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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Editorial: Better Protection for Pecos Canyon



      The Pecos River winds through an administrative tangle on the first 20 miles of its journey to the Rio Grande. Consolidation of government ownership, or at least government management, under one authority could go a long way toward keeping the lovely Pecos Canyon from being loved to death by campers.
    The canyon's population surges between May and September, particularly on weekends. Rangers estimate that close to 4,000 visitors use the dozen Santa Fe National Forest campgrounds. The state Game and Fish Department administers four more recreational areas. The divided jurisdiction makes it that much harder for the two agencies — each with one officer — to police the canyon. And that makes it that much easier for people to set up camp wherever they can pitch a tent — designated site or not.
    At the same time the crowding is hammering campgrounds and streamside habitat, heavy traffic on the two-lane blacktop is polluting the river.
    Weekend by weekend, year by year, overuse has taken its toll on one of the state's scenic and recreational gems. Sites important to the Jemez people are frequently littered with trash and otherwise degraded. Advocates including Huie Ley, owner of the canyon's Terrero General store and a San Miguel County commissioner, think consolidating management of federal and state lands under a single authority by designating the canyon a state park would reverse the area's downhill slide.
    Certainly something has to be done to more effectively regulate use, prevent overuse of the canyon and ensure it's there for the enjoyment of our grandchildren.
   

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