No More 4 Wheeling In New Mexico?

A proposed conservation bill would ban motorized vehicles in 2 New Mexico national park areas.

The bills would designate areas in two national monuments as "wilderness areas". This status protects them from development which is a great idea!  However, 4 wheel drive outings, dirt bike riding, hunting vehicles, etc would be banned.

According to El Paso Herald Post online:

The bills would extend wilderness protections to parts of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument. Longtime sportsman Max Trujillo said the designation would give the lands an added layer of protection at a time when some in Congress want to transfer control of large amounts of federal public land to the states.

Having the land in the hands of the state is a big deal. If that happens, New Mexico could then sell areas to developers and/or allow oil and gas drilling to offset the state's deficit.

Not being able to drive in these areas seems a small price to pay to protect them, especially since there are plenty of other areas available.