L Bar

On the rugged flank of Mount Taylor in New Mexico, herds of elk migrate through stands of ponderosa pine. Black bears and mountain lions roam across grasslands into valleys of dense pinyon and juniper. Fractured rock ledges, cliffs of rose and mauve, and towering mesas add to the wild landscape.

More than 54,000 acres of this vast terrain are culturally significant to as many as 30 Native American tribes, but the land had become privately owned, leading to an unpredictable future. In 2022, Trust for Public Land secured the L Bar property with help from multiple partners. The property will be added to the Marquez Wildlife Area, more than quadrupling its size and making it the largest wildlife area in the state.

Generations of people will have access to this culturally and ecologically rich landscape in perpetuity. The property is expected to open to the public shortly.  The L Bar land lies near two of New Mexico’s most populous cities—Albuquerque and Santa Fe—and its protection creates access and opportunities for camping, hiking, and birding. In addition, New Mexico hunters will have more local, attainable sources for feeding their families.

“Public lands are central to New Mexicans and our way of life,” says Rep. Nathan Small (D-Las Cruces). “The Marquez Wildlife Area expansion will restore access and stewardship to land that is sacred to our tribes, nations, and pueblos. All its big game hunts will go to New Mexicans while ushering in new recreation and conservation opportunities. I’m proud that our legislature supported this effort that will benefit New Mexicans in perpetuity.”

State law designated nearly 400,000 acres in and around Mount Taylor, including lands within the L Bar project, as a traditional cultural property. The Pueblo of Acoma, the Pueblo of Laguna, the Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Nation, and the Pueblo of Zuni called the area home for thousands of years. Now that this landscape is protected, members of the tribes, nations, and pueblos have access to their ancestral lands once again. Protecting this land also connects vital wildlife habitats and migration corridors that development might have broken up.

“All of the Mount Taylor region is considered ancestral lands to the Acoma people, so my ancestors utilized this area for a number of reasons,” Says Brian Vallo, Former Governor of Pueblo of Acoma. “A lot of these cultural resources have not been accessible while this land has been in private hands.”

“The L Bar property means so much culturally, ecologically, and recreationally, and to see it protected is a huge victory for the people of New Mexico,” says Jim Petterson, vice president of the Mountain West Region for Trust for Public Land. “We’re honored to play a role in working with Native American communities, Governor Lujan Grisham, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, and New Mexico residents in the effort to preserve this landscape.”