On Saturday, December 15, 2012, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar visited New Mexico to listen to the local community that wants to protect Rio Grande del Norte.
Does a shift in multiple use toward preservation and recreation mean lower economic potential for rural communities? Not at all, say several recent economic reports. In fact, preserving the natural values of wildlands and sustainable recreation brings big benefits to local economies.
The idea here is that certain places, like the Statue of Liberty and Dinosaur National Monument, deserve heightened protection from potentially harmful uses, such as development and vandalism.
Both seek to open up Wilderness-quality lands – those untrammeled places protected by The Wilderness Act of 1964 – to development, mining and other destructive uses. They also attack lands deemed Inventoried Roadless Areas, which are not allowed to be developed.
