GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS An Administrative History

CHAPTER IX: NATURAL RESOURCE ISSUES (continued)

Collecting of Plant Material by Native Americans

The Guadalupe Mountains were traditional hunting and gathering grounds for the Mescalero Apaches well into the twentieth century. In 1987, members of the tribe continued to live on the Mescalero reservation northwest of the park in New Mexico. During the early years of operation of the park, rangers observed Mescaleros within the park boundaries gathering sotol fruit, which they used for religious ceremonies. Roger Reisch also recalled that on two occasions in the early 1970s some members of the tribe performed religious ceremonies at Pine Springs and Guadalupe Spring. Since that time, however, park managers and rangers have not been aware of anyone from the Mescalero tribe entering the park except to use Park Service facilities. The unwritten policy of park managers has been to permit in-park gathering of plant material by the Mescaleros if it is to be used for religious purposes. [36]

The primary theme of management of the natural resources of Guadalupe Mountains National Park has been the restoration of the land to its natural state. Managers have sought to do that by mitigating the impact of human use in the backcountry, by restoring water sources to their natural state, by reintroducing native species, by protecting endangered species, and by adopting policies that would protect the predator population of the park. During the first fifteen years of natural resource management, research was the keynote. Managers worked to establish baselines from which changes could be measured.

While each was Superintendent, William Dunmire and Richard Smith faced public controversy over natural resource issues. Dunmire's educational and professional background in wildlife management undoubtedly influenced the approach he took to the mountain lion problem. He recognized the need for solid data on which to base management decisions and advocated an in-depth study of the lion population of Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains. Smith displayed a similar attitude toward the issues of mountain lions, protection of black bears (see Chapter VII), and prescriptive burning, advocating research and planned educational programs to head off potential public controversy. Both men recognized that managing a wilderness in the midst of civilization required knowledge based on scientific research and an ongoing program of public education to establish and maintain good relations with the park's neighbors.

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