Saturday, 7/23/22

This afternoon between the hours of one and 4 o’clock I counted about 50 vehicles and maybe 150-200 people enjoying the cool waters of the Rio Grande national Monument at the John Dunn Bridge. (This amount of people were contained in the immediate area on either side of the bridge as well as the Black Rock hot springs.) It was a hot summer day. Perfect for a refreshing swim in the Rio.

For the first time I saw a concession bus selling refreshments. No BLM staff was there to monitor. It felt like DisneyLand. Or at least a city park or summer festival. Except no one has to pay to enjoy this festival/entertainment/leisure area. Just a utopia of people taking advantage of and trashing nature for selfish pleasure. Nature gives freely of herself, is patient and accommodating and in return many people seem to just want to take advantage of her generosity. 

How much longer can that area handle the overuse and the lack of respect that it deserves? And I’m told the BLM doesn’t have the funds to pay for someone to monitor? $3 day-use fee; $20 a year permit per person and imagine how much that might bring into the coffers of the BLM. This afternoon alone, maybe $600. Without doing complicated mathematical calculations I believe it would pay for a part time summer monitor from May through September. When will the BLM realize that we are sucking mother nature dry and they are allowing it to happen, right under everyone's nose?"