ANTONITO — The Amigos Bravos watershed group is holding a wetlands action meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Chavez Southwest Market in Antonito.
Come learn about a plan to improve the wetlands for recreation, wildlife, and fishing in the Cruces Basin Wilderness Area. According to Amigos Bravos, "We fight for clean drinkable, fishable, swimmable waters."
Shannon Romeling, the group's representative said the meeting will include a discussion of a Wetlands Action Plan (WAP), which is a guide for the planning and implementation of projects and activities essential to the understanding, conservation, protection, restoration, and management of wetlands in the area.
The Cruces Basin is in the Carson National Forest in New Mexico, southwest of Antonito. The land is characterized by large meadows and wetlands cut by clear streams. In 1980, the U.S. Congress designated the Cruces Basin Wilderness Area, which is 18,881 acres. The group Wilderness Connect, describes the area as one of the most pristine in New Mexico. The lack of designated trails adds to the area's solitude.
The Wetland Action Plan for the Cruces Basin project was granted to Amigos Bravos in September 2023 by the New Mexico Environment Department. The goal is to create a Cruces Basin Wetland Jewel Assessment and Restoration Action Plan that provides a roadmap for restoring the Cruces Basin Wilderness wetlands. As part of this project, a section of the plan will summarize the challenges, opportunities, and steps for conducting restoration in wilderness areas that may be used for future wetland restoration elsewhere.
