BLM to auction McGregor Range Grazing Units
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LAS CRUCES, N.M. - On Sept. 17, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las Cruces District will auction (through an oral competitive bid) cattle-only grazing units, ranging in use from 9 to 36 months, on the McGregor Range on the west side of Otero Mesa. Prior to the auction, on Sept. 10, the BLM will conduct a pre-bid, bidder’s tour of the grazing units.
The tour will begin at 8 a.m. at the junction of U.S. Highway 54 and the entrance to State Road 506, approximately 24 miles south of Alamogordo (just north of the Border Patrol Check Station and south of the new Department of Transportation Check Station). Tour participants will need to bring a lunch and water for the tour. The BLM is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and working with state and local health authorities to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission. For this reason, we are capping attendance at 50 participants. We also recommend that participants on the tour practice social distancing and wear a mask.
The auction will take place on Friday, Sept. 17 at the BLM’s La Cueva Picnic Area. To get to the La Cueva Picnic Area, take Dripping Springs Road east from I-10 or from Baylor Canyon Road until you reach the sign for the La Cueva Picnic Area (Note: exit from I-10 is University Avenue which turns into Dripping Springs Road). You will not need to pay the $5 per car entry fee. Check-in will start at 9 a.m. The auction will start at 10 a.m. We ask that those in attendance, regardless of vaccination status, please wear a mask and social distance. The BLM will provide a mask to anyone who does not have one. All successful bidders will be required to pay a 10 percent deposit at the conclusion of the auction.
The McGregor Range is comprised of 606,000 acres of public land between Alamogordo, N.M. and El Paso, Texas. It was set aside for the U.S. Army under the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999. Used by Fort Bliss Army Base and Holloman Air Force Base for training purposes, the Range is jointly managed with the BLM for the resources outlined in the 2006 McGregor Range Resource Management Plan and a memorandum of understanding. The military has primary use, while the BLM has secondary use of the Range resources, such as the management of grazing.
For more information or questions on the tour and auction, the public may contact James Christensen at 575-644-8635 or Ana Arena at 575-525-4352. In addition, the bid information is available on the BLM website at http://www.blm.gov/new-mexico under the Spotlight section.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.