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For more than 50 years, the community of El Paso, Texas has been calling for access to the Castner Range, a 7,000-acre former military weapons testing range in the heart of one the largest urban areas in the country.
Advocates say this unique high-desert landscape should be a national monument and are calling on President Biden to use his executive authority to designate it as such. The area is home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants, including 27 species of concern, not to mention a long and varied archaeological history of human occupation.
According to an opinion in Outside Business Journal by Shoren Brown, interim Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance, and Carol Shu, Senior Global Sustainability Manager at The North Face, President Biden has the opportunity to honor the wishes of El Paso community members and designate Castner Range as his first national monument.
There is broad support for the community-led effort to designate Castner Range, including over 116,000 signatures collected for a letter of support to encourage Biden to protect Castner Range. "Preserving Castner Range will provide real opportunities for more El Paso residents to enjoy the outdoors, and serve as a blueprint for expanding outdoor access to underserved communities across the nation," said Brown and Shu.
Watch our short 3-minute documentary-style film to learn more about the community-led effort to protect Castner Range, or check out our interactive storymap.
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I’m a firm believer in climate change. No hard feelings, but to those climate deniers, when they go hungry, maybe they’ll figure it out.”
