Protecting the Wild Heart of New Mexico

CABEZON COUNTRY:
Protecting the Wild Heart of New Mexico

by Matt Clark

New Mexico's Cabezon Country is nestled in the heart of the Rio Puerco watershed about 50 miles northwest of Albuquerque, and west of the towns of San Ysidro and Cuba.

A focal point of the cultural and natural heritage that helped shape New Mexico — this region is especially important given its close proximity to Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Cabezon Peak, the dramatic volcanic formation found in the heart of Cabezon Country, is a well-known landmark in northern New Mexico.

Numerous canyons, arroyos, grasslands, sandstone-capped mesas, and colorful rocky bluffs surround the peak and are equally impressive in their diversity and wild character.

The Cabezon Country is a transition zone between the forested slopes of Mount Taylor and the drainages of Arroyo Chico and Rio Puerco.

It is home to an abundant array of wildlife, including elk, mountain lion, Merriam's turkey, bobcat, mule deer, black bear, collared lizards and much more!

The region is also home to specially protected nesting habitat for birds of prey such as golden eagle, prairie falcon, great horned owl, redtail hawk, and raven.

Visitors often see these majestic birds soaring overhead. Populations of two
rare cactus species are found here and cholla, ponderosa pine groves, pinon-juniper woodlands, and expansive grasslands are abundant.

The Cabezon Country is also rich in the remnants of past cultures and people that called this place home centuries ago.

Literally thousands of ruins and historic sites including prehistoric Pueblo sites, petroglyphs and kivas can be found, as can remnants of the Spanish settlers who entered the valley before the eighteenth century.

The area is home to sacred and religious sites of the Jemez, Zia and Santa Ana Pueblos.

Nowhere else can you find such an incredible overlay of cultures that are unique to the American West.

Fossil remains of ancient plant and animal life are abundant. Ojito Wilderness Study Area is famous for the discovery of one of the largest dinosaur skeletons ever found: a 120-foot-long, 100 ton Seismosaurus!

Growing Pressures on the Cabezon Country

While the Cabezon Country is still a largely undiscovered, wild landscape, pressures from an increasing population and expanding urban centers are putting the region at risk.

Irresponsible dirt bike and other off-road vehicle use, poaching, and vandalism of historic sites threaten the area.

Potential oil and gas exploration in the region could cause irreparable harm to the wild areas that make up the Cabezon Country.

The Cabezon Country is made up of a complex of Wilderness study areas and other public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

These public lands belong to all of us. By working to protect these special areas now, we can preserve them so future generations of New Mexicans can use and enjoy them for years to come.

You can help protect the special natural and cultural values of this region by contacting your Representative and Senators and urging them to support Wilderness protection for New Mexico's Cabezon Country and by getting involved with the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance.