Approximately half of the military training activities that take place on Fort Bliss happen at night, so preventing light pollution is critical for training readiness. To help address this issue, Fort Bliss purchased land-use restrictions on thousands of acres from the New Mexico State Land Office, which currently leases out the land for livestock grazing and solar arrays. The state land office could have sold the property to developers to accommodate the rapid growth of cities like El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Instead, they are meeting their fiduciary duty while also protecting a large source of the local economy.

CLF partnered with the Army to protect 4,500 acres of private land that was at risk of development. Combined, CLF and other partners’ REPI actions prevent incompatible residential development, maintain the rural character of the community, and benefit the state of New Mexico while also protecting Fort Bliss’s mission.