ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says any effort to rescind the designation of the state's two newest national monuments would be short-sighted and reckless. Balderas on Monday sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, outlining his support for Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. The two are among 27 monuments where a review ordered by President Donald Trump might remove protections previously considered irreversible. Balderas argues that in a state with high poverty and joblessness, the monuments help make up one bright spot in the economy. He says outdoor recreation is a multibillion-dollar industry for New Mexico. In southern New Mexico, the mayors of Las Cruces, Mesilla and Anthony gathered with other supporters Monday to speak in favor of the monuments.
New Mexico AG urges feds to protect national monuments
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