The Sandia Mountains have watched over the Middle Rio Grande Valley for 10 million years, serving as an ever-present sentinel through eons of natural and human history. They were here when the province of Tiguex — home to the ancestors of the modern-day Pueblos of Santa Ana, Sandia and Isleta — flourished, and they were here when the first Spanish expedition declared war upon them. They were here when La Villa de Alburquerque de San Francisco Javier del Bosque was founded on the banks of the Rio Grande, and they were here when the first train pulled into New Albuquerque in 1881. They are here today; they will be here tomorrow.
But in our human-scale timeline, there are questions and concerns over how we can best be stewards for these ancient peaks and foothills. Most agree that the Sandias need to be both protected and accessible to the people who love them; the question is how to best do it. Recently, the government of the Pueblo of Sandia called for Congress to transfer 10,000 acres of land — known as the T’uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area — on Sandia’s west face from the U.S. Forest Service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs where it would be managed by the Pueblo. They say that under the current Federal administration, the Forest Service has not been doing enough to protect the land, and areas that are sacred to the Pueblo have been vandalized and mistreated.
Meanwhile, other stakeholders, like the organization Friends of the Sandia Mountains, who use the Sandias for hiking, recreation and other outdoor activities, aren’t sure that the Pueblo is the best choice to oversee the area. In particular, they’re worried that future governmental changes at Sandia Pueblo could result in the Preservation Area changing its access rules, preventing non-tribal members from enjoying the trails and open space, or worse, opening up the area to private industries like mining companies.
On this week’s Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’re taking on this difficult discussion and sitting down with folks who all want what’s best for the mountain, but may not agree on the details. We’ll look at the history of land management in the Sandias, learn about the Pueblo perspective, and hear from folks who want to make sure this iconic landmark remains a place New Mexicans can respectfully enjoy for generations to come.
And our listeners are a part of this conversation, too. Have you noticed an increase in littering or vandalism in the Sandias over the last few years? What do you think is the best way to address that? Should certain areas in the mountains be off-limits if they have cultural importance for a certain group? Or is there another way to make sure visitors remain respectful and leave no trace? Leave us a message with your thoughts below, email us at LetsTalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show, Thursday morning at 9.
