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The T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act, passed by Congress in 2002, resolved decades of litigation over the Sandia Mountains.

The legislation was the result of years of negotiation among the Pueblo of Sandia, the United States, local governments, private property owners, recreation advocates, and other stakeholders.

Rather than transferring ownership of the land, Congress created a unique compromise that:

• Recognized the Pueblo's historic and cultural connection to the Sandias.

• Guaranteed permanent access for traditional and religious practices.

• Preserved public lands under the U.S. Forest Service.

• Protected designated Wilderness.

• Ensured continued public recreation and access.

• Protected homeowners and existing property rights.

• Ended the underlying litigation.

The agreement was designed to balance the interests of everyone with a connection to the Sandia Mountains.

The Pueblo of Sandia argued that an 1859 federal survey incorrectly established the eastern boundary of its historic Spanish land grant.

In response, Congress approved a negotiated settlement that acknowledged the Pueblo's concerns while preserving federal management of the land.

Supporters described the legislation as a carefully crafted compromise that allowed everyone to give something and gain something. It was intended to provide a permanent resolution to the dispute.

The Pueblo is proposing legislation that would transfer approximately 10,000 acres currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service into trust for the Pueblo of Sandia.

Unlike the 2003 agreement, this proposal would move the land from the U.S. Forest Service to the Pueblo of Sandia, making the land a part of the Sandia Reservation. The two-page draft proposal leaves many questions unanswered. The new proposal would replace a carefully negotiated agreement that has successfully balanced competing interests for more than two decades.

Over two million people recreate throughout the Sandia Mountains annually.

Pueblo leaders have stated they intend to maintain access to existing trails, roads, and utilities. They have not specified which trails count as “existing” trails, and public access to trails is not mentioned in the draft legislation.

At the same time, they have acknowledged that future Pueblo governments could make different decisions about public access and have expressed interest in limiting off-trail travel.

While no one knows how the Pueblo would manage these lands (for example, close them entirely to the public, require guides for hikes, require appointments for hikes, charge high access fees, etc.) the recent changes at Tent Rocks could
offer an indication.

Tent Rocks, which is co-managed by the BLM and the Pueblo of Cochiti, was closed for over four years during and after
COVID.

Now Tent Rocks is:


• Closed about 8 weeks per year (including from December 15 to January 31)

• Requiring appointments to hike/visit:

• Requiring that “Visitors must obtain a Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Access Pass directly from the Pueblo prior to entering the
Monument,” which cost $20 per adult, $10 per child.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/kktr

The T'uf Shur Bien Act was the result of years of negotiation and compromise. It protected Pueblo cultural rights while guaranteeing public access, Wilderness protections, recreation, and private property rights.

That balance has worked well for more than two decades and all of the Pueblo’s stated concerns can be addressed through the 2003 framework.

The proposal includes thousands of acres of federally designated Wilderness.

It is unclear how existing Wilderness protections would be preserved if these lands are transferred out of U.S. Forest Service management and into trust.

The Pueblo has said that the USFS budget has been cut and that this justifies transferring the 10,000 acres.

The data shows robust growth:

Year-by-Year Total Budget Enacted (FY 2017 – FY 2026)

The figures below represent total regular agency appropriations (discretionary and mandatory combined) based on historical USDA Budget Summaries and congressional disclosures: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

• FY 2017: $5.67 billion

• FY 2018: $4.73 billion (Reflected structural cuts to non-fire programs)

• FY 2019: $5.95 billion

• FY 2020: $5.14 billion

• FY 2021: $7.42 billion (Began receiving emergency infrastructure boosts)

• FY 2022: $8.41 billion (Boosted significantly by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law)

• FY 2023: $9.30 billion

• FY 2024: $9.50 billion

• FY 2025: $8.90 billion (Enacted under temporary Continuing Resolutions)

• FY 2026: $8.50 billion (Approved by Congress, rejecting steeper executive cut requests

Existing private property—including three residential subdivisions and several other privately owned parcels—would remain privately owned under the proposed legislation.

However, because many of these properties rely on access through the proposed land transfer area, there are concerns about long-term access, emergency services, law enforcement, road maintenance, etc. and how these services would be managed in the future. Residents wonder if they will face similar access issues as those seen on Bernalillo County Road 36, if their properties are surrounded by tribal land.

These issues were major considerations during the negotiations that led to the 2003 T'uf Shur Bien Act.

1. The most important thing is contact your members of Congress and ask them to preserve the balance established by the 2003 agreement

2. Share information with friends and neighbors

3. Sign our online petiton

4. Sign up for our email list to get updates on community outreach efforts, attending public meetings, and signing up for campaign updates