{FMWC} E-Newsletter May 2010
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
Next Meeting: May 19, 2010
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Location: El Paso Public Library’s Main Branch located downtown at 501 N. Oregon St. in the Auditorium. The main branch’s location map and parking information are available online at:
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/library/ourlibraries/main_library/main_library.asp
We can always use volunteers: you can help man our booth at an event; meet with elected officials or attend civic meetings; coordinate outreach to community organizations; distribute our rack cards; contribute to our bi-monthly newsletters. Please contact Judy at 755-7371 or Kathy at 227-5330 if you are interested in volunteering.
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, SCOTT CUTLER
Through the efforts of Congressman Reyes and his staff, and the tireless work of the Coalition's Judy Ackerman, FMWC has received an appropriation to study how a conservation conveyance could be applied to Castner Range. The Coalition, partnering closely with The Frontera Land Alliance, is currently working to submit the needed paperwork to allow FMWC and Frontera to begin the study. The outcome will be a roadmap that not only Fort Bliss but any Army installation can use to apply a conservation conveyance to appropriate surplus lands. This is very exciting work and has the potential to produce some very useful procedures that can directly bear on the preservation of Castner Range.
On the other side of the mountain, the Coalition has been working to protect the Mountains to Rivers Trail from encroachment and continues discussing the issue with our elected officials and city staff. It is hoped that these educational efforts will make all stakeholders aware of the value of an extensive natural trail system through Arroyo 41A. We are hopeful that broad support from all members of the community will bring about the preservation of all of Arroyo 41A.
Your continued support of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is vital to our being able to effectively work to preserve these important locations. If you would like to get involved, please contact me to discuss how you would like to assist us.
NEWS
FMWC Organizational Members (Judy Ackerman): A hearty warm welcome to new organizational member Sunrise Neighborhood Association. We’re looking forward to hearing from you and working with you on issues of common concern.
Castner Range (Judy Ackerman): Fort Bliss has published their Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment. The paragraph on Castner Range states, “The Army has no plans for future use or disposal of Castner Range. Consequently, Castner Range is not discussed any further in this document.” However, in response to several public comments the EIS says, “At this time Fort Bliss is performing a detailed survey of Castner Range to determine the extent and quantity of unexploded ordnance (UXO) both at the surface and subsurface level. This will determine what efforts will be required to remove UXO and make it safe for addressing the various options for the use or disposal of Castner Range at a later date. Until that occurs, Castner Range will remain a closed range and off-limits to the public. Fort Bliss plans to complete all site investigations at Castner Range by 2010, which is a comprehensive process entirely separate from the GFS Draft EIS. Following completion of site investigation activities, Fort Bliss will execute follow-up phases/actions as required by the individual site cleanup strategies and appropriate regulatory controls.”
The Final EIS is 720 pages and may be available on line at http://www.bliss.army.mil/About%20Ft%20Bliss/NEW-EIS/index_EIS.htm . For further information, contact Mr. John Barrera, Fort Bliss Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division, ATTN: IMWE-BLS-PWE; B624, Pleasonton Road, Fort Bliss, TX 79916-6812; 915-568-3908 or e-mail bliss.eis@conus.army.mil
Return to Top
RAB Openings (Judy Ackerman): There are openings on the Ft Bliss Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) for applicants from El Paso, Doña Ana or Otero County. The RAB is an interface between Ft Bliss and the local community particularly on environmental restoration issues. They meet four times per year. “The mission of the Fort Bliss Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) is to promote the restoration of the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystems on Fort Bliss through collaborative efforts with the US Army Air Defense Center and Fort Bliss, cooperating and regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders in West Texas and Southern New Mexico.”
Please contact Judy or Kathy for an application if you’re interesting in applying for the RAB or see our e-newsletter for a link to a downloadable application.
Friends of the Arroyo (Matt Carroll): We thank all those who participated in our April 17 cleanup. Our area of the Arroyo is beautiful now with many flowering plants and colorful insects. We invite you to visit.
