ALBUQUERQUE — Tim Zaccaria can’t see himself living anywhere except New Mexico.
A big reason for that, according to the avid climber who moved to Albuquerque from upstate New York, is the Sandia Mountain Wilderness.
“We all live in the city, but it’s so close we can just basically, within an hour, be completely disappeared into the mountains and just have peace with nature,” Zaccaria said. “It’s just such a valuable, profound experience.”
But Zaccaria worries that quick and easy access to an area visited by more than 2 million people per year will soon be over due to a land transfer proposal by Sandia Pueblo, which has said the U.S. Forest Service is not adequately managing the wilderness.
Last month, Sandia Pueblo Gov. Stuart Paisano told Sandoval County commissioners the pueblo was seeking Congress’ help in transferring 10,000 acres of land on the west face of the Sandia Mountains — known as the T’uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area — from the forest service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. There, it would be held in a trust for Sandia Pueblo.
Paisano cited federal budget cuts and staffing shortages as a reason for the proposal, saying they have led to poor trail and road conditions, plus increased vandalism and litter in the area.
Courtesy Sandias For All
“You have my council’s commitment that managing the Sandia Mountains, because it is so precious to us, will be a top priority,” Paisano said at the June County Commission meeting, where commissioners unanimously passed a resolution in support of the transfer. “And we will do whatever we can in order to continue to protect it, to preserve it.”
The transfer requires an act of Congress.
Sandias for all?
Paisano — whose office did not return a call requesting comment Wednesday afternoon — has said the transfer would not mean the exclusion of the public, and would rather serve as a way to ensure the land is properly maintained. In a letter of support for the proposal sent to New Mexico’s congressional delegation earlier this month, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham endorsed the idea.
“Importantly, the proposed transfer will not alter existing public uses,” Lujan Grisham wrote. “All previously authorized rights‐of‐way for utilities, roads, and infrastructure will remain in place, ensuring continued public access and enjoyment. This approach strengthens cultural preservation, improves land and resource management, and maintains long‐established recreational access for New Mexicans and visitors.”
Zaccaria and several other hikers, climbers and nearby neighbors — some of whom have formed a coalition and created a website Sandias For All, sandiasforall.org, aren’t convinced.
“Even if the governor of Sandia Pueblo right now says, ‘Oh, we don’t want to exclude access to the public,’ nothing keeps the next governor from changing that,” said Mason Risley, a lifelong Albuquerque resident who often uses the Sandia Mountain Wilderness for recreation.
“I’m not saying that I want to take it away from the Sandia Pueblo — that’s not the case at all,” Risley added. “I just think it’s very important that we maintain the existing legislation and the kind of cooperation between the federal government, the national forest service and the Sandia Pueblo.”
Problems, support
The agreement for the management of the T’uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area was established by a federal act of the same name in 2003. The act settled the Sandia Pueblo’s claims — outlined in a yearslong lawsuit — to the area and confirmed the status of National Forest and Wilderness lands there.
“The Secretary, acting through the Forest Service, shall continue to administer the Area on behalf of the United States as National Forest System lands under this Act, the Wilderness Act, other laws and regulations applicable to the National Forest System, and the Management Plan,” the act states.
It also states traditional and cultural uses by members of the Sandia Pueblo and other federally recognized tribes “shall not be restricted,” except by the regulations in place at the time.
More than two decades later, the forest service has changed under President Donald Trump’s administration. Roughly 6,500 people across the country left the agency last year, according to Politico.
In a statement, Rep. Melanie Stansbury said the forest service has “failed” to uphold its responsibilities to co-manage the land in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness.
“Especially since DOGE froze and fired thousands of positions, and the Forest Service has threatened to close regional and local offices — the agency has failed to maintain roads and facilities, to prevent vandalism, and to respond to and consult with the Pueblos and affected communities and neighborhood associations,” Stansbury said. “This includes protecting culturally sensitive and protected lands in the Sandia Mountains.”
She did not say whether she plans to put forth legislation that would make the transfer happen, something Paisano has requested she do.
“It is imperative that the federal government come to the table and uphold its federal trust responsibilities to our Pueblos and that our communities work together to collaborate, find common solutions, and protect our sacred and public lands,” Stansbury said. “That is the current discussion at hand.”
Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is reportedly being asked to carry the proposal on the Senate side, is “reviewing Sandia Pueblo’s proposal and appreciates hearing from all constituents,” a spokesperson said Wednesday.
Concerns
Hiker and climber Charli Fleenor described the proposed land transfer as an extreme measure and said he worries the area will lose its wilderness designation, which protects the land from new mining claims.
“Wilderness is kind of the only way that I see it’s going to stay protected,” Fleenor said. “So I hope they can repair their agreement, because it seems like it’s been working.”
Fleenor said he had not previously heard about any management concerns in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness.
Zaccaria said he doesn’t think any of the area’s problems are unique.
“Climbing and recreation exploded during the pandemic,” Zaccaria said. “And so with that comes an extremely large amount of, unfortunately, abuse of land and resources.”
“I’ve been in the Sandias my whole life,” he added. “What I see right now isn’t necessarily anything I would say is shocking or unusual.”
