an intervening portion of the Lincoln National Forest. The NPS proposed that 24000 of Carlsbad Caverns' 46753 acres be designated as wilderness, but the Sierra Club feels that nearly 18000 additional acres should be protected as wilderness. In Guadalupe Mountains the NPS is recommending that only 39000 of 77500 acres be set aside as wilderness. Particularly objectionable to conservationists is NPS' plan to build a tramway up the escarpment. The Sierra Club is asking for the addition of 36000 acres as wilderness, including the area which would be traversed by the tramway as well as the low desert country. The Club is also asking the Forest Service to designate about 35000 acres of wilderness in the portion of the Lincoln National Forest separating the two parks, to form a 150,000 acre Guadalupe Escarpment Wilderness. Conservationists are urged to support the Sierra Club's position by writing the Hearing Officer, c/o Superintendent, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, P.O. Box 1598, Carlsbad, N.M. 88220.

EDITORIAL

In the last month Ben and Miriam Romero have bad-mouthed the DPS members and some have reciprocated by taking cheap shots at the Romeros. It seems to me that the whole thing is a little childish. No one can deny the accusations put forth by Ben and Miriam and certainly no one doubts their concern for our desert areas and that they work very hard in this endeavor. However, I feel that they are not going to obtain the support that they desire by insulting and yelling at DPS members. Ecological work is best done by people who freely put forth the effort, not by those who have a guilty conscience because they have been scolded. Most people are defensive and stubborn enough to rebel against this kind of "persuasion" regardless of its validity.

On the other hand, most DPSers, myself included, are not involved enough in the protection of the desert. But I maintain that the best way to handle the problem is to inform the members of what is happening and what can be done to help. I will continue to include, in the NEWS section, paragraphs like the one above on the Guadalupe area and those in previous issues concerned with Red Rock Canyon, the Grapevine Mountains, etc, and hope that you will be interested enough to do something. There is much to be done.

Another comment along these lines. I believe that there are many fine desert areas worthy of protection for scenic and ecological reasons. But there are some 13 million acres in the California desert and other people, including ORVers, etc, have a right to use this land. Compromise has become a dirty word in the preservationist war, but it is a technique that should not be overlooked. There is no reason that CORL, BLM, Sierra Club, and others could not talk to each other without "bloodshed".








 
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