Sustainability (Rick LoBello): There is not a whole lot we can do from here to save the Gulf of Mexico, but there is much that we can do to save our Franklin Mountains and the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. Please help others in El Paso better understand our Sustainability Plan.
When I was on a committee to help draft the city of El Paso’s first Sustainability Plan I insisted that the plan include important goals designed to help protect our native wildlife and habitat. As a result the plan includes four very important goals directly related to each other: 1)Complete a biodiversity inventory 2) Identify and prioritize habitat that will be protected; 3) Develop a mechanism and resource base to enable natural areas preservation, acquisition and possible enhancements; and 4) Develop a mechanism to increase the knowledge base of our wonderful natural area site for citizens and visitors, so that ecotourism benefits are realized [bat roosts, lakes and ponds, trails & scenic views, etc.] .
Marty Howell reported to City Council on April 20 summarizing progress made on the goals of the City of El Paso Sustainability Plan. He is looking for funding and a Department to take the lead on the biodiversity survey goal. You can download the entire plan at www.elpasotexas.gov/sustainability
PARK NEWS
Greetings from Franklin Mountain State Park (John Nuñez): April was another busy month for our park. Visitation has been high and there has been much work to do. After months of hard work by park staff and volunteers led by PRII Jesse Kapenga and park volunteer Robert Newman, the Lower Sunset Trail will soon be officially open for park visitors to enjoy. Hikers and mountain bikers are already enjoying this fantastic trail with its amazing views. However, the trail is still under construction and should be approached with caution. Additionally the Lower Sunset trail will be connected to the large group picnic site at Tom Mays. This new route will follow an old route that was a trail some thirty years ago.
The new trailhead kiosks are almost done with the last one to be installed at the proposed Stanton St. trailhead. We anticipate the finishing touch for the project to be complete by September when the informative panels arrive.
The park has been busy with guided tours this spring hosting several tours for area school groups. Park Interpreter Kelly Serio hosted a Moonlight Hike on April 24th through the Tom Mays and Nature trails. With help from park volunteer George Murray, roughly 30 people of all ages enjoyed their hike through the moonlit mountains on a pleasant April evening.
Park Rangers Alvaro Garcia, Jesse Kapenga and John Nuñez are about to embark on the first phase of a large, ongoing project. The project will begin with the installation of wooden signs throughout the entire park this month. There are roughly 60 signs that need painting and assembling before installation begins. Most of which will be installed in the area west of the North Hills Subdivision.
Park Rangers Robert Pichardo, Felipe Camacho and Alvaro Garcia have been very busy with fixing the park work trucks. Two vehicles are in need of major engine work and will hopefully be finished by the end of this month. Due to budget constraints, it may be several years before the park receives a new vehicle.
Park police officers Barton and Rincon have been busy with patrolling the park and assisting with rescues. Park ranger Raul Gomez notified PPO Barton of a wildfire at the former Fusselman trailhead. Roughly 1 acre of mountainside was burned. Officers Rincon and Barton have also been on the lookout for poachers and other violations in the backcountry. Portions of the park fence on both the Northeast and West side of the park have been cut by trespassers.
With all the activities happening at the park, park staff has had the opportunity to enjoy the vast display of wildflowers all over the park. This year park ranger Alvaro Garcia and park volunteer Richard Love hosted a wildflower photography class. Despite the blustery weather, 3 participants enjoyed learning the many methods involved for taking great wildflower pictures. Speaking of wildflowers, ranger Garcia submitted 3 photographs for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Inside Tracks magazine contest. This was an opportunity to show the rest of the state the unique beauty of the Franklin Mountains State Park.
