By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts packed Tuesday’s Bernalillo County Commission meeting to voice concerns over Sandia Pueblo’s plan they worry could result in losing federal protections and road access on the Sandia Mountains’ western slopes recreations areas.
Dozens of Sandias for All coalition members spoke against a proposal to transfer roughly 10,000 acres of the Sandias from U.S. Forest Service management into federal trust for the Pueblo of Sandia. The push follows Sandoval County’s unanimous June vote supporting the transfer. However, Sen. Martin Heinrich told The Paper. last month said he will not support an exclusive title transfer, opting instead to draft legislation for shared management while preserving public access. Sandoval County Commissioner Katherine Bruch told The Paper. her commission sought to protect access, not endorse exclusive Pueblo ownership, adding that commissioners had not seen the transfer language before the vote. Sandia Gov. Stuart Paisano told the commission that reduced Forest Service budgets have hurt maintenance and law enforcement, duties the Pueblo’s emergency services could better handle.
Bernalillo County had no land transfer items on Tuesday’s agenda. Commissioner Walt Benson told The Paper. the county has no plans for a measure and can only offer an advisory opinion, as Congress must approve any changes. Benson, whose district borders Pueblo land, said he and County Manager Cindy Chavez met with Paisano, who claimed he had support from Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury. Benson said he later contacted neighboring communities and found none supported the move. “I’m not in support of this transfer, and I want it to stay the same,” Benson said.
Coalition members also raised concerns about tribal sovereign immunity and legal protections for residents under Pueblo ownership. Spokesperson Courtney Bryan noted the group does not dispute the Pueblo’s historical claim, but questioned if a transfer is necessary since the land is already a federally designated wilderness protected under the 2003 T’uf Shur Bien Preservation Act. Coalition organizer Greg Bloom — who worked for former U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, now serves as an assistant commissioner at the New Mexico State Land Office — urged the commission to issue an opinion, saying land legislation “rarely passes without the support of impacted communities and counties.”
Residents can weigh in by contacting Sen. Martin Heinrich’s office at heinrich.senate.gov/contact or signing the coalition’s petition at change.org/p/sandias-for-all.