By Brittany Fallon, NMWild
The Caja del Rio Plateau west and southwest of Santa Fe is one of the most ecologically rich and culturally significant landscapes in New Mexico.
Caja is part of the vital Western Wildway Priority Wildlife Corridor that runs along the Upper Rio Grande Watershed from Colorado through New Mexico. The plateau and canyons are vital habitat for a diverse range of plants and animals, and the area is recognized by the National Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area.
The entire plateau and adjacent Santa Fe and Rio Grande river basins have been, and still are, used for spiritual practices, hunting and herb gathering since time immemorial by Cochiti, Santo Domingo, Tesuque, Pojoaque, Jemez, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, San Felipe, Sandia, Santa Ana and Ohkay Owingeh pueblos. Recreation enthusiasts of all stripes frequent the area.
We are working to secure durable administrative and legislative protections for this sensitive area. The Caja del Rio Plateau consists of both Santa Fe National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands, making effective management difficult.
To encourage our leaders in Congress to protect Caja del Rio in a way that makes cohesive management possible, please go to: https://p2a.co/SLXGEiI
Featured image from petition at https://p2a.co/SLXGEiI.
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