Park staff has witnessed an increase in visitation this past year and look forward to more people enjoying the park. The Easter holiday weekend was so far the busiest weekend the park has experienced this year. Park staff was tied up all day Monday cleaning up trash throughout the Tom Mays area. With all the special events that Franklin Mountain State Park has hosted, the people of El Paso are beginning to come out and enjoy their state park.
Volunteer Update from FMSP (Richard Love): My how time flies. Another spring is here and just as predicted the wildflowers and cactus flowers are beautiful this year. We had a great Poppy Festival and the poppies were in attendance this year. In the Park the winter birds have all moved on and the spring birds have arrived. We are having large numbers of hikers and mountain bikers on the weekends. The Wildlife Viewing Area is getting more visitors each week as more people hear about our great bird watching. We have just seen our first hummingbirds at the WVA. Below are Claret Cup, Feather Dalea, and Fendler's Bladderpod.
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
Next Meeting: May 19, 2010
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Location: El Paso Public Library’s Main Branch located downtown at 501 N. Oregon St. in the Auditorium. The main branch’s location map and parking information are available online at:
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/library/ourlibraries/main_library/main_library.asp
We can always use volunteers: you can help man our booth at an event; meet with elected officials or attend civic meetings; coordinate outreach to community organizations; distribute our rack cards; contribute to our bi-monthly newsletters. Please contact Judy at 755-7371 or Kathy at 227-5330 if you are interested in volunteering.
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, SCOTT CUTLER
Through the efforts of Congressman Reyes and his staff, and the tireless work of the Coalition's Judy Ackerman, FMWC has received an appropriation to study how a conservation conveyance could be applied to Castner Range. The Coalition, partnering closely with The Frontera Land Alliance, is currently working to submit the needed paperwork to allow FMWC and Frontera to begin the study. The outcome will be a roadmap that not only Fort Bliss but any Army installation can use to apply a conservation conveyance to appropriate surplus lands. This is very exciting work and has the potential to produce some very useful procedures that can directly bear on the preservation of Castner Range.
On the other side of the mountain, the Coalition has been working to protect the Mountains to Rivers Trail from encroachment and continues discussing the issue with our elected officials and city staff. It is hoped that these educational efforts will make all stakeholders aware of the value of an extensive natural trail system through Arroyo 41A. We are hopeful that broad support from all members of the community will bring about the preservation of all of Arroyo 41A.
Your continued support of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is vital to our being able to effectively work to preserve these important locations. If you would like to get involved, please contact me to discuss how you would like to assist us.
NEWS
FMWC Organizational Members (Judy Ackerman): A hearty warm welcome to new organizational member Sunrise Neighborhood Association. We’re looking forward to hearing from you and working with you on issues of common concern.
Castner Range (Judy Ackerman): Fort Bliss has published their Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment. The paragraph on Castner Range states, “The Army has no plans for future use or disposal of Castner Range. Consequently, Castner Range is not discussed any further in this document.” However, in response to several public comments the EIS says, “At this time Fort Bliss is performing a detailed survey of Castner Range to determine the extent and quantity of unexploded ordnance (UXO) both at the surface and subsurface level. This will determine what efforts will be required to remove UXO and make it safe for addressing the various options for the use or disposal of Castner Range at a later date. Until that occurs, Castner Range will remain a closed range and off-limits to the public. Fort Bliss plans to complete all site investigations at Castner Range by 2010, which is a comprehensive process entirely separate from the GFS Draft EIS. Following completion of site investigation activities, Fort Bliss will execute follow-up phases/actions as required by the individual site cleanup strategies and appropriate regulatory controls.”
