Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

President Barack Obama's March 25 proclamation of the 242,555-acre Rio Grande del Norte National Monument fulfilled a decades-long goal for conservation-minded outdoorsmen who have fought for preservation of this iconic Western landscape and the diverse wildlife that inhabit it. Included among the monument boundaries are some 60 miles of Rio Grande trout water that tumbles between 800-foot canyon walls from the Colorado border downstream to the town of Pilar, N.M.

The national monument will protect the heritage of our region’s diverse Hispanic and Native American communities, protect wildlife habitat prized by hunters and anglers and boost economic vitality in Northern New Mexico.

“This American Land” recently aired a segment highlighting Rio Grande del Norte and the people working to protect this special place.