Lawsuit Filed to Preserve Old Spanish National Historic Trail from Development Threats

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of the Interior, alleging that the agency has failed to develop a management plan to protect and preserve the Old Spanish National Historic Trail. According to PEER, the absence of such a plan leaves the historic trail vulnerable to development projects that could threaten its integrity.

The Old Spanish National Historic Trail, designated as part of the National Trails System in 2002, is a 2,700-mile route that stretches across Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and California. The trail holds significant historical value as it was heavily used for transporting goods and people between Santa Fe and Los Angeles during the early 19th century, when the region was still under Mexican rule. It also played a key role in the Mexican-American War. By law, the Department of the Interior is required to submit a comprehensive management plan to Congress within two years of establishing a National Trails System unit, but no plan has been submitted to date.

The delay in the management plan has been partly attributed to disagreements between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Park Service (NPS), both of which have been assigned responsibility for managing the trail. These agencies have clashed over various aspects of trail management.

PEER argues that the absence of a comprehensive management plan leaves the Old Spanish Trail vulnerable to developments that could degrade its historical and cultural value. For instance, the BLM has permitted oil and gas drilling operations close to the trail in some areas, and large solar projects in Nevada’s Pahrump Valley are expected to significantly impact the trail’s viewshed. Without a management plan, the trail could be exposed to various unrelated developments that could threaten its integrity.

A formal management plan would provide a clear legal framework to protect the trail from such developments, ensuring that the trail’s cultural, historical, and natural resources are preserved for future generations. PEER argues that unchecked development projects could damage the trail’s landscape and diminish its recreational, historical, and cultural significance.

“Each of these projects chips away at the trail’s integrity, eroding its landscape, historical value, and public recreational opportunities,” said Chandra Rosenthal, Director of PEER’s Rocky Mountain office. “The combination of these impacts threatens to turn the trail into a patchwork of industrial scars, diminishing its unique value irreversibly.”

Russell Galipeau, former NPS Superintendent and member of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, added, “Ignoring the need to protect the Old Spanish Trail not only disrespects the public trust, it jeopardizes the trail’s resources, stories, and vistas.”

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Joining PEER as plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Basin and Range Watch, and two private citizens who have been longstanding advocates for the trail.

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