The Dallas News doesn’t like the idea. Keep Mountains Public. Dallas News.
Neither does the San Antonio Express. Christmas Mountains sale should be delayed.
Proponents of the sale have drummed up a phony Second Amendment argument to justify not selling the mountains to the National Park Service to add to Big Bend National Park. Of course, if the mountains are private property they won’t be able to take their guns there because their person can’t go there.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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Texas may have the lowest % of public lands in this country. The international effort–between Mexico & this country–that is attempting to protect a large unfragmented (2.5 million acre) block of this biolgical diverse region of the Chihuauan Desert could add the Xmas Mountains to Big Bend NP. The area in question borders the northwest part of the park. However, Texas has always been anti-public lands, especially if shooting, poisening & trapping critters is prohibited. Adding this parcel of land to the park makes such good sense that it may not happen! Of course another option–better than nothing– would be to add this parcel as a “preserve” (a different clasification that permits hunting) as was done in several national parks in Alaska.
It should also make sense because the donor was a very conservative foundation, hardly one out to promote some “liberal” environmental agenda. . . but apparently not enough for the state lands director.