National Wilderness Areas in New Mexico

National Wilderness Areas

The newly designated Columbine-Hondo Wilderness makes 26 wilderness areas in New Mexico. I haven't found any data yet from the US Forest Service in regard to Wilderness Study Areas in their domain but the BLM manages 57 Wilderness Study Areas, some of which are virtually guaranteed to become full wilderness areas but many will not. I say some are virtually guaranteed to become full wilderness areas because they already lie within designated Federal units like National Monuments or National Conservation Areas or they have been Special Management Areas for years or they directly abut previously designated wilderness areas. As for the other parcels, there's no way to know.

I remember seeing one large WSA in Idaho (surrounded by National Forest but owned by the BLM) that was denied because of opposition from lumber interests: there was virgin timber on the land. If the land had been previously clearcut and rendered unfit for human or animal it would probably be designated wilderness now...

Sandia Wilderness from the top

National Forest Wildernesses

National Park Service Wildernesses

Fish & Wildlife Service Wildernesses

Bureau of Land Management Wildernesses

In Withington Wilderness