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Prehistoric (Paleozoic) Trackway National Monument Information Site
Senate Bill S275 - Introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

National Monument Bill Is Threatening YOUR Access To Robledo Mountains!

All public recreational access to the Robledo Mountains is threatened with closure by Senate bill 275, that Senator Bingaman (D-NM) recently introduced in Washington DC. This is just a re-submittal of the failed S3599 bill that was introduced in the last Congress and will create a new 5,300 acre national monument that completely encompasses the current SST Mountain Bike, and Chile Challenge OHV trails in the Robledo Mountains.

On the surface, the bill is to protect fossilized tracks. However:

There are no exposed trackways for the public to see today.

• They were excavated and removed in the late 1980’s, by an amateur fossil collector.

• All of the discovered, significant, trackways have been removed to various museums across the country.

• Years of continuous research has failed to discover any new trackways of similar significance.

The Tracks Were Significant To Only A Hand Full Of Scientists

• Although monument proponents insist this is a world-class fossil find, only four researchers have come to investigate the site since 1993.

• As of the end of 2006, the BLM's own paleontologists had not even investigated the potential sites listed in the 1994 report.

What was really described as being "Most Significant"?

• A 248 page report done under contract with the Smithsonian Institution in 1994 made one single statement referring to the trackway discovery site as… “one of the most scientifically significant Early Permian tracksites in the world.”

• The report also emphasized that it was only talking about the discovery site when that statement was made.

The Proposed National Monument Is Thousands Of Times Larger Than Needed

• The discovery site was less than one acre, yet the bill calls for 5,300 times that amount of land. There is no justification for this increase.

• Only small insect and lizard-like trackways have been found outside the initial discovery area.

Is National Monument Designation Needed?

• The 1994 Smithsonian report DID NOT recommend national monument designation, only protection, although Congress had mandated an answer to that issue.

• The BLM is currently protecting the site with a Research Natural Area (RNA) designation.

• Current Federal law also prohibits the removal of any tracks.

Millions Of Taxpayer Dollars Would Be Spent To "Fabricate" This Monument

• Huge amounts of taxpayer money will be wasted trying to remove hundreds of feet of overburden to excavate more speculated trackways.

• Existing national monuments are already suffering financial crises. Why add another?

Current Recreational Uses Of This Area Would Cease

• As currently written, the bill directs the Secretary Of Interior to manage the monument "in a manner that conserves, protects, and enhances the resources and values of the Monument”.

• Since this national monument would be designated for fossilized trackways, one can not expect current recreational activities to continue.

• The existing rock quarry, which led to these discoveries, would also be shut down.

Informed Officials, Organizations, and Citizens, Oppose This Bill

• Over 3000 people responded to an informal poll in a local newspaper, with 74.5% voting against it.

A More Realistic Monument Is Needed

• A more realistic National Monument encompassing where significant trackways were actually found makes more sense, not where speculated tracks may be.

• An Alternative Proposal would be a win-win for everyone.

See For Yourself

• On page 45 of the 1994 Smithsonian Report is a list of 34 localities along with the GPS coordinates of where other trace fossils were found.

• These sites were assigned numbers starting with "AF" and ranged from AF1/2 to AF30, with a few named sites like Insect Hill and WSA1.

• Most of these sites were relocated during the summer of 2006 and a photo tour is available for you to see these localities.

Most of what is found today are Microtracks

The trackways were not from big dinosaurs. they are typically hard to see, tiny tracks.

Do these micro tracks justify a national monument?

NOTE:

Please understand that we are not opposed to the idea of a national monument dedicated to the Paleozoic Trackways that were discovered in the Robledo Mountains in 1987. What we are opposed to is:
(1) the excessive acreage,
(2) several provisions in the bill that are inconsistent with each other, and
(3) the omission of strong language to protect all existing recreational uses of the area, even though Senator Bingaman and staff verbally declare that these recreational activities will continue.
Until strong recreational protection language is in the bill, we are forced to oppose the whole bill.

- Robledo Recreational Access Alliance

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Contact: trackwayscam@zianet.com