A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT TO STUDY AND SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RECOGNIZING HISTORIC TRAILS, CORRIDORS, TRAIN ROUTES, ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.

     WHEREAS, historic trails, corridors, train routes, roads and highways such as El Camino Real de tierra adentro, the old Spanish trail, the Santa Fe trail, the Belen cutoff of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway and United States route 66 passed through New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, these routes and corridors played an important role in New Mexico's history by bringing people and commerce to the region; and

     WHEREAS, these historic routes and corridors represent some of the longest-used and most famous routes in the American southwest; and

     WHEREAS, these routes and corridors continue to have an important impact on economic development, cultural tourism and heritage preservation in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, these routes and corridors have been recognized by a wide variety of community, state and federal agencies and groups, but recognition has occurred on a irregular and inconsistent basis; and

     WHEREAS, no uniform method exists for recognizing, commemorating, preserving, marking or interpreting these historic trails, corridors, routes, roads and highways;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the cultural affairs department, in conjunction with appropriate state agencies and groups, be requested to study and recommend appropriate methods for recognizing, commemorating, preserving, marking or interpreting historic trails, corridors, train routes, roads and highways; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the cultural affairs department be requested to report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative committee by October 31, 2005; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the cultural affairs department.