TAOS, N.M. — The Bureau of Land Management’s Taos Field Office has acquired 648 acres of land located within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, the culmination of a shared conservation partnership with The Trust for Public Land.  The parcel will facilitate traditional and recreational access for hunters, piñon nut and wood gatherers, hikers, mountain bikers, and backpackers into the interior of the Monument and its rugged, wide-open landscape and vistas.

The BLM purchased the inholding from TPL using $438,000 from the Sportsman’s and Recreational Access component of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is generated from offshore oil and gas revenue.

“Although the acquisition is small in size, the benefits and increased access for recreation and hunting is significant,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “By working with congress and private partners, the Trump Administration is expanding access to public lands and improving conservation of our wildlife and habitat like the Sabinoso Wilderness and right here in the Río Grande del Norte National Monument.”

“The BLM manages the public lands under our multiple-use mission for the benefit of current and future generations,” said Acting BLM New Mexico State Director Aden Seidlitz.  “This acquisition improves access to public lands for families and sportsmen, and supports New Mexico’s vital recreation economy.”

The BLM and TPL have a long history of working together toward shared conservation stewardship, and specifically at the Río Grande del Norte. Designated as a national monument in March 2013, the landscape has natural, cultural, historic, and recreational significance.