Help block drilling in New Mexico's Otero Mesa!

Dear NRDC BioGems Defender,

We need your immediate action to help stop Bush administration plans
for oil
and gas drilling in the incomparable Otero Mesa of New Mexico -- a
vital part
of our Greater Rockies BioGem.

Please go to
http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction.asp?step=2&item=52158
and send a message telling the Bureau of Land Management to shelve its
proposed
plan for industrializing this unique and fragile wildland.

Located at the southern end of the Rockies, Otero Mesa boasts
uninterrupted
expanses of Chihuahuan desert grasslands, one of North America's most
endangered ecosystems and crucial habitat for pronghorn antelope, mule
deer and
the black-tailed prairie dog.

All told, Otero Mesa is home to more than 20 species protected by the
Endangered Species Act, including the Mexican spotted owl, the
southwestern
willow flycatcher, the Aplomado falcon and the black-footed ferret.

In its rush to let energy companies plunder America's Rocky Mountain
landscapes, the Bush administration is about to finalize a plan that
would
permit oil and gas development throughout the Otero Mesa ecosystem. The
resulting invasion of new roads, pipelines, transmission lines and
hundreds of
wells would devastate its irreplaceable wildlife habitat and wilderness
characteristics.

The Bush administration is accepting public comments on its proposed
development plan through June 28th.

Go to
http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction.asp?step=2&item=52158
right now and tell the Bush administration not to sacrifice this
magnificent
piece of our natural heritage to oil and gas interests.

Sincerely,

John H. Adams
President
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)

.. . .

BioGems: Saving Endangered Wild Places
A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.savebiogems.org

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