Secretary Haaland celebrates expansion of Sabinoso WIlderness
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has announced that the Sabinoso Wilderness has accepted a land donation that is largest ever received by the Department of the Interior. The Trust for Public Land donated 9,617 acres from the Cañon Ciruela property, increasing the land area for the Sabinoso Wilderness by nearly 50 percent.
Secretary Haaland was on hand for the public lands expansion event, along with Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez.
The donation of the Cañon Ciruela land is expected to provide additional access for hiking, horseback riding and other recreational activities. It's part of the Department of the Interior's effort to restore, conserve and connect 30 percent of lands, waters and wildlife by 2030.
"This expansion of the Sabinoso Wilderness helps advance an inclusive and collabrative conservation vision that ensures local communities have access to the great outdoors," Secretary Haaland said. "Today, we recognize and celebrate the value and beauty of our public lands and open spaces, and commit to preserve them."