New Mexico Tourism Department takes Clean and Beautiful Grant Program to new heights
Heavy investments in litter reduction community beautification initiatives tabbed for FY24
SANTA FE, NM – The New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) is setting a new standard for how it supports beautification and litter reduction efforts of New Mexico communities for fiscal year 2024.
NMTD is setting a new record for program participants and allocated funds for its Clean and Beautiful Grant Program in FY24 with a total of 59 entities set to receive $906,958 in grant funding. Prior to FY24, the record for awarded grant funds through this program came in FY23 when NMTD awarded $790,801 to 45 entities. Rural communities are set to receive roughly 75% of all grant funding for FY24.
The Clean and Beautiful Grant Program funds projects and initiatives that contribute to the following goals and objectives: end littering, reduce waste, beautify communities, empower youth and increase program capacity.
“New Mexicans are incredibly passionate about putting in the work to make New Mexico a better place, and the Clean and Beautiful Program continues to serve as a way for communities to channel that passion into community service and beautification,” said Acting Tourism Secretary Lancing Adams. “With record participation, it’s clear there is a demand to support these types of opportunities. We’re committed to doing all we can to help communities make New Mexico more pleasant for residents and visitors alike.”
“The New Mexico Tourism Department’s Clean and Beautiful Grant Program has been vital in the success of so many Keep Roswell beautiful projects and programs,” said City of Roswell Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Kathy Lay. “It has funded murals, cleanup supplies, thousands of planted trees throughout the city, empowerment programs for hundreds of local youth and much more. We are truly thankful for the continued support provided through this amazing grant program.”
Through this program, communities have used funds to enhance public space and support local wildlife and the ecosystem, among other projects. Some examples of community projects supported by the Clean and Beautiful Grant Program in FY24 include:
• Creation of a pollinator garden at the community center in Angel Fire.
• Support of the annual Pecos River waste clean-up Riverblitz in Carlsbad.
• Construction of a rain garden adjacent to the Santa Fe River on Camino Carlos Real in Santa Fe built by students and volunteers.
• Completion of a water tank mural at Elephant Butte Lake State Park.