U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

TAOS — At 11 a.m. MT, Saturday, Sept. 24, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will join Trust for Public Land (TPL) President Diane Regas, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Tracy Stone-Manning to celebrate National Public Lands Day at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in Taos.

The leaders will highlight how public lands and conservation benefits from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) have contributed to the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the region.

Heinrich championed the Great American Outdoors Act into law, which fully and permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund and makes record investments in the outdoor recreation economy. As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Heinrich has been working to maximize LWCF opportunities and ensure funds are allocated in timely manner.

Heinrich helped lead the effort to establish the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in 2013 to protect the incredible scenic and historic values, while safeguarding public access, supporting the region’s recreation economy and bolstering the surrounding communities.

In 2019, Heinrich successfully passed legislation into law that established two Wilderness Areas within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument: the Cerro del Yuta (Ute Mountain) and Rio San Antonio. Heinrich also introduced legislation along with U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján to establish Cerro de la Olla Wilderness within the national monument.

Earlier this year, Heinrich, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, secured $4,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 funding to open 5,035 acres of newly accessible land in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.