Heinrich Raises Alarm About New Mexico Public Lands at Risk in Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member on the U.S. Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released a list of public lands in New Mexico that are at risk of being sold off if Republicans’ reconciliation package becomes law. Senate Republicans’ reconciliation package mandates the unprecedented sale of two to three million acres of public land, including in both Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands.

“Our public lands hold our shared identity: they are where we gather, fish, hunt, and hike. These lands house our collective history, support jobs, and sustain our rural economies. From the hiking trails near the Sandia Crest to the biking trails of the Monumental Loop to the lands surrounding the Santuario de Chimayo, these places are the anvil on which our identities are forged. We can’t let Republicans take them from us. 

“Republicans can’t fool us: their scheme to sell public lands has nothing to do with affordable housing or lowering costs for families. It’s a direct attack on every New Mexican, whether you have an elk tag, a fishing license, a backpack, a tent, a mountain bike, or a soft spot, special memory, or sacred connection to a particular place important to you, your family, and your ancestors.

“Now is the time to raise your voices and join our fight to keep public lands in public hands – before we lose these lands forever.”

The following list includes many, but not all, of the places in New Mexico at risk of being sold off if Senate Republicans’ reconciliation bill becomes law:

 

BERNALILLO COUNTY

• Manzanita Mountains Recreation Zone
  • Oak Flat
  • Pine Flat
  • Tunnel Canyon
  • Cedro Trailheads
• Sandia Mountains
  • Forest Service Lands East of Sandia Crest
  • 10K Trail

 

CHAVES COUNTY

• BLM Land Surrounding Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

 

CIBOLA COUNTY

• Mount Taylor (Except Mines)
• Lobo Canyon
• La Jara Mesa 
• Zuni Canyon
• Quartz Hill

 

DOÑA ANA COUNTY

• BLM Land Northeast of Las Cruces
• Monumental Loop Mountain Biking Route

EDDY COUNTY

 

GRANT COUNTY

• Fort Bayard Trail System
• Little Walnut Trail
• Dragonfly Trail

 

LINCOLN COUNTY

• Grindstone Canyon Loop Trail
• Ski Run Road

LOS ALAMOS COUNTY

• St. Peter’s Dome Trail
• Forest Service Land and Trails Around Pajarito Ski Area
• Hiking Trails North and East of Los Alamos

 

LUNA COUNTY

• Little Florida Mountains, via Rockhound State Park
• Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area
• Access to Cooke’s Peak WSA

 

MCKINLEY COUNTY

• Quaking Aspen Campground
• Sixmile Canyon
• The Hogback
• Jagged Edge
• Zuni Mountain Trail System

OTERO COUNTY

• Alamo Canyon trail
• Dog Canyon Trail
• Lower Karr Campground

 

RIO ARRIBA COUNTY

• Sombrillo Area of Critical Environmental Concern

 

SAN JUAN COUNTY

• Glade Run Recreation Area

 

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY

• Skyline Trailhead
• Access to Pecos Wilderness

 

SANDOVAL COUNTY

• Ball Ranch/Espinosa Ridge Area of Critical Environmental Concern
• Placitas Trailhead
• Crest of Montezuma 
• Buffalo Tract
• Strip Mine Trailhead

 

SANTA FE COUNTY

• Lands Between Santuario de Chimayo and Santa Cruz Lake
• Diablo Canyon
• Caja del Rio
• Atalaya Trail
• La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site
• Borrego Mesa Trailhead and Campground

 

SIERRA COUNTY

• East Side of Caballo Lake

 

SOCORRO COUNTY

• The Box Recreation Area
• San Lorenzo Canyon
• Quebradas Backcountry Byway
• Socorro Nature Area

 

TAOS COUNTY

• Lands Surrounding Historic High Road to Taos
• Recreation Areas on Highway 64 Towards Angel Fire
• Cabresto Lake and Access to the Latir Peak Wilderness
• NMDGF Unit 49 Hunting Area

 

VALENCIA COUNTY

• Manzano Wilderness Study Area
• Encino Trailhead
• Trigo Canyon Trailhead

 

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