[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8946--MAR. 25, 2013

Proclamation 8946 of March 25, 2013
Establishment of the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte National Monument
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
In far northern New Mexico, the R[iacute]o Grande Wild and Scenic River
flows through a deep gorge at the edge of the stark and sweeping expanse
of the Taos Plateau. Volcanic cones, including the Cerro de la Olla,
Cerro San Antonio, and Cerro del Yuta, jut up from this surrounding
plateau. Canyons, volcanic cones, wild rivers, and native grasslands
harbor vital wildlife habitat, unique geologic resources, and imprints
of human passage through the landscape over the past 10,000 years. This
extraordinary landscape of extreme beauty and daunting harshness is
known as the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte, and its extraordinary array of
scientific and historic resources offer opportunities to develop our
understanding of the forces that shaped northern New Mexico, including
the diverse ecological systems and human cultures that remain present
today.
For millennia, humans have seasonally passed through the R[iacute]o
Grande del Norte, gathering resources and finding spiritual meaning in
its dramatic geologic features. Although few have attempted to live
year-round in this harsh landscape, the images carved into the gorge's
dark basalt cliffs and the artifacts scattered across the forested
slopes of the volcanic cones bear ample testimony to the human use of
the area.
The R[iacute]o Grande gorge lies within the traditional area of the
nearby Taos and Picuris Pueblos, as well as the Jicarilla Apache and Ute
Tribes, and hosts a dazzling array of rock art. Carved into the boulders
and cliffs are hundreds of images ranging from seemingly abstract swirls
and dots to clear depictions of human and animal figures. Dense
collections of petroglyphs are found near the hot springs that bubble up
in the deep heart of the gorge, with some dating back to the Archaic
Period (ca. 7,500 B.C.-500 A.D.). In addition to petroglyphs, these
lands harbor small hunting blinds, pit houses, chipping stations,
potsherds, tools and projectile points, as well as large ceramic
vessels. The area is home to a rich array of archaeological resources
that represent diverse cultural traditions. Archeological resources are
found throughout the proposed monument, with its rugged terrain serving
as the focal point for ongoing archaeological research. More recent
artifacts and images mark the passage of settlers and Hispanic explorers
dating back to the early 18th century. Ongoing explorations and
inquiries of this unique cultural landscape have resulted in continuous
discoveries that further illuminate northern New Mexico's human history.
Separated from the R[iacute]o Grande Wild and Scenic River by a broad
swath of sagebrush and grassland, the R[iacute]o San Antonio gorge is
another area of concentrated artifact and petroglyph sites. People were
drawn to this area by the flowing water, hunting opportunities, and
nearby San Antonio Mountain, which is thought to have been a major
regional source for the dacite used by nomadic peoples to create stone
tools thousands of years ago. This corner of the R[iacute]o Grande del
Norte landscape was traversed by traders and other travelers during the
18th and



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19th centuries, who traded furs and other goods and later
brought woolen articles from New Mexico's sheep grazing communities to
markets throughout the Southwest.
Between the R[iacute]o Grande gorge and the R[iacute]o San Antonio gorge
stretches a sweeping and austere expanse of the Taos Plateau. The
R[iacute]o Grande del Norte landscape is a testament to the geologic
past of New Mexico and the 70 million year tectonic history of the
R[iacute]o Grande Rift, one of the world's major rift systems. Composed
of Servilleta lava basalts and rhyolites, the Taos Plateau has long been
a center of research in geology and volcanology. Rising in stark
contrast from the plateau's broad expanse, Cerro de la Olla, Cerro San
Antonio, and other volcanic cones provide visible reminders of the
area's volatile past. Cerro del Yuta, or Ute Mountain, the tallest of
these extinct volcanoes, rises above the plateau to an elevation topping
10,000 feet. Springs within the R[iacute]o Grande gorge have been
measured emitting 6,000 gallons of water per minute into the river bed
and are thought to be part of a flooded lava tube system.
This northern New Mexico landscape also exhibits significant ecological
diversity in these different geologic areas. From the cottonwood and
willows along the R[iacute]o Grande corridor, to the expansive sagebrush
plains above the gorge on the Taos Plateau, the pi[ntilde]ons at the
base of Ute Mountain, and the spruce, aspen, and Douglas fir covering
the mountain's northern slopes, the diversity of both ecosystems and
species allows for, and has been the subject of, substantial scientific
research.
The R[iacute]o Grande gorge connects the northern reaches of the river's
watershed with its middle and lower stretches. Deep within the gorge,
beneath soaring cliffs that rise hundreds of feet above the river,
stands of willow and cottonwood thrive in riparian and canyon ecosystems
that have been present since the river first appeared in the R[iacute]o
Grande Rift Valley. The river provides habitat for fish such as the
R[iacute]o Grande cutthroat trout as well as the recently reintroduced
North American river otter. The R[iacute]o Grande del Norte is part of
the Central Migratory Flyway, a vital migration corridor for birds such
as Canada geese, herons, sandhill cranes, hummingbirds, and American
avocets. Several species of bats make their home in the gorge, which
also provides important nesting habitat for golden eagles and numerous
other raptor species, as well as habitat for the endangered southwestern
willow flycatcher.
Bald eagles roost above the river in winter and fly out over the Taos
Plateau's sagebrush shrub habitat and native grasslands, which stretch
for thousands of acres to the west. The vast plateau harbors a
significant diversity of mammals and birds, from the eagles, hawks,
falcons, and owls soaring above the plateau to the small mammals on
which they prey. Many other bird species, including Merriam's turkey,
scaled quail, mourning dove, mountain plover, and loggerhead shrike, can
be seen or heard on the plateau. Large mammals, including the Rocky
Mountain elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep,
find their winter homes on the plateau alongside a population of rare
Gunnison's prairie dogs. The R[iacute]o Grande del Norte also provides
habitat for many species of predators, including the ringtail, black
bear, coyote, red fox, cougar, and bobcat.



