Petroglyph National Movement in New Mexico
imperiled by Road Plans back
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October 10, 1996 Visitors from around the globe flock to New Mexico to experience and learn about the ways of its native peoples who first settled the region - the Pueblo Indian and Hispano peoples who continue to maintain their spiritual and cultural traditions. The Monument and its resources are of substantial spiritual and cultural importance to the native peoples.
The Monument's resources are threatened by uncontrolled, sprawl development of one of the nation's most rapidly growing urban areas. Congress recognized this threat and created the Monument for the purpose of protecting the area's nationally significant cultural and natural resources from the threats posed by urbanization and vandalism.
The Monument is now threatened by the City of Albuquerque's plans to construct two commuter highways through the Monument - six lane Paseo del Norte and four lane Unser Boulevard.
The roads are being pushed by Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez. Mayor
Chavez was elected in 1994 by the narrowest of margins, thanks to hefty
campaign contributions from developers and landowners who now stand to
benefit from the proposed roads. Chavez has taken on the construction project
as a personal crusade. Chavez has vowed that the roads will be built and
has predicted that there will be movement on the issue within weeks of
the upcoming November election.
It is widely acknowledged that construction of Paseo del Norte would violate applicable federal laws. For this reason Chavez is pushing for a Congressional fix - an amendment to the Act which created the monument which would authorize construction of the road.
We need your help in preventing such an atrocity, which will result in desecration of a sacred area, set a dangerous precedent by allowing construction of commuter highways through a unit of the National Park System, and degrade the area's cultural, archeological, scientific and natural values.
| Mayor Martin J. Chavez
City of Albuquerque 1 Civic Plaza Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 Dear Mayor Chavez:
The Monument is a national treasure. It is a unit of the National Park System. Its resources should not be degraded for commuter highways. It is Albuquerque's responsibility to work with the Park Service to ensure that the Monument receives the protection it deserves. Surely you and your staff should be able to find alternatives for roads which would adequately serve Albuquerque's transportation needs. Albuquerque is fortunate that Congress has graced it with a National Monument on its western border. With the possible exception of a few special interests, the entire Albuquerque community benefits enormously from the Monument. The City should make the Monument a showcase for its residents and visitors. While the Albuquerque area is attractive in many ways, the City is fast acquiring the reputation of being a place of uncontrolled, sprawl development, and a City which does not do a good job of protecting its special places. It will not look good for Albuquerque if the City sacrifices a unit of the National Park Service to sprawl development. Please abandon your plans to build Paseo del Norte and Unser Boulevard through Petroglyph National Monument. Sincerely, ---- End Included Message ----- |