The Bureau of Land Management's Taos Field Office (BLM), in cooperation with concerned citizens and interest groups, including the Northern New Mexico Group of Sierra Club, is planning a volunteer project to remove about 30 expired mining markers on public lands on La Bajada Mesa. The project will take place on Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Interested volunteers should plan to meet at the BLM's Santa Fe Ranch-Cienega portal sign on County Road 56C (a dirt road) near the polo grounds south of the Santa Fe Airport off Airport Road, no later than 10 a.m. The BLM manages the public's land for multiple uses, including mining. One legacy of mining is the open standpipes that have been used to mark a claim. These open pipes, mistaken for suitable roosting or nesting areas, can instead become lethal traps for birds and small mammals. Animals, especially migratory birds, can fit within the small openings then be trapped and unable to escape due to the pipes smooth walls or restrictive size. BLM biologists will be available to provide information on migratory birds and best management practices for their conservation and enjoyment. Please join us for this worthwhile project!
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
