A conservation plan is underway to safeguard the spectacular stretch of New Mexico desert that inspired some of Georgia O’Keeffe’s most enduring artworks. The initial phase establishes a protected area spanning some 26 square kilometers near Abiquiu, in northern New Mexico, encompassing the sandstone bluffs and grasslands familiar to fans of the modernist artist.
The land is owned by a charitable arm of the Presbyterian Church, which partnered with the New Mexico Land Conservancy and the state government to broker the agreement. The protected territory unfurls toward a remote site once owned by O’Keeffe’s estate, with the craggy silhouette of Cerro Pedernal—another fixture of her practice—visible in the distance. The Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio, the historic house museum in Abiquiu, remains outside the protected zone.
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Jonathan Hayden, executive director of the New Mexico Land Conservancy, stressed in a statement first quoted by the Independent that the landscape has irreplaceable value: “The stark colorful geology, the verdant grasslands going right down to the Chama River and Abiquiu lake—all that just makes it such a multifaceted place with tremendous conservation value.” He added that the plan is, in part, a preemptive measure against development pressures that could see the terrain subdivided and its ecological character eroded.
The agreement also preserves access for film productions—the arid swathe served as a temporary set for Oppenheimer (2023), depicting the period in which the titular scientist led atomic research from his laboratory in Los Alamos. The longstanding winter grazing routes used by local ranchers is also protected by the plan.
The State of New Mexico is significantly underwriting the project through a conservation trust launched in 2023, with an approved $920,000 award designed for easement assessments, administrative expensive, and a sustaining endowment. This fund will additionally support programming at the nearby Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center, a popular spot for spiritual, literary, and artistic retreats.
