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WASHINGTON, DC – The League of Conservation Voters launched a nationwide advertising campaign thanking President Obama for his recent leadership on public lands by designating the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks a national monument. The Facebook ads will start running today and target environmentally minded Facebook users.
“We’re letting people across the country know that when local communities want their lands protected, President Obama won’t hesitate to act. The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument means jobs for the local community, a place to get kids outside, and an opportunity for future generations to learn another chapter in our nation’s history,” said Alex Taurel, Deputy Legislative Director at the League of Conservation Voters.
The ad reads, “Meet America’s newest park! President Obama just designated our newest national monument, New Mexico’s Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, guaranteeing nearly 500,000 acres of spectacular natural beauty as well as cultural and historical significance are permanently protected. Send Obama a thank you message for conserving hundreds of thousands of acres of pristine public lands!”
The President’s designation permanently protects nearly 500,000 acres of land in New Mexico’s Dona Ana County for future generations. The national monument is good for our environment and our economy, and is expected to grow the local economy by more than $7.4 million every year and double the number of outdoor recreation and tourism jobs in the area. There’s widespread local support for the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, which Senators Heinrich and Udall, working with Secretary Jewell, helped make a reality.
This is the largest national monument designated by President Obama, who used his authority to protect this monument under the Antiquities Act. Republican and Democratic Presidents alike have used it to protect iconic places like the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and Arches National Park. With Congress refusing to advance dozens of bipartisan, locally-supported bills to create new national parks and other conservation areas, it’s more important than ever that President Obama continue responding to local communities who want their lands permanently protected to boost tourism and quality of life.
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