Santa Fe, NM – The Rio Grande Trail Commission will conduct its third public meeting on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. in Las Cruces at Hotel Encanto, 705 S. Telshor Blvd. The public is invited to attend and participate in this exciting initiative.
The Governor-appointed Commission is charged with establishing the Rio Grande Trail to run the length of the state from Colorado to Texas. The trail shall be a recreation trail for New Mexico residents and visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of New Mexico and the Rio Grande and learn about the culture and history of New Mexico.
The Rio Grande Trail Commission (RGTC) meeting allows for various presentations describing the current status of trail planning and has appointed a number of Work Groups composed of Commission members, participating agency staff, and stakeholders to assist with developing and reviewing content areas of the Master Plan and Regional Alignment Studies.
Interested parties are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in these Work Groups established by the Commission to help guide the planning process:
- Alignment - Lead Working Group guiding the development of the Master Plan and Regional Alignment studies.
- Trail Users – Define user groups and needs.
- Resources – Coordinate natural and cultural resource issues, educational opportunities, focusing on sustainability and minimizing environmental/habitat impacts.
- Design and Management – Coordinate design standards, maintenance guidelines, safety, and liability.
- Communications – Organize and coordinate between Work Groups and the public regarding trail planning, marketing, branding, and website content.
- Interagency – Conduct outreach to other State and Federal agencies, governmental entities, primary stakeholders with interest in RGT issues related to trail planning and implementation.
In addition, the RGTC may consider other matters that come before it, including adoption of the Commission’s 2016 Open Meetings Act Resolution.
An optional field trip is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. for the RGTC to tour Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park and hike a 2.3 mile segment of the newly designated Rio Grande Trail. The public is invited to attend the field trip and any interested parties can RSVP with Cathy Fernandez, Commission Coordinator at cathyferd@gmail.com by Tuesday, January 5, 2016.
A copy of the draft agenda for the meeting will be available 72 hours before the meeting and may be obtained by contacting Theresa Duran-Saenz at 505-476-3243, or on the website at http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/admin/riograndetrailcommission.html. If you need a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the meeting, please contact Theresa Duran-Saenz at 505-476-3243 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Public documents can be provided in various accessible forms.