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While diverse peoples have used this area intermittently for thousands
of years, its challenging conditions make it inhospitable for permanent
settlement. In an area near the forested slopes of Cerro Montoso,
however, a group of eastern homesteaders attempted to make a living in
the years immediately following World War I. The nearly forgotten story
of this fleeting community, recently revealed through detailed
historical research, is written on the landscape by the remnants of
homes, root cellars, cistern-style water catchments, and cast metal
toys. At one site, researchers have found several World War I brass
uniform buttons, evidence of the veterans who once made their homes on
this rugged land.
The protection of the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte will preserve its
cultural, prehistoric, and historic legacy and maintain its diverse
array of natural and scientific resources, ensuring that the historic
and scientific values of this area remain for the benefit of all
Americans.
WHEREAS section 2 of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C.
431) (the ``Antiquities Act''), authorizes the President, in his
discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks,
historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or
scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled
by the Government of the United States to be national monuments, and to
reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all
cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper
care and management of the objects to be protected;
WHEREAS it is in the public interest to preserve the objects of
scientific and historic interest on the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte
lands;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by the authority vested in me by section 2 of the Antiquities
Act, hereby proclaim, set apart, and reserve as the R[iacute]o Grande
del Norte National Monument (monument), the objects identified above and
all lands and interest in lands owned or controlled by the Government of
the United States within the boundaries described on the accompanying
map, which is attached to and forms a part of this proclamation. These
reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass approximately
242,555 acres, which is the smallest area compatible with the proper
care and management of the objects to be protected.
All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of this
monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry,
location, selection, sale, leasing, or other disposition under the
public land laws, including withdrawal from location, entry, and patent
under the mining laws, and from disposition under all laws relating to
mineral and geothermal leasing, other than by exchange that furthers the
protective purposes of this proclamation.
The establishment of this monument is subject to valid existing rights.
Lands and interests in lands within the monument's boundaries not owned
or controlled by the United States shall be reserved as part of the
monument upon acquisition of ownership or control by the United States.
The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) shall manage the monument
through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a unit of the National
Landscape Conservation System, pursuant to applicable legal au-



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thorities, including the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (82 Stat. 906, 16 U.S.C. 1271
et seq.), to implement the purposes of this proclamation.
For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above,
the Secretary, through the BLM, shall prepare and maintain a management
plan for the monument and shall provide for maximum public involvement
in the development of that plan including, but not limited to,
consultation with tribal, State, and local governments as well as
community land grant and acequia associations.
Except for emergency or authorized administrative purposes, motorized
vehicle use in the monument shall be permitted only on designated roads
and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use shall be permitted only on
designated roads and trails.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to preclude the
Secretary from renewing or authorizing the upgrading of existing utility
line rights-of-way within the physical scope of each such right-of-way
that exists on the date of this proclamation. Additional utility line
rights-of-way or upgrades outside the existing utility line rights-of-
way may only be authorized if consistent with the care and management of
the objects identified above.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the
rights of any Indian tribe or pueblo. The Secretary shall, in
consultation with Indian tribes, ensure the protection of religious and
cultural sites in the monument and provide access to the sites by
members of Indian tribes for traditional cultural and customary uses,
consistent with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (92 Stat. 469,
42 U.S.C. 1996) and Executive Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred
Sites).
Laws, regulations, and policies followed by the BLM in issuing and
administering grazing permits or leases on lands under its jurisdiction
shall continue to apply with regard to the lands in the monument,
consistent with the purposes of this proclamation.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter or affect the
R[iacute]o Grande Compact between the States of Colorado, New Mexico,
and Texas, or to create any reservation of water in the monument.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the
jurisdiction of the State of New Mexico with respect to fish and
wildlife management.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to preclude the
traditional collection of firewood and pi[ntilde]on nuts in the monument
for personal non-commercial use consistent with the purposes of this
proclamation.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing
withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall
be the dominant reservation.
Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate,
injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate
or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of



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the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA

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