The Final EIS is 720 pages and may be available on line at http://www.bliss.army.mil/About%20Ft%20Bliss/NEW-EIS/index_EIS.htm . For further information, contact Mr. John Barrera, Fort Bliss Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division, ATTN: IMWE-BLS-PWE; B624, Pleasonton Road, Fort Bliss, TX 79916-6812; 915-568-3908 or e-mail bliss.eis@conus.army.mil
Return to Top
RAB Openings (Judy Ackerman): There are openings on the Ft Bliss Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) for applicants from El Paso, Doña Ana or Otero County. The RAB is an interface between Ft Bliss and the local community particularly on environmental restoration issues. They meet four times per year. “The mission of the Fort Bliss Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) is to promote the restoration of the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystems on Fort Bliss through collaborative efforts with the US Army Air Defense Center and Fort Bliss, cooperating and regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders in West Texas and Southern New Mexico.”
Please contact Judy or Kathy for an application if you’re interesting in applying for the RAB or see our e-newsletter for a link to a downloadable application.
Friends of the Arroyo (Matt Carroll): We thank all those who participated in our April 17 cleanup. Our area of the Arroyo is beautiful now with many flowering plants and colorful insects. We invite you to visit.
Sustainability (Rick LoBello): There is not a whole lot we can do from here to save the Gulf of Mexico, but there is much that we can do to save our Franklin Mountains and the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. Please help others in El Paso better understand our Sustainability Plan.
When I was on a committee to help draft the city of El Paso’s first Sustainability Plan I insisted that the plan include important goals designed to help protect our native wildlife and habitat. As a result the plan includes four very important goals directly related to each other: 1)Complete a biodiversity inventory 2) Identify and prioritize habitat that will be protected; 3) Develop a mechanism and resource base to enable natural areas preservation, acquisition and possible enhancements; and 4) Develop a mechanism to increase the knowledge base of our wonderful natural area site for citizens and visitors, so that ecotourism benefits are realized [bat roosts, lakes and ponds, trails & scenic views, etc.] .
Marty Howell reported to City Council on April 20 summarizing progress made on the goals of the City of El Paso Sustainability Plan. He is looking for funding and a Department to take the lead on the biodiversity survey goal. You can download the entire plan at www.elpasotexas.gov/sustainability
PARK NEWS
Greetings from Franklin Mountain State Park (John Nuñez): April was another busy month for our park. Visitation has been high and there has been much work to do. After months of hard work by park staff and volunteers led by PRII Jesse Kapenga and park volunteer Robert Newman, the Lower Sunset Trail will soon be officially open for park visitors to enjoy. Hikers and mountain bikers are already enjoying this fantastic trail with its amazing views. However, the trail is still under construction and should be approached with caution. Additionally the Lower Sunset trail will be connected to the large group picnic site at Tom Mays. This new route will follow an old route that was a trail some thirty years ago.
The new trailhead kiosks are almost done with the last one to be installed at the proposed Stanton St. trailhead. We anticipate the finishing touch for the project to be complete by September when the informative panels arrive.
The park has been busy with guided tours this spring hosting several tours for area school groups. Park Interpreter Kelly Serio hosted a Moonlight Hike on April 24th through the Tom Mays and Nature trails. With help from park volunteer George Murray, roughly 30 people of all ages enjoyed their hike through the moonlit mountains on a pleasant April evening.
Park Rangers Alvaro Garcia, Jesse Kapenga and John Nuñez are about to embark on the first phase of a large, ongoing project. The project will begin with the installation of wooden signs throughout the entire park this month. There are roughly 60 signs that need painting and assembling before installation begins. Most of which will be installed in the area west of the North Hills Subdivision.
Park Rangers Robert Pichardo, Felipe Camacho and Alvaro Garcia have been very busy with fixing the park work trucks. Two vehicles are in need of major engine work and will hopefully be finished by the end of this month. Due to budget constraints, it may be several years before the park receives a new vehicle.
Park police officers Barton and Rincon have been busy with patrolling the park and assisting with rescues. Park ranger Raul Gomez notified PPO Barton of a wildfire at the former Fusselman trailhead. Roughly 1 acre of mountainside was burned. Officers Rincon and Barton have also been on the lookout for poachers and other violations in the backcountry. Portions of the park fence on both the Northeast and West side of the park have been cut by trespassers.
