The John Dunn Bridge area of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is overused and insufficiently maintained. The BLM needs to pay closer attention to this area as it has seen a huge increase in human use since 2019. This petition is to show how many people support protecting and monitoring this wild and scenic area.

This petition's intention is to ask the BLM to pay closer attention to this small section of the monument and monitor its use more closely.

Some suggestions the petition seeks to share are:

• a park ranger or other staff be stationed daily from March to October
• updated signage to explain its wild environment.
• consider a nominal daily use fee to send the message that this is a wild and protected natural area. 

On the updated signage we would like the BLM to explain the importance of protecting this area so that wildlife will not be impacted and the natural beauty of the landscape be monitored and maintained. 

On the suggestion of a daily fee, the BLM posts this on their website: “Self-service pay stations are located at developed camping, picnic and trailhead areas. Day Use: $3.00/day per vehicle. An annual day use pass, good for the calendar year, is available for $20.00.”

Currently, since 2019, the area has been advertised nationally which has attracted so many human visitors that the trash and overuse situation is out of control. Alcohol containers, fishing bait packaging, general picnic trash is abundant and is polluting the area. Noise pollution is also a problem with people blaring music from their vehicles. Overnight camping is taking place despite this being "supposedly" unauthorized because there is not enough monitoring of the area.

There have been upwards of 30 vehicles parked on either side of the bridge. Since the west side road to the ridge has been closed to due a rock slide, the congestion from visitors to the Black Rock Hot Springs is more than the area can handle. Many of the cars are from out of state and it would be beneficial to explain to them the significance of this natural area. It is not a city park! It is a wild and scenic area. 

Background info:

"The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is an approximately 242,555-acre (98,159 ha) area of public lands in Taos County, New Mexico, proclaimed as a national monument on March 25, 2013, by President Barack Obama under the provisions of the Antiquities Act. It consists of the Rio Grande Gorge and surrounding lands, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The monument includes two BLM recreation areas, a portion of the Rio Grande designated as a Wild and Scenic River, and the Red River Wild and Scenic River. On March 12, 2019, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act designated two federal wilderness areas within the monument: the Rio San Antonio Wilderness in the northwest corner, and the Cerro del Yuta Wilderness in the northeast corner."

According to the BLM website for this area:

"The Rí­o Grande del Norte National Monument is comprised of rugged, wide open plains at an average elevation of 7,000 feet, dotted by volcanic cones, and cut by steep canyons with rivers tucked away in their depths.  The Ri­o Grande carves an 800 foot deep gorge through layers of volcanic basalt flows and ash.  Among the volcanic cones in the Monument, Ute Mountain is the highest, reaching to 10,093 feet. 

This area has attracted human activity since prehistoric times.  Evidence of ancient use is found throughout the area in the form of petroglyphs, prehistoric dwelling sites, and many other types of archaeological sites. More recent activity includes abandoned homesteading from the 1930s.

The Monument is an important area for wintering animals, and provides a corridor by which wildlife move between the two mountain ranges.

The unique setting of the Monument also provides a wealth of recreational opportunities.  Whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and camping are some of the more outstanding activities that can be enjoyed in the Monument."

(Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument)

It is understood from the BLM website that they encourage recreation and human activity to the monument. However, the BLM needs to monitor their lands, keep them clean and inform the public of appropriate use and importance of preserving the natural environment. Since the BLM acknowledges the importance of the area for wildlife, it is their responsibility to make sure there is a balance of use that benefits the natural inhabitants.