Friends of Otero Mesa

09/05/2018

Calling all defenders of wildlife! Visit the Southwest Environmental Center website to learn more about the status of Otero Mesa and ways you can take action!

The time is now to take action as good stewards of

To learn more about the state of Otero Mesa and to sign our petition, visit our website campaign page: http://www.wildmesquite.org/node/1193

Photo featuring: David Baake



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08/22/2018

Check out this great story featuring community members concerns and efforts to for by local reporter Fred Martino of KRWG.

https://youtu.be/E8nXaW8drsA The Otero Mesa. At over 1.2 million acres, it’s a vast treasure southeast of Alamogordo and west of Carlsbad. Most of it is

08/16/2018

"Under the Trump administration, oil and gas is experiencing major growth and contributing to New Mexico’s economy, but health and environmental groups have said the boom also means increased rates of asthma, cancer and other health ailments related to air pollution."
Our peoples, public lands, wildlife are all at risk when oil and gas industrial demands are advanced and given the green light to do harm.
Join our local fight to for here: http://www.wildmesquite.org/node/1193
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AZTEC, N.M. – A New Mexico woman who has spent her life in the San Juan Basin near hundreds of oil and gas wells says she’ll continue her fight for a cleaner environment despite her own healt…

08/01/2018

This past week Southwest Environmental Center hosted a Otero Mesa Organizing Meeting in Las Cruces. Mr. Ted Rodriguez and Mr. Larry Shay are Elders from the Mescalero Apache Tribe who came a long distance to join local Las Cruces leaders in future organizing planning and to share valuable oral history related to Otero Mesa. Attendees said they felt inspired and motivated.

04/26/2018

Get out there and celebrate our blue planet this weekend! Free entrance to the Alameda Park Zoo during Earth Day festivities.

04/03/2018

We are all public land stakeholders, and places like Otero Mesa deserve to be protected and free of development and extraction. These places represent the best of New Mexico -- wildlife habitat, public land, fresh water aquifers, thousands of years of Native culture and the wild experiences that make our state beautiful. Stand with sportsmen and sign the petition to protect Otero Mesa.

03/13/2018

New USGS report finds that leaking oil and gas wells or surface spills could contaminate ephemeral streams and arroyos on Otero Mesa and contaminate the Salt Basin Aquifer. We must protect these valuable water resources.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, conducted a study to assess the water resources and potential effects on the water resources from oil and gas development in the Tri-County planning area, Sierra, Doña Ana, and Otero Counties, New Mexico. Publicly...

02/26/2018

Spring is just around the corner, and it's a great time to get out to Otero Mesa! Take a hike with the Southwest Environmental Center on March 17.

We're excited to announce the Spring 2018 line up of our Saturday morning guided history outings. Nature lovers from across the region are invited to participate in spoting migrating raptors along the Rio Grande, get a close look at the lives of burrowing owls, explore a nearby cave, discover Native...

02/13/2018

Our friends at SWEC are hiring a field organizer! Join the team to protect Otero Mesa and other important places in southwest New Mexico.

Founded in 1992, the Southwest Environmental Center is a Las Cruces-based nonprofit biodiversity conservation organization. We work to protect and restore native wildlife and their habitats in the Southwest through advocacy, education, grassroots organizing and on-the-ground restoration projects.

02/08/2018

Oil and gas drilling is bad for pronghorn and other wildlife that call Otero Mesa home. We're working to protect Otero Mesa from the threat of development!

02/03/2016

Thanks to John Cornell and the New Mexico Wildlife Federation for years of dedication to protecting Otero Mesa!

In 2016, we’re continuing to spotlight some of the incredible people who work day in and day out, volunteer their free time, and give their energy and support towards protecting our amazing public lands.

John Cornell has been working with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation to protect Otero Mesa for almost a decade. Dubbed “America’s Wildest Grassland,” Otero Mesa is home to thriving populations of pronghorn, mule deer, Barbary and bighorn sheep – and a diversity of other species that rely on this fragile ecosystem. An avid sportsman, John is dedicated to protecting New Mexico’s public lands for healthy habitats and top-notch recreation experiences, and knows these two things go hand in hand. John works with local sportsmen, county commissioners, elected officials and state and federal agencies to promote land management decisions that protect hunting and fishing opportunities in the Land of Enchantment.

Thank you John!