With all the activities happening at the park, park staff has had the opportunity to enjoy the vast display of wildflowers all over the park. This year park ranger Alvaro Garcia and park volunteer Richard Love hosted a wildflower photography class. Despite the blustery weather, 3 participants enjoyed learning the many methods involved for taking great wildflower pictures. Speaking of wildflowers, ranger Garcia submitted 3 photographs for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Inside Tracks magazine contest. This was an opportunity to show the rest of the state the unique beauty of the Franklin Mountains State Park.
Park staff has witnessed an increase in visitation this past year and look forward to more people enjoying the park. The Easter holiday weekend was so far the busiest weekend the park has experienced this year. Park staff was tied up all day Monday cleaning up trash throughout the Tom Mays area. With all the special events that Franklin Mountain State Park has hosted, the people of El Paso are beginning to come out and enjoy their state park.
Volunteer Update from FMSP (Richard Love): My how time flies. Another spring is here and just as predicted the wildflowers and cactus flowers are beautiful this year. We had a great Poppy Festival and the poppies were in attendance this year. In the Park the winter birds have all moved on and the spring birds have arrived. We are having large numbers of hikers and mountain bikers on the weekends. The Wildlife Viewing Area is getting more visitors each week as more people hear about our great bird watching. We have just seen our first hummingbirds at the WVA. Below are Claret Cup, Feather Dalea, and Fendler's Bladderpod.
Claret Cup
Feather Dalea
Fendler's Bladderpod
There are several late evening hikes scheduled in the coming months. If you haven't been on one of these great hikes, call Kelly at 566-6441 x 21 and schedule one of them. If you have never been in the desert after dark you can't believe the difference: the sounds, the smells , the feeling of the vastness of the mountain are wonderful. We attended the Earth Day Party at the Zoo last month. The turnout was great and we have several new prospects for Junior Rangers. This is a great program for children 8 - 12 years old. What a way to spend the summer and go back to school next fall sporting the new Junior Ranger patch, and best of all have all the knowledge that you have gathered over the summer. We had a workshop for budding Wildflower Photographers. The weather decided to not cooperate on this day, but a few brave souls came out in spite of the winds and cold.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
MAY 16: El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 3:00 pm, Free Admission: 5,000 years of Local Native American Life Illustrated at Hueco Tanks by archaeologist Tim Roberts - Tim Roberts, the west Texas Cultural Resources Coordinator for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will present an overview of the rock imagery at Hueco Tanks on Sunday, May 16th at 3:00 pm at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site is known to have abundant Native American imagery on rock outcrops. Over 3,000 figures have been identified. Current evidence indicates that the first of these images were painted or carved by Desert Archaic people perhaps as early as 5,000 years ago. Desert agriculturalists added to the gallery of prehistoric imagery between A.D. 200 and 1450, followed by historic tribes that continued to place images on the rocks of Hueco Tanks well into the nineteenth century.
NOVEMBER Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition Conference: We have posted information on http://www.chihuahuandesert.org/ on how interested people can propose presentations for our Chihuahuan Desert Conference in November. The deadline is July 1 so please help spread the news. PDF invitations with one page flyers suitable for posting on bulletin boards are available for download. Just contact Kathy for the link.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
MAY 16: El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 3:00 pm, Free Admission: 5,000 years of Local Native American Life Illustrated at Hueco Tanks by archaeologist Tim Roberts - Tim Roberts, the west Texas Cultural Resources Coordinator for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will present an overview of the rock imagery at Hueco Tanks on Sunday, May 16th at 3:00 pm at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site is known to have abundant Native American imagery on rock outcrops. Over 3,000 figures have been identified. Current evidence indicates that the first of these images were painted or carved by Desert Archaic people perhaps as early as 5,000 years ago. Desert agriculturalists added to the gallery of prehistoric imagery between A.D. 200 and 1450, followed by historic tribes that continued to place images on the rocks of Hueco Tanks well into the nineteenth century.
