More New Mexico Badlands

In 2010, hiking back to my car at the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah badlands, I followed some fresh tire tracks. They led up one of the bentonite hills and followed the old jeep trail to a parking area. The New Mexico badlands deserved better!

I brooded about it while driving home. What bothered me most was that they might not even have known what they were doing. The old signs were gone, casualties of sun and pervasive high winds in that remote place. More people were visiting these badlands, but there was no reminder of their Wilderness Study Area (WSA) status. No mechanized vehicles are allowed, including bicycles of any sort. I’ve seen the tracks of bikes and photographer’s wheeled carts in the Bisti. Those ruts were still visible years later. Leave nothing but footprints, and even try to keep those to the minimum. These places are fragile beyond belief!

I visited the BLM offices in Farmington, New Mexico, and signed in as a guest. An employee (I wish I had gotten her name) spent a good amount of time with me, showing me maps and more. She assured me that the person who dealt with the badlands (in a meeting at the time) would be informed of my concerns. I left unsure that I had accomplished anything.

Two months later I returned to Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah and got a little surprise. They had installed signs out near the county road. Some of these government employees care about the same things you and I care about. And they work for us, so let them know what you think, hopefully in a constructive manner. You have nothing to lose but time, and everything to gain. I’m happy to report that the area is now officially the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness!