RAB Meeting Gives Opportunity to Support Preservation of Casner Range

Click on image to enlarge.

Elpasonaturally has focused primarily on the preservation of land in the Scenic Transmountain Corridor on the west side of the Franklins. The effort to preserve Castner Range on the east side has been going on for a much longer period of time. It involves cleaning up unexploded ordnance since the Range which is still property of the U.S. Army was used for many years for artillery practice. Once that "cleaning up" has occurred, then the land could be transferred to the State Park and preserved in its natural state. Cleaning it up is ongoing. Transferring is still not a done deal. That is why it is so important for all of us who want to see our natural treasures preserved begin to be seen by the Fort Bliss Restoration Advisory Board. Enlarge the image above for more information about their next meeting in Chaparral, NM. (Map)


Here is a publication by the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition which is valuable reading. Along with information and background about the Range, it states the reasons for preserving Castner in its natural state:
Castner Range Educational Flier

Castner Range is the area where the Mexican Poppies have become prolific. I even saw poppies grow on Knapp property just south of the range on the other side of Hondo Pass. Some plants have now been found on the west side of the mountain. Here are three pics from this year's Poppy Fest which is held at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology which is surrounded by Castner Range:

Bullwinkle Formation in background

 Maggie, Phaedra & Finn Moses