Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández Call on Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to Protect Caja del Rio, Push for National Monument Designation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) called on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to protect the Caja del Rio.

"We write to urge you to protect the Caja del Rio plateau by recommending designation of the area as a national monument under the Antiquities Act. Of this 107,000-acre expanse between the city of Santa Fe and the Rio Grande, approximately 67,600 acres are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and the remaining public lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Caja del Rio is one of the Southwest's most culturally significant landscapes," the lawmakers wrote.

The Caja del Rio is a living testament to centuries of New Mexico's complicated and under-told history. The area is important for traditional Spanish land grants, acequia communities, and livestock permitees. The area has been vital to Tribes and remains part of the traditions and culture of the surrounding Pueblos today. The plateau includes one of the most historically intact sections of the El Camino Real, a vital artery that linked New Mexico to the wider world during the Spanish colonial era. Ecologically, the Caja del Rio provides a critical wildlife corridor, connecting essential habitats for a variety of species.

"We have a unique opportunity to address a longstanding priority for New Mexicans. We urge you to recommend that President Biden designate the Caja del Rio National Monument while there is still time to preserve the landscape and cultural relevance of the Caja," the lawmakers concluded.

Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández have fought hard to protect the Caja del Rio and designate it as a national monument.

New Mexico's three U.S. representatives and two U.S. senators also sent President Biden a letter urging him to start the monument designation process "as soon as possible."

These actions came after the All Pueblo Council of Governors, Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber, and the Santa Fe County Commission passed resolutions and signed letters in support of a national monument. Hundreds of faith leaders from New Mexico have pushed the Biden Administration for a national monument as has a broad coalition of leaders from Indigenous and Hispano communities, government, grazing permittees, and conservation organizations.

The text of the letter is here and below:

We write to urge you to protect the Caja del Rio plateau by recommending designation of the area as a national monument under the Antiquities Act. Of this 107,000-acre expanse between the city of Santa Fe and the Rio Grande, approximately 67,600 acres are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and the remaining public lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Caja del Rio is one of the Southwest's most culturally significant landscapes.

The Caja del Rio is a living testament to centuries of New Mexico's complicated and under-told history. The area is important for traditional Spanish land grants, acequia communities and livestock permitees. The area has been vital to Indigenous communities since time immemorial and remains part of the traditions and culture of the surrounding Pueblos today. The plateau includes one of the most historically intact sections of the El Camino Real, a vital artery that linked New Mexico to the wider world during the Spanish colonial era. Ecologically, the Caja del Rio provides a critical wildlife corridor, connecting essential habitats for a variety of species.

Multiple threats have united local governments, tribes, ranchers, and community organizations to preserve the divergent heritage of the region. These threats include the desecration of petroglyphs, unregulated shooting, irresponsible off-roading, and urban sprawl. We must address these dangers to maintain the cultural, historic, and ecological values of the Caja del Rio for future generations. We also ask, like previous national monument designations, that existing and proposed uses, such as grazing and power transmission, be included in the designation process.

We have a unique opportunity to address a longstanding priority for New Mexicans. We urge you to recommend that President Biden designate the Caja del Rio National Monument while there is still time to preserve the landscape and cultural relevance of the Caja.

Sincerely,

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