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Thursday, August 14, 2008

Guest Column: Trust Keeps Byway Looking Scenic

By Albert Noyer

          Mention anything relating to the Turquoise Trail to anyone living near the scenic byway and a question follows: "How's that going to affect me?"
        So, what is the 3-year-old Turquoise Trail Preservation Trust, and what does it do?
        The organization's stated objectives are threefold, yet the directors' vision can be summed up by part of the first sentence: "To ... preserve the uniqueness and beauty of the Trail. ..."
        Trust President Sharon Berg sums up: "1. Strive toward local commitment for future conservation goals with public entities, such as the Bureau of Land Management, and sponsor educational outreach meetings and workshops. 2. Preserve the scenic landscape; promote public open space; establish wildlife corridors and document archaeological sites. 3. Educate public awareness about the need for conservation and protection of the Trail."
        Berg stresses that it will take collective community involvement to protect the byway from negative actions and to influence positive ones.
        Ongoing issues and accomplishments include protesting industrial mining on BLM land in the San Pedro Mountains and helping engineer the razing of the Marco Polo Pizza building. Two years ago, the Trust also contacted Bernalillo County about the demolition of the Bella Vista Restaurant building, a process now completed.
        Last September, Berg said, Scenic America in Washington, D.C., America's Byway Resource Center in Duluth, Minn., and Laurie Franz, the New Mexico Byways Coordinator, asked the Trust to project manage a two-day workshop. The meeting was held on the Turquoise Trail with many state agencies attending.
        In February 2008, the trust began acting on workshop recommendations, including removal of sign clutter, creating a gateway at the Interstate 40 off-ramp at exit 175, construction of stone entrance monuments at each end of the trail, and signs identifying San Antonio-Cedar Crest, San Antonito and other historical sites along the byway.
        Thanks to donations by many local artists, in May a successful live art auction fundraiser was held at The Overlook at San Pedro. The annual auction, grants and private donations will be the primary method of generating funds. Thanks to the interest of the Mountain View Telegraph, periodic updates on the trust's activities will appear in this column.
        For more information, call Sharon Berg at 286-3108.