Clinton OKs Buying N.M. Land

WASHINGTON — President Clinton signed a bill Tuesday to pay $101 million for a sprawling New Mexico ranch he called “an extraordinary national treasure.”

Clinton’s signature gave final approval to the federal purchase of the Baca Ranch, a 95,000-acre swath of forested mountains and grassy valleys that includes the collapsed crater of an ancient volcano. Supporters of the purchase, including New Mexico’s entire congressional delegation, say the ranch is a pristine natural jewel that deserves to be preserved for all Americans.

Clinton signed the legislation at Camp David, the Maryland retreat where Middle East peace talks ended Tuesday. The Senate had passed the bill in April, with the House approving it, 377 to 45, on July 12.

Critics say the federal government is paying far too much for the ranch northwest of Santa Fe, which the late Texas oil tycoon James P. Dunigan bought for $2.1 million in 1962.

A New Mexico environmental group, Forest Guardians, was also skeptical of the purchase. Forest Guardians founder Sam Hitt called the purchase a mixed blessing.

The group would have preferred the ranch be classified as a national park. New uses for the park may include hunting and cattle grazing, which would be extremely destructive, Hitt said.