Senator Martin Heinrich Announces Bill To Establish Bandelier National Park and Preserve

Today U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, annouced the introduction of legislation to establish Bandelier National Park and Preserve.

The legislation seeks to build a stronger relationship between the National Park Service and pueblos whose history and culture is deeply rooted in Bandelier. The bill would establish a tribal advisory commission, which would provide guidance for park management that reflects traditional and historical knowledge and values. In a historic precedent for a national park, traditional knowledge will be required by statute to be integrated into land management planning. Additionally, the bill would permanently safeguard tribes’ religious rights and practices in Bandelier.