BLM land acquisition expands public access and recreation opportunities

Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
Published: 31 May 2024 31 May 2024

BLM land acquisition expands public access and recreation opportunities adjacent to Río Grande del Norte National Monument

Taos, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced the acquisition of approximately 3,700 acres of land adjacent to the Río Grande del Norte National Monument. The BLM acquired the property, located six miles southwest of Taos, from the Trust for Public Land, using funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.  

With wide support from Tribal, state, and local governments, Members of Congress, as well as adjacent property owners, these new public lands will expand access to the national monument and the exceptional cultural and natural resources it protects.

"The Bureau of Land Management is proud to partner on this effort to protect a nationally significant landscape at the heart of Río Grande del Norte, increasing recreational access and economic opportunities throughout New Mexico," said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. "The Río Grande del Norte National Monument is home to rugged open plains, abundant wildlife and is an economic driver for the local community. Thanks to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, we are able to partner with Trust for Public Land to acquire this property, which will provide more access to public land and safeguard this precious place for generations to come.”

In addition to enhanced recreational opportunities, including access to a segment of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, the area is also home to critical wildlife habitat and special status species, raptors, and other wildlife. Approximately $40 million in investments from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and other funding sources have gone to the national monument and the surrounding area for land protection at iconic places like Ute Mountain and the Taos Valley Overlook.

The expansion reflects the Department of the Interior’s commitment to President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, a locally led and voluntary, nation-wide effort to conserve, connect, and restore 30 percent of lands, waters, and wildlife by 2030.

More information can be found at the BLM’s Río Grande del Norte National Monument website.

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