NOVEMBER Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition Conference: We have posted information on http://www.chihuahuandesert.org/ on how interested people can propose presentations for our Chihuahuan Desert Conference in November. The deadline is July 1 so please help spread the news. PDF invitations with one page flyers suitable for posting on bulletin boards are available for download. Just contact Kathy for the link.
Board members Kelly Serio and Alex Mares are also looking for people to lead Optional Tours for conference attendees on Sunday, November 14. To lead a tour you must be a CDEC member or a member organization.
For more information contact Kelly at Kelly.Serio@tpwd.state.tx.us or Alex at alex.mares@state.nm.us.
On May 21-22, 2010 the El Paso Zoo will observe Endangered Species Day in order to recognize the national conservation effort to protect our nation’s endangered species and their habitats. Learn more at chihuahuandesert.org
Conservation Action Plan: A small group is forming in El Paso and beyond dedicated to encouraging people to take conservation actions. Please pass the word on to others about this new group and to sign up to get on our email list. Check out the corresponding Facebook group to learn what some members from outside El Paso are also up to. More information at www.iloveparks.com/can.html
FMWC BOARD
President: Scott Cutler
Vice President: Jane Fowler
Secretary: Judy Ackerman
Treasurer: Pat White
At Large Members: Matt Carroll Jim Tolbert
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to “Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation”, can be sent to: Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund, c/o Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
One line of Park Ranger Nuñez’s article really caught my attention. Park staff were busy the Monday after Easter weekend cleaning up trash at Tom Mays. Let’s all do our best not to mess up our mountain park and pick up our own trash. Thank you, Kathy Mc.
FMWC In Cyberspace
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association • Border Toasters, Toastmasters International • Bordersenses • Celebration Of Our Mountains • Centro San Vicente • Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition • Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue • Eco-Club EPCC • El Paso Archaeological Society • El Paso Cactus And Rock Club • El Paso County Master Gardeners • El Paso Native Plant Society • El Paso Regional Group Of The Sierra Club • El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society • El Paso Youth Symphony • El Paso Zoo • Environmental Advocates at UTEP • Friends of the Arroyo • Friends Of The Rio Bosque • Jolly Elders • League Of Women Voters Of El Paso • Mesilla Valley Audubon Society • Mountain Park Community Association • Photography Enthusiasts Of El Paso • Southern New Mexico Group Of The Sierra Club • Southwest Environmental Center • Skyline Optimist Club Of El Paso • Trans Pecos Chapter Of The Texas Master Naturalists • Vista Hills Rotary Club • Voter Education Project, Inc •
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to “Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation”, can be sent to: Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund, c/o Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
One line of Park Ranger Nuñez’s article really caught my attention. Park staff were busy the Monday after Easter weekend cleaning up trash at Tom Mays. Let’s all do our best not to mess up our mountain park and pick up our own trash. Thank you, Kathy Mc.
FMWC In Cyberspace
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association • Border Toasters, Toastmasters International • Bordersenses • Celebration Of Our Mountains • Centro San Vicente • Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition • Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue • Eco-Club EPCC • El Paso Archaeological Society • El Paso Cactus And Rock Club • El Paso County Master Gardeners • El Paso Native Plant Society • El Paso Regional Group Of The Sierra Club • El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society • El Paso Youth Symphony • El Paso Zoo • Environmental Advocates at UTEP • Friends of the Arroyo • Friends Of The Rio Bosque • Jolly Elders • League Of Women Voters Of El Paso • Mesilla Valley Audubon Society • Mountain Park Community Association • Photography Enthusiasts Of El Paso • Southern New Mexico Group Of The Sierra Club • Southwest Environmental Center • Skyline Optimist Club Of El Paso • Trans Pecos Chapter Of The Texas Master Naturalists • Vista Hills Rotary Club • Voter Education Project, Inc •
