“Rio Grande del Norte – Sabinoso Wilderness Land Exchange Celebration Day”

SANTA FE, NM – State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn and Bureau of Land Management New Mexico State Director Aden Seidlitz on Friday will sign a proclamation declaring October 27, 2017 as “Rio Grande del Norte – Sabinoso Wilderness Land Exchange Celebration Day.”

The proclamation commemorates an Agreement to Initiate (ATI) a land exchange between the New Mexico State Land Office (SLO) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that will consolidate state and federal holdings within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument and the Sabinoso Wilderness Area.

The Department of the Interior earlier this month approved the ATI, which is expected to transfer 43,000 acres of state-owned surface and mineral estate within the monument and the wilderness area to the BLM. The SLO would gain approximately 78,000 federal acres in Chaves, Colfax, Guadalupe, Lincoln, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, and Torrance Counties which are more favorable for economic development.

The Río Grande del Norte National Monument is an approximately 242,455-acre area of public lands in Taos County, proclaimed as a national monument in 2013 by President Barack Obama under the provisions of the Antiquities Act. The unique setting of the monument offers exceptional opportunities for whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, camping, and photography.

The second component of the exchange involves the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in San Miguel County where the BLM owns and manages a 16,030-acre area that also offers a wealth of recreational opportunities.

“I am pleased that after two long years of negotiations we are finally able to proceed with this land exchange which once completed will create one of the most preeminent recreational spots in the United States and allow our respective agencies to effectively manage our resources,” said Commissioner Dunn.

DATE: Friday, October 27, 2017

TIME: 10:30 a.m.

PLACE: Taos Junction Campground – approximately five miles north of Pilar on NM 570

INVITED GUESTS INCLUDE:

Senator Martin Heinrich

Senator Tom Udall

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan

Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham

Rep. Steve Pearce

Daniel Barrone, Mayor, Town of Taos

Leandro Cordova, Taos County Manager

Jerry Holgrefe, Taos County Sheriff

Jim Fambro, Taos County Commissioner

Mark Gallegos, Taos County Commissioner

Gabriel Romero, Taos County Commissioner

Tom Blankenhorn, Taos County Commissioner

Candyce O’Donnell, Taos County Commissioner