Bureau of Land Management acquires nearly 4,000 acres of public lands in the Taos area

There will soon be 3,700 more acres in the Land of Enchantment open to outdoor enthusiasts.

The Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday that it had acquired the acreage, which neighbors the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

BLM used over $16 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to purchase the land — originally known as the Klauer property — from the Trust for Public Land.

The plot is southwest of Taos, on the east side of N.M. 68.

BLM spokeswoman Allison Sandoval said the land is already open for dispersed camping and recreation but is largely undeveloped “and will require planning to better accommodate visitors.” She said BLM will also do an inventory of natural and cultural resources in the area as it plans more recreational opportunities for the area.

“The property contains stunning views of the Taos Plateau, and a short hike to a grand view of the landscape is under discussion,” Sandoval said. “In addition, hiking and biking trails will be considered for the enjoyment of the public.”

The acquisition will also give the public access to a portion of the Old Spanish National Historical Trail, once used by New Mexican traders to move local merchandise from Santa Fe to Los Angeles.

Sandoval said opportunities for seeing winged and four-legged critters are “almost certain” in the area, and future recreational proposals would be announced to the public for comment and feedback. She said, as with other BLM lands, hunting is allowed in the area as part of Big Game Management Unit 49.

“The Río Grande del Norte National Monument is home to rugged open plains, abundant wildlife and is an economic driver for the local community,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said in a press release.

The BLM said the acquisition was helped along by support from neighboring property owners and members of Congress. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., had worked over the past few years to complete the acquisition from a private landowner.

Heinrich, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, said in a news release that the expansion will block commercial development in the area and protect the “hiking, whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, and traditional land uses that have made the Rio Grande del Norte such a treasured place.”

The acquisition will also expand the wildlife corridor for migratory species by connecting the monument to the Carson National Forest and Taos and Picuris pueblos.

“Commercial development on the Klauer property would have been an eyesore and does not align with Taos’s reputation as a sanctuary for artists, outdoor recreation and traditional land users,” Nick Streit, executive director of the Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, said in a release.