I write to strongly support your proposed legislation to create a new National conservation area in Taos County. Such a designated natural area of some 300,000 acres would greatly (and permanently) benefit the citizens of Taos County, New Mexico, and the Nation. It would also be of great benefit to the local and state economy, fueled as it is in considerable part by tourism. My partner and I own 12 acres in Arroyo Hondo, land not included within the proposed boundaries of the conservation area but within walking distance of it. We can personally testify to the following traditional uses within the proposed desig-nated area: Hiking, bicycling, and jeeping; swimming, fishing, and rafting on the R'o Grande and its tributar-ies; birdwatching as well as plant and other nature study; study of rock art and other ancient American Indian remains, as well as visits to sacred sites by Pueblo and other contemporary native peoples; paid balloon rides; hunting; grazing of livestock; and simple viewing by tour-ists and residents of the great rugged natural beauty of an area containing such magnificent assets as the Rio Grande River, Ute Mountain, and major herds of American elk and pronghorn. This would not be an expensive matter. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) already administers a large part of the lands which would fall within the proposed area. The state of New Mexico has tentatively agreed to swap its own con-siderable holdings within the proposed area for BLM land elsewhere. It is crucially important to understand that existing private hold-ings within any such national conservation area would not be restricted by the designa-tion, nor be subject to forced sale.One of the great advan-tages of such a designation would be the additional available funds (from already existing congressionally authorized monies) for BLM managers to further study the area's great natural assets and how best to manage them for conservation and for public use. Private in-holders could sell lands to the BLM from such funds if they choose to do so, but only by their choice.There would be no emi-nent domain forced-sales involved, nor any restrictions on the use of such private lands within the designated area.I personally feel that this is perhaps the single most important conservation ini-tiative we in Taos County are likely to see in our lifetimes.Such a national conserva-tion area would perma-nently preserve a great part of this magnificent, largely open and undeveloped natural ecosystem, extend-ing roughly from the Taos Junction Bridge in a widen-ing wedge all the way to the Colorado border. While allowing traditional multi-purpose public uses, such a designation would go very far in protecting this 300,000 -plus-acre area from such destructive, exploitative uses as drilling (and blasting) for oil and gas extraction, dump-ing of hazardous wastes, etc. A national conserva-tion area here would largely ensure that both we and our descendants would continue to enjoy public access and use of a truly important and magnificent natural region.P.S. Those who feel the same way could phone Sen. Bingaman's office stating their support at (202) 224-5521. G. Frank Oatman Jr. , of Arroyo Hondo, is a retired college professor, landscape designer, founder of a compa-ny operating natural history and cultural tours worldwide, and a lifelong conservationist.
