Quick Fact

THERE ARE NO EXPOSED TRACKWAYS ANYWHERE WITHIN THE PROPOSED NATIONAL MONUMENT BOUNDARY TODAY!!!
All of the significant, discovered trackways were removed in the late 1980's

Even with continuous searching since then, no other
trackways of that significance have been discovered

What the Bill Says
Section 3 (1) states:

in 1987, a major deposit of Paleozoic Era fossilized footprint megatrackways was discovered in the Robledo Mountains in southern New Mexico

What the bill neglects to say is that those trackways are no longer there.

If the bill were to be passed today, there are no significant trackways exposed that the public could see. All they could see is where the significant trackways were found in 1987 and then removed. Excavation would have to be done to hopefully expose any more trackways.

Numerous comments and discussions by monument proponents verify that there are currently no exposed trackways anywhere within the proposed national monument boundaries. The “site” may still be there, but all the trackways are gone.

The Paleozoic Trackways Foundation website has a “Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions: located at: http://www.paleozoictracks.org/pdf/questions.pdf.

Part of the answer to question four says that no fossils are exposed:

The reason why there are no visible fossils exposed is that to open them up before the area is protected would be to expose the fossils to looting and vandalism. Laypeople walking around Robledo Mountains should not expect to see or stumble across sets of trackways--the trackways will need to be carefully excavated by research professionals.

What? there are "NO VISIBLE FOSSILS Exposed"?

Surely somewhere others talk about the abundance of exposed fossils that are waiting to be scooped up by the bucket full.

Maybe the discovery tracksite excavator, Jerry MacDonald, can tell us about the numerous exposed fossils at risk of being stolen:

In many cases hard layers had to be "seasoned" before excavation. For example, the edges of the initial layers, laying as they were exposed to the elements, had been partially separated via wind and water action. However, the deeper into the hillside one went, the harder it was to separate those same layers, as they were out of the reach of the elements. Excavation of layers like this was accomplished by separating and removing the slabs as one proceeded into the hillside until separation was near impossible, and then "seasoning" the newly exposed edges for a year or more before returning. In this manner the last 2.2 m of the Carnegie trackway from layer 10 took two years to expose and remove, although the first 5.5 m were removed in less than six months. This trackway, along with one sent to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, continue into the hillside at AF-2 for an undetermined distance. The author stopped excavation of these trackways, though they continued deeper into the hillside, because separating the layers became impossible.[1]

Whoops, he also gave up. Notice that that excavation at the discovery site stopped because digging became impossible as he proceeded into the hillside.

MacDonald also wrote about why no more significant trackways have been discovered:

Eight years of exploration of redbed occurrences in the Mesilla Valley area produced 32 track sites in the Robledos (out of literally hundreds of redbed exposures), 8 in the Dona Ana Mountains, 8 in the McLeod Hills, and 6 so far in the Caballos. And, more are still being discovered [2]

So, he describes finding possible sites, but goes on to explain why they were never excavated:

It was also not known how extensive and complete these track-bearing layers were, as no attempt was made to remove the overburden to explore the layers systematically.[3]

One other thing that MacDonald states is that “Slabs in the Robledos need to be split to find the trackways. There are few or no naturally exposed trackway layers to be found in the Robledos.”[4]  

When Dr. Hunt testified before the Senate committee, Senator Bingaman asked him a direct question concerning the allegations that Fred Huff had made, that there were no exposed trackways out there today:

Senator Bingaman: He also gave the opinion that there are no more exposed trackways left. The exposed trackways of note
 were removed from the area. It is only speculation that more lie buried under the hundreds of feet of overburden. 
What is your view on that? I mean, is there a danger that we would be setting aside for protection an area that did not  really  contain these 
trackways at this point?

Dr. Hunt: No, sir. There are many localities with trackways, multiple tracks, throughout the Robledo Mountains. What is significant, 
Jerry MacDonald, who found these tracks, excavated one-track site and that is why there are 2,000 specimens plus in Albuquerque. 
There are many, many other localities that were not excavated. The way you find those is you find a bluff and they are just a few footprints
on the surface and you can tell by their quality and preservation that they represent a similar track site but they have not been excavated. 
So we know that there are many other sites that yield significant trackways but they have yet to be excavated.

So, Dr. Hunt testified directly that these sites have to be excavated and have not been excavated. He confirmed Huff's contention of no exposed tracks and Senator Bingaman still reintroduced the bill again, unbelievable!

The Paleozoic Trackways Foundation website has a “Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions: located at: http://www.paleozoictracks.org/pdf/questions.pdf. Part of the answer to question four states flat out that “Laypeople walking around Robledo Mountains should not expect to see or stumble across sets of trackways--the trackways will need to be carefully excavated by research professionals.”

This is their own literature stating that the trackways are NOT exposed and will have to be excavated.

In 2006 several newspapers ran articles about the proposed national monument. The Denver Post, Fox News, The Albuquerque Journal, and other news agencies ran this earlier quote from The Las Cruces Sun News:

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management already oversees about 700 acres, said Tim Sanders, assistant district manager for the bureau's Las Cruces office. The BLM is considering increasing the acreage to 2,000 acres under an update of its regional land-use plan, he said.

The site is designated a research area. The status protects the fossils, most of which remain buried, Sanders said.

Whelpley said the foundation wants a more permanent status and to make the tracks accessible.

"We want to be able to open it up so visitors can see the site, look at excavation being done and see the trackways," he said. "You go out there right now and the trackways are not very visible."

Writing after writing says that the discovered trackways have been removed to museums.

No one disputes the fact that there are no exposed tracks
within the proposed national monument boundaries today:

 þ The BLM states it.

þ Dr. Hunt testified to the fact before the Senate.

þ The monument proponents state it.

þ Jerry MacDonald published that fact.

þ Newspapers write about it.

þ Visits to the sites by local people have verified it.