Dear Fellow Sandia Heights Residents,
Wednesday night, the SHHA Board took a step toward addressing the 2026 land transfer proposed by the Pueblo of Sandia. If you have not read about this proposal: in a nutshell, the Pueblo is requesting the transfer of almost 10,000 acres of the US Forest and Wilderness land in the northeast Sandias into trust "for the benefit of the Tribe." This could have serious consequences for Sandia Heights, as well as for the public. Much more information about the proposed transfer can be found on the SHHA website.
Since 71.1% of our membership voted to oppose this proposal (with 16.2% needing more information), the Board has decided to represent our community by distributing a statement, which was approved overwhelmingly, with one abstention. The Board also appointed a Special Committee to represent the SHHA in this matter – it will be meeting with legislators and legislative staff, as well as sending statements and letters to various publications. Taking a position on the land transfer is of some urgency since Melanie Stansbury has not yet introduced this measure in Congress. The sooner the growing opposition coalesces, the less likely she is to do so. We will post updates and the Special Committee members' names on the Sandia land transfer page of the SHHA website as soon as the Board has formally appointed them.
Meanwhile, if you have ideas about the land transfer that you'd like to discuss, please contact Cathy Yandell, CSMCChair@sandiahomeowners.org.
The SHHA Board of Directors