U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar introduced legislation Thursday to make Castner Range a national monument.
The El Paso Democrat said the Castner Range National Monument Act would make the 7,081-acre area in Northeast El Paso, which formerly was used by Fort Bliss, a national monument “to conserve and protect the ecological cultural, historical, natural integrity of the land.”
“Castner Range is the crown jewel of West Texas and a source of great pride for El Pasoans,” Escobar said in a news release. “As our nation takes unprecedented action to conserve public lands and water and address climate change, I am proud to re-introduce the Castner Range National Monument Act and very grateful for the grassroots community leadership that has been working tirelessly on this issue.”
Escobar wants ‘crown jewel’ Castner Range named national monument
EL PASO, Texas Former El Paso Congressman Beto O Rourke called the the Castner Range of the Franklin Mountains 7,000 acres of rugged wilderness in an urban setting.
Now current Congresswoman Veronica Escobar is following in her predecessor s footsteps with a legislative effort announced at a news conference on Friday to get the Castner Range named a national monument and protect it from development.
It s a designation O Rourke lobbied for under the Obama administration which didn t end up coming to fruition.
“Castner Range is the crown jewel of West Texas and a source of great pride for El Pasoans,” said Escobar. This legislation will designate Castner Range as a National Monument to conserve and protect the ecological cultural, historical, natural integrity of the land for present and future generations of El Pasoans and Americans to enjoy.