Locals Affected by Southwest Defense Zones—SFGATE Public Lands Story

Have the new national defense areas impacted your recreation? Hello, all. Nice to (virtually) meet you. I am the southwest national parks editor at SFGATE, where I cover all things parks and public lands in the desert southwest from my home in Utah. I'm currently working on a piece about national defense areas, which are tracts of public lands that have been handed over to the Department of War in the last few years. Two militarized zones form a buffer along 230 miles from Fort Hancock, Texas, through El Paso and westward across New Mexico, and people who enter them (knowingly or not) can now be charged with federal trespassing. I'm trying to get a sense of how these changes might be affecting locals, and I've heard that some of the areas were once popular for recreating. If you're interested in speaking with me, feel free to reach out here, by email ([email redacted]), or on Signal at aheidt.16. https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/