SANDIAS FOR ALL
Preserve Public Land & Access
Latest Developments
County Leaders Draw Line on Sandia Ownership
BERNALILLO COUNTY - Albuquerque Journal (October 4, 2026)
In an Albuquerque Journal op-ed, Bernalillo County Commissioner Walt Benson opposes the proposed transfer of the 10,000 acres of the Sandia Mountains to Sandia Pueblo, arguing that it threatens public access and undermines the 2003 federal settlement. Similar to Senator Heinrich, Commissioner Benson advocates maintaining federal ownership while improving Forest Service funding and collaborative management to protect public access, wilderness, and Pueblo interests.
Protecting public access to Sandias must be the priority
SANDOVAL COUNTY - Rio Rancho Observer (September 11, 2026)
If you’re unfamiliar with a road closure dispute near Cochiti Lake, read this article relevant to the Sandia land transfer. In it, Sandoval County Manager Wayne Johnson called for Sandia Pueblo to be more clear on what they’re actually proposing. He states it’s the county's understanding the Sandia transfer is a management change, not an ownership change, and Sandoval County is prepared to rescind support for the transfer if it’s an ownership change.
Sandoval commissioners unanimously oppose Cochiti Pueblo land transfer
Neighborhoods Speak Out on the Proposed Transfer
The Tierra Monte, Evergreen Hills and Sandia Heights neighborhoods, totaling nearly 2,300 households, have come together to oppose the transfer of land in the Sandia Mountains and to reiterate that the 2003 Settlement Act settled the ownership claim between Sandia Pueblo and all parties.
The proposed transfer encompasses roughly 10,000 acres of the Sandia Mountains.
(VIEW PHOTOS & MAPS)
What’s Happening?
The Pueblo of Sandia is seeking legislation from Congress that would transfer nearly 10,000 acres of public land in the Sandia Mountains to the Pueblo of Sandia, making the land part of the Sandia Reservation. The proposed transfer includes some of the mountain's most beloved public recreation areas, from the Sandia Peak Tram north through the La Luz and Piedra Lisa trails and beyond.
This proposal would undo the carefully negotiated 2003 T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act, a bipartisan compromise that resolved decades of litigation while protecting public access, the wilderness and Pueblo cultural interests.
The Sandias have always been a place where different histories, values, and communities come together. We support protecting the Pueblo’s cultural connection to the Sandias, while also preserving public access and wilderness protections guaranteed in the 2003 Act.
We do not support management being moved away from the US Forest Service.