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It is an unconscionable reality that the residents of a area with such beautiful deserts, mountains and a lush river valley have to now fund a trust that will actually preserve such beauty.

The past actions of the City of El Paso & their Planning Department has made it necessary to do just that. The policies of the past have made every piece of land, no matter how valuable to the community easy prey for developers who wish to extract the maximum profit even if it means destroying neighborhoods and the environment.

It is beyond belief that the zoning of desert did not account for arroyos. It is likewise unfathomable that all farmland annexed... and at the time promised to only zone at R-1 (low density) ... could be zoned for tract homes. Where are the horse paths... where is the connective tissue to allow the wildlife to migrate... where is the sense of “planning” that would keep a sense of dignity and cohesiveness to the valley?... or to our mountains?

Those policies enacted by the Planning Department were paid for by taxpayers dollars given blindly with the hope that those in “charge” would do the right thing. Now the community must stop the unprofessional and unethical behavior of the Planning Department and fund the cure.

The land trust must be be taken seriously by all... as a way of showing our gratitude for Dr. Teschner's generous donation of his small fortune to save Resler Canyon. Our whole community must begin raising funds and our elected officials must also use the resources of both City and County to search and obtain grants and donations for the protection of our beautiful lands. The city ordinances must be clear... Our Environment is Our City... too! It affects the lives of everyone.

The trinity of Dr. Teschner, Hunt and Waikeem hopefully will form the vanguard of a new wave of community leadership and honesty. It is afterall... the 21st centrury... not the 11th.

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Editor, Upper Valley Beacon

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