Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
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| Baca Ranch Sale is Official |
July 25, 2000 |
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| Wilson joins delegation at White House to celebrate the Presidents signing of purchase authorization bill
WASHINGTON, DC -After more than 30 years of trying, the sale of the Baca Ranch is now complete. Congresswoman Heather Wilson joined other members of the delegation, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, the Dunnigan family, and the leadership of the Pueblo of Santa Clara at the White House this afternoon to celebrate the Presidents signing of the legislation to authorize the sale that was passed by the House earlier this month.
“It is my belief that 50 years from now we will look back and remember this day as an historic day for New Mexico and for the country as a whole,” said Wilson. “Not only have we completed the purchase of one of the most magnificent pieces of land in the west, but we have established an exciting new system to manage publicly owned land. I am hopeful that the trust management system that this law sets up will revolutionize they way we manage public treasures like the Baca. I am looking forward to working with Senator Domenici on the implementation of this unique plan over the coming months.”
Last year, the Congress passed a bill that included $101 million to buy the Baca Ranch in Northern New Mexico, but the purchase could not take place until an authorizing bill passed both chambers of Congress. The Baca authorizing bill, which now requires only the President’s signature to take effect, takes a unique approach to public lands arrangement. It sets up a special trust with its own board to oversee the ranch. It also directs the federal government to develop a plan to sell surplus lands so that funds can be used to purchase in-holdings--including privately held lands within the Petroglyph National Monument.
The bill passed the Senate in April. Wilson introduced the House companion bill in November of 1999. Passage of the bill in the House was held up over controversy surrounding a similar bill affecting the state of Utah. Over the last month, Wilson worked with the Utah delegation as well as Senator Domenici and Senator Bingaman to secure additional support for the Utah bill so that the Baca authorization could move forward. Last week, Wilson secured the agreement of subcommittee chairman Jim Hansen, ranking Minority Member George Miller to move three bills forward: Rosie the Riveter Park in Miller’s district, the Western Desert Land Trust bill in Utah, and the Baca authorization.
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