{"id":116291,"date":"2019-12-21T14:51:37","date_gmt":"2019-12-21T22:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=116291"},"modified":"2020-04-27T08:56:02","modified_gmt":"2020-04-27T15:56:02","slug":"new-mexicos-white-sands-becomes-newest-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/new-mexicos-white-sands-becomes-newest-national-park","title":{"rendered":"New Mexico\u2019s White Sands Becomes America\u2019s Newest National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

After 86 years as a national monument, the world\u2019s largest gypsum dune field has become a national park. On Dec. 20, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which included a provision to re-designate New Mexico\u2019s White Sands National Monument<\/a> as the nation\u2019s 62nd national park.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The change has been championed by many in the state\u2019s congressional delegation including Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), who introduced the White Sands National Park Establishment Act in the Senate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[It\u2019s] one of the most spectacular natural wonders on Earth,\u201d he told the Co-op Journal last fall as <\/span>the legislation<\/span><\/a> was making its way through Congress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The act cites the monument\u2019s importance in protecting the dune field\u2019s unique environment, which has been described as a desert Galapagos thanks to the 800-plus species of animals uniquely adapted to thrive in the park\u2019s harsh conditions. But the act also recognizes the park\u2019s significant role in the local economy. <\/span>In 2018, the then monument saw just over 600,000 visitors.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Outdoor Industry Association<\/a>, outdoor recreation generates $9.9 billion in consumer spending and $<\/span>623 million in state and local tax revenue in the state each year, and it is directly responsible for some 99,000 jobs<\/span>. <\/span>In April<\/span><\/a>, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed bipartisan legislation to establish an office dedicated to outdoor recreation<\/a>, making it the 12th state to do so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to bring in businesses that enliven our rural communities, partner with our tribes and pueblos, and we are going to send a beacon to tourists and young adults the world over: New Mexico is yours to explore,\u201d Lujan Grisham said in a February statement<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The provision will also increase the park\u2019s size and provide for easier access thanks to a land swap with the neighboring White Sands Missile Range.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After 86 years as a national monument, the world\u2019s largest gypsum dune field has become a national park. On Dec. 20, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which included a provision to re-designate New Mexico\u2019s White Sands National Monument as the nation\u2019s 62nd national park.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The change has been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14208,"featured_media":116295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[685],"tags":[1540,113,238,692,656,1484],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-116291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-mountain-west","tag-national-park","tag-new-mexico","tag-news","tag-public-lands","tag-staff-society"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/news\/new-mexicos-white-sands-becomes-newest-national-park","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"New Mexico\u2019s White Sands Becomes America\u2019s Newest National Park","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/new-mexicos-white-sands-becomes-newest-national-park","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/new-mexicos-white-sands-becomes-newest-national-park"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/White_Sands_h_20.93043535.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/White_Sands_h_20.93043535.jpg?fit=5616%2C3744"},"articleSection":"News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Grothjan"}],"creator":["Sarah Grothjan"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["mountain west","national parks","new mexico","news","public lands","staff society"],"dateCreated":"2019-12-21T22:51:37Z","datePublished":"2019-12-21T22:51:37Z","dateModified":"2020-04-27T15:56:02Z"},"rendered":"