德州國家土地局6日決議將耶誕山(Christmas Mountains)荒地的交易延後3個月,而此一決議為環保團體與多數德州市民所希望的。估計有超過6300位德州市民請願要求延遲交易時間,藉此給予國家公園管理處多一點時間,讓位於德州西部面積總計9200英畝的耶誕山回歸於人民。
位於大本德國家公園(Big Bend National Park)西北方的耶誕山,於1991年贈與德州州政府,使其成為國家公園的一部分,同時作為野生動物棲息地、民眾休憩區等用途。
然而德州國家土地局委員派特森(Jerry Patterson)以及School Land Board的兩名成員巴斯 (Todd Barth)與赫曼(David Herrmann)於6日會面商討將耶誕山售予兩個私人出價者其中一人的可能性。
「理查‧金‧梅倫基金會」於1991年贈與耶誕山給德州政府,然而目前德州已無力負擔維護此區的費用,同時也無法保護瀕絕動物來自於盜獵者的攻擊。
基金會已提出警告,倘若此項買賣成交的話,德州州政府往後將不會再得到基金會的任何援助。
Today's decision by a Texas government land agency to postpone the sale of the wilderness Christmas Mountains for 90 days is exactly what environmental groups and many Texas citizens wanted.
More than 6,300 Texans have signed petitions asking for such a delay to give the National Park Service time to find a final solution that will keep the 9,200 acre Christmas Mountains in West Texas in public hands.
Located northwest of Big Bend National Park, the Christmas Mountains were donated to the state of Texas in 1991 "for use as and inclusion in a nature park, wildlife refuge, recreational area or similarly designated use area."
But Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and the two other members of the School Land Board, Todd Barth and David Herrmann, met today to consider the possible sale of the mountains to one of two private bidders.
The state accepted the land in 1991 as a gift from the Richard King Mellon Foundation but is now unable to cover the costs of protecting the land and its endangered species from poachers.
The Richard K. Mellon Foundation has warned that if the sale goes through against their wishes, the state of Texas should "not look to the R.K. Mellon Foundation for any future help."
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