Melanie Stansbury

Most New Mexicans have no idea that legislation is being drafted to transfer nearly 10,000 acres of the Sandia Mountain Wilderness into trust for the Pueblo of Sandia. The proposed transfer includes some of the mountain's most beloved public recreation areas, from the Sandia Peak Tram north through the La Luz and Piedra Lisa trails and beyond. By the time many New Mexicans hear about this proposal, it may be too late to meaningfully shape it.

The proposal is already gaining momentum. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has written a letter of support and the Sandoval County Commission recently passed Resolution 6-24-26.11A endorsing the transfer. U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., has expressed openness to the proposal and could play a central role in introducing legislation in Congress. Now is the time for New Mexicans to make their voices heard — before legislation is introduced.

The pueblo's concerns about protecting this sacred landscape are real, legitimate and deserve thoughtful solutions. But Congress already provided a mechanism to address these issues in 2003. After almost 10 years of negotiation between the pueblo, the U.S. Forest Service, Congress and other stakeholders, it adopted the T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act. That law protected three things in perpetuity: the pueblo's rights and interests, the Sandia Wilderness and the public's longstanding use and enjoyment of the area.

The proposal now being discussed takes a different approach. It would transfer approximately 10,000 acres into trust for the pueblo. Yet unlike the 2003 act, it does not carry forward Congress's commitment to protecting public access or preserving the Sandia Wilderness. Instead, supporters point to assurances from Sandia Pueblo that existing “valid” trails, roads and rights-of-way will continue to be honored.

If preserving public access matters, it should be written into the legislation. If protecting the wilderness matters, it should be written into the legislation. Congress understood that in 2003. We should expect no less today.

Nearly every Burqueño has a Sandias story — a first hike, a favorite overlook, a quiet place to reflect. What will this proposal mean for hiking, climbing, hunting, wildlife photography, education or the countless other ways New Mexicans experience the Sandias? Will future generations know these mountains the way we have?

This also extends beyond New Mexico. The majority of the land in question is within a federally protected wilderness area, one of our nation's highest levels of public land protection. Any proposal to transfer congressionally designated wilderness into a different management framework deserves careful public discussion.

There are better ways forward.

If the pueblo believes the 2003 agreement should be revisited, those concerns deserve serious consideration. If the Forest Service needs additional resources or stronger partnerships to care for these lands, Congress should pursue those solutions. But the answer should be to improve the carefully negotiated framework.

Stansbury is in a unique position to shape what comes next. If you care about the future of the Sandias, now is the time to speak.

Contact Stansbury (call 505-346-6781). Ask her to build on the balanced framework Congress established in 2003. Ask her to ensure that any proposal continues to protect the pueblo's rights and interests, guarantees the public's longstanding use and enjoyment of these mountains, and preserves the Sandia Wilderness.

The Sandias have always been a place where different histories, values and communities come together. Congress recognized that in 2003. Before we replace that carefully negotiated balance, we owe it to future generations of New Mexicans to make sure we get it right.

Visit SandiasForAll.org to learn more and get involved.

Jory Mayschak lives in Evergreen Hills, a neighborhood surrounded by the current T’uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area.