Am I mistaken in placing this area as between White Sands and U.S. 380, west of the Malpais -- a vast "empty quarter" that features Trinity site?
"a vast "empty quarter" that features Trinity site?"
The leaders of the enviromental movement don't care one bit about the environment, their only objective is to make sure that none of the natural resorces in this country can be used ever!
As the leader of the Sierra Club once stated:
Our ultimate goal is to eliminate all humans west of the Rockies!
Enviroweenies tried this argument (e.g. environmental impact of petroleum exploration/extraction on native grasses including black gramma) in the Midland-Odessa area. The Soil Conservation Service determined that native grasses experienced little or no negative effects (especially with "low impact" drilling practices that are currently in use).
Sorry wasn't able to get back to you sooner.
The area is east of US 54 and roughly east of the Oro Grande area and just north of the Texas border. Some of it is under control of the US Army (NM segment of Fort Bliss) and the rest under BLM management. The eastern boundary is the Guadalupe Mountains. NM non-military access to it is via a road eastward at the Highway 54 Border Patrol checkpoint.