Otero Mesa’s Amazing Natural Values

-         Vibrant Chihuahuan Desert grassland

New Mexico’s Otero Mesa is the largest and wildest Chihuahuan Desert grassland left on public lands in this country, providing important and irreplaceable conservation opportunities. The area is located southeast of Alamogordo, west of Carlsbad and straddles the Texas border. At over 1.2 million acres in size, the area is home to 1,000 native wildlife species, including mule deer, mountain lion, black-tailed prairie dogs, golden and bald eagles, over 200 species of migratory songbirds, and the state’s healthiest and only genetically pure herd of pronghorn antelope.

-         Cultural resources

Thousands of ancient petroglyphs, plus archaeological and historical sites can be found on the volcanic Cornudas Mountains, including several ruins from the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Route. 

-         Substantial freshwater aquifer

Otero Mesa sits above the Salt Basin Aquifer, which is suspected to be the largest, untapped, fresh water aquifer left in the state of New Mexico.  A multi-year study of the basin has commenced in response to a request by Senator Bingaman and is currently being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission. The initial work also involved Sandia National Laboratories and produced a report entitled Knowledge and Understanding of the Hydrogeology of the Salt Basin in South-Central New Mexico and Future Study Needs (which is also available on the USGS website at:  http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1358/). Preliminary findings suggest that there is at least 57 million acre feet of groundwater and that, due to the fractured nature of the geology, the aquifer could be vulnerable to the rapid spread of contamination. The analysis also concluded that further study is imperative to define the location and characteristics of the groundwater, so that risks to water quality can be limited and the value of this resource can be protected in the context of authorizing other activities on Otero Mesa.

-         Wilderness qualities and opportunities for administrative protections

Over 500,000 acres of Otero Mesa is eligible for wilderness designation, based on inventory work conducted by the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. Conservation groups have proposed that the BLM protect these wilderness values in the ongoing revision of the governing resource management plan (RMP). Additionally, close to 600,000 acres of the area has been nominated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in the ongoing planning process.

Court Confirms Inadequate Protection in Current Plan

In April, 2009, the U.S. 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on litigation brought by the State of New Mexico, state agencies, and a number of conservation groups challenging the RMP Amendment for Otero and Sierra Counties. In addition to recognizing the ecological importance of Otero Mesa, the court specifically found that the RMP Amendment did not adequately consider potential impacts of oil and gas development in causing habitat fragmentation in the grasslands or in contaminating the Salt Basin Aquifer. Furthermore, the court found that BLM’s entire RMP Amendment is flawed because the agency did not consider an alternative to protect all of Otero Mesa from oil and gas drilling. BLM will need to consider and analyze sufficient protections in a supplemental process.

In its decision, the court cited grassland expert, Professor Walter G. Whitford, who has extensively studied Otero Mesa’s black grama grasslands, which allow it to nourish such a wide variety of species. Professor Whitford’s research concludes that the soils on Otero Mesa, which support the black grama grasses, are remarkably shallow and as a result are particularly sensitive to any type of activity that would alter its composition. Accordingly, it is unlikely that large-scale damage from oil and gas development can be successfully reclaimed. The court stated, “A New Mexico State University biology professor identifies this grassland as the most endangered ecosystem type in the United States.” Opinion p. 4. This recognition of Otero Mesa’s biological significance was a major contributing factor to the decision and must inform the BLM’s analysis of permissible activities in terms of not only oil and gas development, but also the broader management considerations in the current RMP revision.

Economic Benefits from Protecting Otero Mesa

Headwaters Economics recently released a report that analyzes the limited economic benefits of drilling on Otero Mesa. The report estimates that expected revenue to Otero County from such drilling would peak at $285,000 annually, which is only 1.3 percent of the county’s total 2007 revenue sources. In fact, the limited economic benefits of drilling may not even cover the county’s share of infrastructure and service costs related to drilling. Statewide, the report estimates that New Mexico would net an amount equivalent to .2 percent of the State’s annual revenue from oil and gas production taxes and royalties collected in 2007. The report concludes that drilling Otero Mesa would create few economic and fiscal benefits, while potentially foreclosing future economic opportunities from outdoor recreation and tourism.

Further, no portion of Otero Mesa was quantified as high potential for oil and gas development in the RMP Amendment that nonetheless opened 95% of the planning area to leasing. The Headwaters report reiterates what BLM itself has said, which is that the area is not expected to yield economically viable amounts of oil and gas deposits. Accordingly, even the relatively minor economic benefits projected by Headwaters are most likely optimistic.