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Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico

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March 26, 2013

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Photo by EarthSky Facebook friend Geraint Smith. Thank you, Geraint. Visit Geraint Smith Photography Gallery on Facebook.

Here is the new Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in northern New Mexico, designated by President Obama on March 25, as captured by photographer Geraint Smith.

Rio Grande del Norte consists of more than 200,000 acres, originally inhabited by Native Americans and Spanish settlers. It includes a massive gorge below the headwaters of the Rio Grande River. There is abundant wildlife, and the area also has archaeologic sites. Plus the new national monument is expected to generate more than 200 jobs and boost the regionary economy by $15 million, via tourism, according to a study by the firm BBC Research & Consulting.

President Obama has designated five new national monuments, using executive authority to protect historic or ecologically significant sites. In addition to Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico, they are the First State National Monument in Delaware, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Maryland, Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Ohio, and San Juan Islands National Monument in Washington state.

Bottom line: Photo of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, designated by President Obama on March 25, 2013.

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March 26, 2013

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Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.