A JOINT MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE BUREAU OF LAND
MANAGEMENT AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO DESIGNATE THE EL CAMINO REAL
INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE CENTER AS THE OFFICIAL CENTER FOR THE INTERPRETATION AND
ENHANCEMENT OF EL CAMINO REAL DE TIERRA ADENTRO NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.
WHEREAS, on October 13, 2000,
the United States congress passed Public Law 106-307, which formally recognized
and designated "El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro", the royal road to
the interior, as a national historic trail in New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, the secretary of the
interior has directed that the administrative responsibility for el camino real
de tierra adentro national historic trail be assigned jointly to the bureau of
land management and the national park service to ensure preservation and enhancement
of this outstanding national treasure; and
WHEREAS, the bureau of land
management and the museum of New Mexico have signed a joint powers agreement to
construct and operate the el camino real international heritage center to be
located south of Socorro, New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, in cooperation with
Mexico, the center will provide information to the general public on the role
that the camino real played in the Spanish exploration and colonization of New
Mexico; and
WHEREAS, the center is the only
such entity interpreting the four hundred year history of the camino real as a
major transportation corridor between Spain and Mexico and the United States;
and
WHEREAS, the construction of
the center, which is to be completed in March 2003, was funded by four million
dollars ($4,000,000) in appropriations from the New Mexico legislature and the
United States congress; and
WHEREAS, the bureau of land
management and the national park service have published a draft comprehensive
management plan-environmental impact statement describing alternative visions
for managing the national historic trail and have distributed it for comments
from interested persons; and
WHEREAS, the draft management
plan only describes the center as a major focal point along the trail, along
with other, lesser entities;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
by the legislature of the state of New Mexico that the bureau of land
management and the national park service be requested to designate the el
camino real international heritage center as the official center for the
interpretation and enhancement of el camino real national historic trail; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that
copies of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico congressional
delegation, the secretary of the interior, the bureau of land management, the
national park service and the el camino real international heritage center.