Southwestern Region

Southwestern Region
333 Broadway SE [map]
Albuquerque, NM 87102
(505) 842-3292
TTY: (505) 842-3198

NEWS RELEASES: 2005

Federal Government and Pueblo of San Ildefonso Reach Accord

Albuquerque (June 9, 2005)—Southwestern Regional Forester, Harv Forsgren announced that the Federal Government and the Pueblo of San Ildefonso, in New Mexico, have reached an historic settlement of longstanding litigation. The Pueblo had sued the Federal Government for taking over 63,000 acres of aboriginal lands, as well as other claims arising from historical dealings between the Pueblo and the Federal Government. The case, first brought in 1951, was the last pending litigation under the Indian Claims Commission Act of 1946.

If approved by the Congress and the United States Court of Federal Claims, the settlement would award the Pueblo with $6.9 million in damages in a global settlement of all the Pueblo ’s claims. Ratifying legislation would authorize several land transactions affecting the Pueblos of San Ildefonso and Santa Clara , Los Alamos County , and the Forest Service. The Pueblo of San Ildefonso would acquire approximately 7700 acres of Santa Fe National Forest lands adjacent to the Pueblo ’s current western boundary at a price based on market value. In addition, the Pueblo of Santa Clara would have an option to purchase 740 acres of land from the Santa Fe National Forest , adjacent to the Santa Clara Reservation. The money received from those sales would then be available to the Forest Service to buy replacement lands within New Mexico .

Under the proposed legislation ratifying the settlement, Los Alamos County would be able to purchase 6 tracts of land from the Santa Fe National Forest totaling approximately 422 acres. The County would acquire rights to the approximately 555 acres where its water wells are located, and would also secure a permanent right of way easement for State Highway 4 through Pueblo lands, as well as emergency access over the lower Guaje Canyon Road.

The legislation would permit Forest Service administrative access and private property access over portions of the Santa Clara Reservation. Long disputed boundaries between the Pueblos of Santa Clara and Ildefonso would also be resolved.

“This settlement will not only end a longstanding dispute between an Indian community and the Federal Government, but will also resolve issues among various public stakeholders including the County of Los Alamos, the Pueblo of Santa Clara, the Forest Service and the Department of Interior,” said Forsgren. “That such a far reaching settlement can be reached among so many disparate parties is a tribute to the good faith efforts of all involved.”

-- END --