Public Lands day on the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument

     Public Lands day is the nation’s largest dedicated day of volunteer events, helping restore and take care of the land. This year the day landed on September 26th. After what seemed like a summer full of dry heat and forest fires, New Mexico finally got its much needed moisture, with a week of consistent rain showers. Dropping temperatures started the fall foliage in the mountains and the sky finally cleared up, for a weekend of stewardship work and celebration on the National Monument. BHA Habitat Stewardship Coordinator Elden Aguilar, Taos BLM Field office, Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte and BHA volunteers  worked together to remove and modify an existing fence located along one of the migration corridors below the southside of the San Antonio Mountain.

     

      It was a bit of a chilly morning. Everyone showed up to the work location, with a light jacket on ready for the day. Most return attendees and some new, traveling as far as from Colorado Springs, CO. After the work and safety discussion, volunteers with a wire cutter in hand, headed out to the starting point. There they begin the first 1/8 mile section, clipping, removing and rolling barbed wire by hand. Others headed out with the BLM employees to help place wooden posts on the existing T- posts. They rolled out and stretched new wire and tied wooden stays in between. Each wire had to be set at rthe equired heights to be wildlife friendly. By the first hour a section of LAY-DOWN fencing was up. The process was repeated, half way through the 3rd section it was time for Lunch. Everyone got to enjoy BBQ sandwiches, with slaw, & potato salad (Made locally by Fence lines BBQ). With bellies full, they got back to work and completed all 5 sections that afternoon. Concluding a whole 0.7 miles, totaling 1.2 miles of modification added from previous events. This new lay down fence modification connected 3 square miles of public land, making it safe habitat connectivity for animals to cross during the migration season.

    

     Sunday, was a day of fly fishing, Led by Friends of the Rio Grande Del Norte. A group of attendees and guides met down in the Orilla Verde site on the National Monument. The guides helped setup and rig fly rods, then head down to the river. Trout were rising, feeding on small midges that were floating on the surface of the water. Picky as can be on what the fish chose to feed on, they were able to hook a few with small dry fly patterns. Of course fishing barbless hooks, all of the fish caught were released back into the river. It was an awesome weekend of stewardship work & celebration.

    

PUBLIC LANDS DAY EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Nick Heine, has been a board member for quite some time. He’s attended just about every single stewardship event held in NM. His commitment to public lands is unmatched. Now, he is the new BHA Chapter chair for the state of NM.

“Public lands have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in New Mexico, some of my fondest memories were made hiking, camping, and fishing with my family across the state. Our camping trips took us all across the state, giving me the opportunity to experience the incredible diversity and beauty of New Mexico’s public lands. As an adult, those places continue to provide something that is increasingly difficult to find in our modern world: a chance to unplug, find peace and solitude, and reconnect with the outdoors. Public lands are places where I can slow down, recharge, and ponder what really matters in life. I am passionate about ensuring that these landscapes remain healthy and accessible, and that they are protected from the impacts of destruction, littering, overuse, and misuse.

Now, as a father of two young daughters, my connection to public lands has taken on an even greater sense of responsibility. I want my daughters to grow up exploring the same places that shaped me—to hike the trails, cast a line, sleep under the stars, and develop their own appreciation for the wild places that make New Mexico so special. I also want to teach them that enjoying public lands comes with a responsibility to care for them. That is one of the reasons I am proud to serve as Chair of the Board of the New Mexico Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Through our stewardship projects, we have an opportunity to turn that responsibility into action—to leave the places we love better than we found them and make a tangible difference for wildlife, fellow outdoors-people, and future generations. Participating in these events is my way of giving back to the public lands that have given me so much, while helping ensure that my daughters and generations of New Mexicans to come have the same opportunities to experience and care for these special places.”

 

Public lands day isn’t just one day at Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. It is everyday, we are here to protect them as a community, through stewardship work & advocacy.

If you aren’t a member yet, please consider joining us by becoming a member today! Keep up with what’s going on & get invovled.

A SPECIAL THANKS to all of our sponsors that make this work possible.