Path to national park? U.S. Senator unveils bill to upgrade White Sands monument

WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT - A vast expanse of shifting white sand dunes in southern New Mexico would be elevated from a national monument to a national park under legislation proposed Friday by one of the state’s senators.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, made the announcement while visiting the state as part of a multiday tour that included looking at outdoor recreation as a means to attract more tourists and more money.

White Sands already brings in about a half-million visitors each year, and Heinrich said designating the area as a national park has been something that community leaders and local elected officials have been pursuing for years.

"Everyone who visits White Sands marvels at its remarkable geology, spectacular scenery and outstanding recreation experiences," he said in a statement. "And the broad regional support we’ve received for what could be our state’s second national park demonstrates the endless opportunities this designation would offer to communities and local businesses across southern New Mexico."

Heinrich announced the legislation Friday morning during the second day of the New Mexico Outdoor Economics Conference, which took place at Hotel Encanto in Las Cruces. Later, he traveled to the monument for a ceremonial unveiling of the legislation.

Study: $6 million in new spending

With national park status, supporters hope the destination would get more recognition. Entrance fees and access would remain the same.

A study released Friday by the nonprofit research group Headwaters Economics found re-designation of White Sands could result in more than $6 million in new spending and dozens of additional jobs.

Ray Rasker, executive director of Headwaters Economics, said the boost would happen because national parks have a more prominent public profile than monuments.

"That national park brand matters," he said after a presentation at the outdoor economics conference in Las Cruces.

The group looked at eight redesignated national parks in California, Colorado, Arizona and Utah and found visits increased on average by about 20 percent within five years. The parks also had more overnight visits and spending per visitor than monuments.

The study also suggests that the uptick in visitation at national parks following the recession will persist as long as the national economy continues to grow. Rasker said national parks in general are enjoying a spike in tourism, thanks to promotional efforts by the federal government. Should White Sands National Monument gain park status, he said local promotion would be an important step to encourage tourism.

Carrie Hamblen, CEO and president of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce, said she's never understood why the national monument wasn't a national park already. She welcomes the new legislation and said if it passes, it should help to attract more visitors from outside the region, along with Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and Prehistoric Trackways National Monument.

"I feel that, economically, this will only benefit our community," she said.

Natural history preserved

White Sands was established as a monument in 1933 by President Herbert Hoover to preserve the dunes and additional features of scenic, scientific and educational interest.

Supporters have said the monument contains a more diverse set of archaeological and scientific resources than were first known, including the recent discovery of Ice Age fossilized footprints and giant sloth tracks.

The monument has the largest collection of fossilized tracks in gypsum in the world, from saber-toothed cats and wooly mammoths to ancient camels.

Thousands of hearth sites where early inhabitants built campfires also have been preserved in the dunes in ways not found elsewhere, and scientists are finding new species and subspecies of insects and reptiles that have adapted to the unique conditions.

Boundary adjustments proposed

White Sands is bordered by White Sands Missile Range. The legislation would clear the way for a land trade with the U.S. Army that has been in the works since the 1970s.

An additional 9 square miles would be transferred to White Sands and park officials would take over management of another area currently within the monument’s boundary. Nearly 6 square miles would be transferred to the Army.

Situated in the Tularosa Basin, the monument currently spans 224 square miles with the dune field stretching across parts of the monument and the missile range.

Under the proposal, existing agreements would remain in place between the military and the National Park Service to protect use of airspace and testing grounds for the missile range, nearby Holloman Air Force Base and Fort Bliss.

Clearing Congress

Heinrich said his office has been working on the proposal to transform White Sands National Monument into a national park since he first took office in 2012. Some work had been carried out toward the proposal by former U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman. There have been a lot of specifics to iron out, he said.

"We've spent a number of years working through issues like the Department of Defense land swap and just making sure the details were hammered out in a way we really could get a majority of the community to be supportive."

In April, the Las Cruces City Council and the Alamogordo City Commission each OK'd a statement of support encouraging the federal government to upgrade the monument to a park. 

In December 2016, the Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners passed a measure expressing support for the proposed transition of the monument to a national park. However, within weeks of a newly seated commission taking office Jan. 1, 2017, commissioners rescinded the earlier vote.

Heinrich said the legislation, which he plans to officially introduce in Congress on Monday, has support from local lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. He believes it has the broad base of support needed to get through both federal chambers.

To pass, the bill also would require the signature of President Donald Trump. Does Heinrich think he'd support it?

"I do. We'll just let him know that this is how you make American public lands great again," he said.