Governor outlines why she vetoed proposed Slot Canyon state park

LAS CRUCES — Proponents of a new state park in Radium Springs, north of the city, expressed disappointment Friday after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoed a bill that would have established Slot Canyon Riverlands State Park.

“Our state parks are already woefully understaffed and undermaintained. The lack of park rangers in our existing parks is already a matter of great concern,” the governor wrote in a veto message. “Adding another state park will only spread already stretched resources even further.”

The governor also said the legislation did not provide funding for staffing resources needed to oversee development projects and manage funds for the project.

House Bill 219, approved by lawmakers during the recent legislative session in Santa Fe, would have created New Mexico’s 36th state park on approximately 1,000 acres of land popular with hikers, birdwatchers and other visitors. The area is located by the Rio Grande as it passes the Robledo Mountains, adjacent to the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

Supporters of the state park said it would have helped protect and provide access to public lands while boosting economic development through increased visits to the area.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces, said he was “disappointed and surprised” by the veto, saying it had won support from members of the governor’s administration and that the state budget included $40 million for managing and maintaining state parks.

“This veto is a missed opportunity to expand Southern New Mexico’s recreational economy,” he told the Journal, adding that it “halts investments in safety infrastructure for the many folks already exploring Las Cruces’ popular Slot Canyon every day.”

Rep. Joanne Ferrary, D-Las Cruces, another sponsor, lamented the veto, saying, “It will be so good for visitors and for outdoor experiences for our community, especially for youth.”

Small pledged to resume efforts to enact the proposed park, which would have included building a parking area and entrance as well as a campground. The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, complained in a social media post that current access to Slot Canyon is a “safety hazard” and vowed to continue advocating for development.

“To say we are disappointed in the Governor’s veto would be an understatement,” Patrick Nolan, director of the nonprofit Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, stated in a news release.

“This project was well thought out, closely coordinated with the State Parks Department, and supported by a significant number of Southern New Mexicans,” Nolan wrote. “At a time where the federal government is proposing a sell-off of public lands, New Mexico had the opportunity to demonstrate our shared values on protected public lands and open spaces, and the Governor failed to do so.”