Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act

Columbine-Hondo, New Mexico (PHOTO: Jan Stedebaker)

"The Columbine-Hondo is treasured by the community of northern New Mexico and many years of hard work have been dedicated to ensuring its protection. Designating this landscape as wilderness will help guarantee that it remains a treasure and a destination for New Mexicans and visitors to enjoy for generations to come."  –U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich

The Columbine-Hondo, located in the high country of northern New Mexico, is one of the most treasured places in the state and a key attraction for the local tourism economy. People come to these mountains for recreation, solitude, and to spend time with their families, and invariably they leave with their wallets a little lighter. The Columbine-Hondo offers some of the best hunting and fishing opportunities in the state, with high-elevation coldwater fisheries, and unparalleled habitat for elk, deer, and antelope.  

U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich introduced the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, on April 22, 2013. U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham introduced a House companion bill the following month. The Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act resolves the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area, which has been in need of a permanent status since Congress designated the WSA in 1980.  The legislation also conveys land to the towns of Red River and Taos Ski Valley for public purposes and modifies the boundaries of Wheeler Peak Wilderness, which completes a popular mountain biking route.

Senators Udall and Heinrich successfuly fought to include a provision to designate Columbine-Hondo as wilderness in the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. 

There is strong, bipartisan support at the local level for the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act.

Community Voices for the Columbine-Hondo

Latest

• Udall, Heinrich Secure Landmark Conservation and Energy Bills In End of Year Package

  Posted on 12/02/14

  Several landmark conservation and energy bills championed by U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was finalized today. Read More

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• Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act Clears Senate Committee

  Posted on 11/13/14

  Today, the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), cleared the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The bill now awaits passage by the full Senate. Read More

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• PHOTO: Heinrich Promotes Conservation and Water Initiatives In Columbine Hondo

  Posted on 10/21/14

  U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, highlighted conservation and water initiatives and growing the outdoor recreation economy during a hike in the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area with the U.S. Forest Service, regional stakeholders, and local officials. Read More

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• Heinrich To Travel To Columbine Hondo To Promote Conservation and Water Initiatives

  Posted on 10/16/14

  U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, will travel to the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area on Friday, October 17, 2014. Read More

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• Taos News: New Mexico delegation touts Columbine-Hondo

  Posted on 12/02/13

  Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation continue to push for the designation of 45,000 acres in Taos County as the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness. Read More

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• Udall, Heinrich, Luján Underscore Economic Value of Conservation In Continued Effort To Designate Columbine-Hondo As Wilderness

  Posted on 11/20/13

  Today, during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who serves on the committee, continued their effort to designate the 45,000-acre Columbine-Hondo area in Taos County as wilderness. Udall and Heinrich introduced the proposal, S. 776, the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, earlier this year. A companion bill, H.R. 1683, was introduced in the House by Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.-03). Read More

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• Udall, Heinrich & Luján Introduce Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act

  Posted on 04/22/13

  In celebration of Earth Day, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich today reintroduced legislation to designate the 45,000-acre Columbine-Hondo area in Taos County as wilderness - a proposal with strong support from the local community. Read More

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