Frontier Land Alliance reports rising volunteer support but recurring vandalism on El Paso conservation easements

At a meeting of the El Paso Open Space Advisory Board, a representative of the Frontier Land Alliance said annual monitoring shows the three city conservation easements — Lost Dog Nature Preserve, Nappland Nature Preserve and Thunder Canyon Nature Preserve — are generally in good condition, but that vandalism and repeated creation of unauthorized trails are causing ongoing damage.

"It's putting restrictions on the surface of the land, sometimes subsurface of the land, for the preservation of the conservation values. And this is done in perpetuity for future generations," Frontier Land Alliance speaker Janae said, describing the purpose of conservation easements. She said Frontier completed annual site visits in October 2024 and praised the open-space manager Rocio Wanquillo and volunteers for expanded work in 2024.

Janae reported several monitoring metrics: volunteer hours more than doubled from roughly 2022 levels to "over 560 hours a year," individual volunteers increased from about 100 to 225, and trail work increased (Lost Dog had more than 3,000 feet…