Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, statewide land grant and acequia leaders joined the legislature's interim Land Grant Committee to announce their shared legislative priorities for the upcoming session. In this final meeting of the interim committee, members officially endorsed three pieces of proposed legislation.
One proposal would improve the distribution process and adjust payout amounts within the Land Grant-Merced Assistance Fund, created in 2022. It also makes this a permanent fund, which retains allocated money for use the next year, rather than reverting it back to the state's general fund.
"I am grateful for the bipartisan work of this committee and the rural communities who came together for solutions that will sustain our historic land grants and acequias. This work means we can leverage New Mexico's strong investments to strengthen the traditions of our centuries-old communities," said Land Grant Committee Chair Rep. Linda Serrato (D-Santa Fe).
Another endorsed measure, which passed the House with bipartisan support last session, would establish a permanent, sustained funding source for acequia and land grant-merced infrastructure projects across the state.
"This legislation would provide a sustainable, permanent source of funding for vital infrastructure in some of New Mexico's most historic communities, while also ensuring a thorough vetting process to get shovel-ready projects across the finish line," said Land Grant Committee Vice Chair Sen. Leo Jaramillo (D-Española). "This is about more than a funding mechanism; it's an act of equity, sustainability, and cultural preservation that empowers rural New Mexicans to strengthen our land, water, and livelihoods for generations to come."
The third piece of endorsed legislation would increase the state's yearly transfer to acequias and community ditches, from $2.5 million to $5 million annually.
"New Mexico's land grants and acequias have sustained our communities for centuries and contribute to the unique beauty that make our Land of Enchantment such a special place to call home," said Paula Garcia, Executive Director of the New Mexico Acequia Association. "We're proud to be part of New Mexico's history but we're also thinking about our future - and these proposals would be a game changer, ensuring our communities have the resources we need to continue sustaining ourselves and contributing to our state's rich culture."
"The Land Grant Interim Committee's bipartisan endorsement of the Land Grant-Merced and Acequia Infrastructure Fund bill represents an important commitment to preserving New Mexico's traditional land-based communities through investment of state dollars to fully fund needed community infrastructure projects," said Arturo Archuleta, Director of the New Mexico Land Grant Council.
New Mexico is home to over 700 acequias that sustain agricultural communities across the state. There are also over 27 land grant-mercedes throughout New Mexico that support a variety of local resources, including community centers, parks, housing projects, drinking water and wastewater systems, fire departments, and museums.
"When the state of New Mexico passes legislation like this, that builds upon the recognition of acequias and the mercedes as the governmental entities that they are, they can go and seek matching funding from the federal government," said U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D_NM). "I want to thank Arturo Archuleta who came all the way to Washington to testify in support of my bill, the Small Cemetery Conveyance Act. This bill would help transfer back to the mercedes the cherished places where communities have laid their loved ones to rest in peace for eternity. Too many of those cemeteries are now on federal lands, it should not be required that these communities buy their cemetery lands back. Land grants remind us that our communities are not defined by labels and boundaries, they are made up of families, and the hopes and dreams of countless generations."
Interim committees, like the Land Grant Committee, meet throughout the months between legislative sessions in communities across New Mexico. These committees conduct deep dives into complex issues, evaluate proposed legislation, and provide recommendations for consideration by the broader legislature during session.
