserve, protect and enhance scenic, recreational and culturally significant land.\u00a0\r\nThe new monument would be managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and would include\u00a0eight new wilderness areas. Studies show that designating the area a national monument would bring new visitors and business opportunities, generating $7.4 million in new economic activity annually.\r\n\u201cDesignating a national monument would put the Organ Mountains and other spectacular areas of Do\u00f1a Ana County on recreation maps around the world, attracting tourists to Southern New Mexico, creating jobs and bringing in millions of dollars in tourism revenue,\u201d Udall said. \u201cThe Organ Mountains and surrounding area form a beautiful and iconic backdrop for Las Cruces and are beloved by New Mexicans. Our bill would help ensure local families and visitors will continue to be able to hike, hunt, and learn from the thousands of significant historic sites throughout the hills for generations to come.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks region offers outstanding cultural resources, tourism and recreational opportunities like hunting, hiking, and camping, and links us strongly to our past. For years, diverse coalitions in New Mexico have worked tirelessly for its permanent protection. By designating this natural treasure a national monument, a critical piece of our shared outdoor heritage will be protected for us now and for future generations of Americans to enjoy,\u201d Heinrich said. \u201cI look forward to working with Senator Tom Udall and communities across New Mexico to get this done.\u201d\r\nThe bill conserves land in an area stretching across the Organ, Do\u00f1a Ana, Potrillo, Robledo and Uvas mountains, home to game animals, such as pronghorn sheep and deer, as well as rare plants and animals, some found nowhere else in the world, including the Organ Mountains pincushion cactus. It encompasses Broad Canyon, Sleeping Lady Hills, Rough and Ready Hills, Picacho Peak, Mount Riley, Pe\u00f1a Blanca and Bishop\u2019s Cap. And it contains over 5,000 archeologically and culturally significant sites, including Geronimo\u2019s Cave, Billy the Kid\u2019s Outlaw Rock, Spanish settlement sites, and numerous petroglyphs and pictographs.\r\nThe national monument proposal is the result of many years of research and conversations with the surrounding communities, as well as White Sands Missile Range, Fort Bliss, and the U.S. Border Patrol.\r\nImportantly, the bill preserves existing grazing rights and\u00a0vehicular access to\u00a0100 percent of roads leading to currently used water wells, troughs and corrals, and it enhances hunting and other outdoor recreation opportunities. It also strengthens border security in the region by releasing wilderness study areas within five miles of the international border, creating a buffer area for Border Patrol activities,\u00a0and\u00a0adding an additional road for border security purposes.\r\nThe Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Conservation Act:\r\n\r\n \r\nBoosts the economy and creates jobs. A recent study found that new visitors would generate $7.4 million in new economic activity and create new jobs.\r\nConserves wildlife habitat and enhances hunting opportunities for generations to come.\r\nProtects some of Southern New Mexico\u2019s most iconic vistas and preserves important landmarks and archeological and cultural resources.\r\nIncreases flexibility for Border Patrol to conduct operations.\r\nDirects the completion of a watershed restoration assessment that will support flood prevention.\r\nMaintains existing grazing allotments under the current rangeland management guidelines.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/press-releases/udall-heinrich-introduce-organ-mountains-desert-peaks-conservation-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6758600249886513, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}