The designation of massive acreage for the Organ Mountain is one of many proofs that public officials and national leaders allow themselves to be deceived by certain special interest groups. Environmentalists point to bicycles as environmentally-friendly transportation. To make bicycles, manufacturers must get materials that originated from mining operations (iron, molybdenum, aluminum, ceramics, etc.), oil wells and even coal mines for carbon-based and plastic materials, and timber for wood components. In the Organ Mountains are geological deposits of guess what -- molybdenum.
Ask the Sierra Club if they have ever approved of a molybdenum or aluminum mine?
Many existing Wilderness Areas have multiple abandoned mining sites and oil / gas wells within their boundaries, areas that are now supposedly have natural beauty. Why is that permissible? How is it that areas that used to be BLM and USFS areas with mines and wells were previously visited by hikers and considered beautiful now have to become wilderness designations?
In publications from 1991 / 1992, the Sierra Club in New Mexico openly announced that oil / gas well drillers were still using lead-based (Pb) lubricants. Never mind that the EPA banned those lubricants several years before in the mid-1980s and that the drilling industry had already switched to biodegradable lubricants even before that. Never mind that law enforcement and the EPA later on checked for compliance in the industry. But the NM environmentalists attacked those who pointed out that glaring discrepancy, along with many others. How is it that reclamations of well drilling sites and mining sites are either ignored or even denied by the environmental groups now?
There have been many private groups in the Pacific Northwest (like my grade school in the 1960's) that went out and planted trees, grass, and shrubs in the forests. We even saw some of the lumber companies replanting trees and shrubs. But apparently, none of those good efforts count in the mind of the environmental groups, as seen in recent publications and notifications.
The naive idea that somehow a new wilderness will somehow magically bring in this estimated income (when there are many other wildernesses to visit) will not pan out as planned, just as seen in several other towns near wilderness areas. Minerals needed for everyday life of the readers where are found where nature put them, and to convert BLM/USFS lands that were previously area of natural beauty for visitors to wilderness areas serves only to stop the flow of resources needed for Americans and the flow of jobs for those resources and reclamations / restorations. And this comes from efforts of groups that outright lied to people and officials while attacking those who pointed the facts out.
NOTE: I Catherine as the author wrote all of these words on my own, most of which I wrote previously for another Wilderness withdrawal in the West. FALSE accusers will be dealt with by my Lawyers. There are NO copyrights by the author on the words in this post.
