When we say you help protect our nation’s public lands, look no further than the L Bar project.
The L Bar property sits in a rugged corner of New Mexico on the flank of Mount Taylor. Herds of elk migrate along rock ledges through stands of ponderosa pine while black bears and mountain lions range across grasslands down into dense valleys of pinyon and juniper.
This 54,161–acre expanse of culturally and ecologically important land is bordered by national forest on one side, a state wildlife area on another, and the Pueblo of Laguna on a third. And the addition of these tens of thousands of acres means that this TPL–supported project will more than quadruple the existing wildlife area’s size, making it the largest state–owned recreation property in New Mexico.
And thanks to the support of TPL members, this sprawling property is on its way to being permanently protected to connect even more people and visitors to the outdoors!
The existing Marquez Wildlife Area is spectacular, but it can be challenging to reach. L Bar is a natural jewel nestled between two of New Mexico’s urban centers. Albuquerque–with 565,000 residents–sits about 45 miles east, and Santa Fe, the state capital, is located 105 miles to the northeast.
Once it opens to the public at a future date, the L Bar property will vastly improve access to this land for a variety of outdoor activities, like camping, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, and birding.
While it’s important we celebrate successes like the L Bar project, we can’t stop moving towards our goal of protecting one million acres of land, 1,000 miles of scenic rivers, and 1,000 miles of trails by 2025!
