Heinrich To Travel To Columbine Hondo To Promote Conservation and Water Initiatives

TAOS, N.M. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, will travel to the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area on Friday, October 17, 2014.

Senator Heinrich will join the U.S. Forest Service, regional stakeholders, and local officials on a hike into the Columbine Hondo to discuss conservation, fish and wildlife, mining history, and growing the outdoor recreation economy. The Senator will also mark the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act at a campfire celebration and highlight the work being done by members of the Columbine Hondo Wilderness Coalition, which includes business owners, ranchers, sportsmen, Acequia parciantes, mountain bikers, conservation organizations, and others.

Senator Heinrich, along with Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), introduced the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, a bill to designate the 45,000-acre Columbine-Hondo area in Taos County as wilderness. The bill would also expand the Wheeler Peak Wilderness by approximately 650 acres while modifying a boundary in order to create a loop trail accessible by mountain bikes along the Lost Lake trail from Taos Ski Valley to the East Fork trail to Red River. 

Members of the media interested in attending should email press@heinrich.senate.gov or call (202) 228-1578.

Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area - Friday, October 17, 2014
WHO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, U.S. Forest Service, Wild Earth Llama Adventures, Rivers and Birds, Trout Unlimited, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, and other regional stakeholders and officials.
WHAT: Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area Hike and Campfire Celebration
WHEN: From 2 to 5 p.m. MT
WHERE: Columbine Hondo Trailhead at Columbine Hondo Campground. Travel from Taos to Questa, at Questa turn right at the only traffic light on New Mexico Highway 38 toward Red River. Drive 5 miles and turn right into the Columbine Campground (and drive to the top of the campground).