Castner Range Safe From Development!
Castner Range has long been threatened with development. Thanks to the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, (NDAA), it's off the hook!
The 2018 NDAA recently signed by the House Of Representatives now forbids any building, development or commercial enterprise on Castner Range. In a press release obtained by the El Paso Herald-Post, Frontera Land Alliance Executive Director Janae Reneaud said:
"she was pleased to learn that Sec. 2846 will protect and conserve “the ecological, scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical, natural, educational, and scientific resources” of the Range.
The El Paso Herald-Post article also pointed out that:
- Dozens of natural and cultural studies have led to the well-documented identification of a variety of plants, animals and archaeological sites that make the range’s 7,081 open-space acres more than worthy of protection as a National Monument.
- Researchers have identified more than forty archaeological and historical sites on the Range including extensive collections of petroglyphs, remnants of failed tin-mining operations, and small stone structures and pottery.
Work also continues on a project to have Castner Range declared a National Monument.