The first bill to protect New Mexico Wilderness in eighteen years has passed Congress. Sponsored by Representatives Tom Udall (D) and Heather Wilson (R), the bill was unanimously passed by the U.S. House on October 18, 2005. The Ojito Wilderness Act of 2005 cleared the U.S. Senate earlier this year, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) and Pete Domenici (R). The bill was signed into law by President Bush on October 27, 2005.

"It has been a long and arduous process that has gotten us to this point," said Rep. Tom Udall. "To say that the current atmosphere in Washington has not been eager to approve new wilderness designations would be an understatement of mammoth proportions," he continued. "That is why today's passage is truly remarkable."

The Ojito Wilderness Act (S. 156) will permanently protect more than 11,000 acres of picturesque public land northwest of Albuquerque as Wilderness. The Ojito wilderness is a remarkable area of dramatic landforms, pine studded red rock mesas, multicolored badlands, diverse plants and wildlife and numerous important archaeological and cultural sites and paleontological resources. The area also holds a special significance to the Zia people, who will benefit by a provision in the bill to allow the Pueblo of Zia to purchase for public open space some lands buffering the area, reuniting two separate parts of its Reservation.

"This is an important day for so many who have worked on this effort. For more than a decade, the Pueblo of Zia worked with the county, the BLM and the state land office to develop balanced legislation that is broadly supported," Rep. Heather Wilson said.

"I'm very pleased that the 11,000-acre Ojito Wilderness will have the permanent protection it deserves, and I want to congratulate the Pueblo for achieving this long-sought goal to unite their ancestral lands." Pueblo of Zia Governor Teofilo Pino said, "The pueblo is extremely pleased to see this important legislation passed. This culminates years of work to unite our reservation lands, while providing wilderness protection to a very special and unique area. We greatly appreciate the leadership of Representatives Udall and Wilson in introducing and helping to ensure the passage of the Ojito Wilderness Act in the House of Representatives, as well as the leadership of Senators Bingaman and Domenici for doing likewise in the Senate. The Pueblo looks forward to working with State BLM Director Linda Rundell and her staff to implement this legislation after it is signed into law by the president."

The Ojito measure has the backing of dozens of local, state and federal elected officials, more than 400 businesses across the state, and thousands of New Mexico hikers, hunters and recreationists.