Elk NetworkNew Mexico Judge Rules in Favor of Public Access

Conservation | September 7, 2018

A judge in New Mexico ruled hunters, anglers and others can use several roads that cross private property to access State Trust Lands in the northeast part of the state.

“Access to and use of our state’s public lands is a crucial part of the cultural heritage of New Mexicans,” Hector Balderas, New Mexico attorney general, stated in the Albuquerque Journal. “New Mexicans have hunted, fished, camped and spent time on our public lands near White Peak for more than a century. Judge Backus’s decision reaffirms the right of every New Mexican to enjoy the natural beauty of our state.”

The White Peak region is known for its elk and big game habitat.

In 2017, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation paid for a new road that tied into existing ranch roads and old logging roads that improved access within Game Management Unit 48. It also paid for a 35-year right-of-way easement that blocks future land commissioners from closing the road.

Go here to read more about the judge’s ruling.