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A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE GOVERNOR DESIGNATE MARCH 14, 2006 AS THE

DIAMOND JUBILEE OF THE NEW MEXICO STATE MONUMENT SYSTEM.

WHEREAS, the New Mexico state monument system was

established on March 14, 1931 by an act for the preservation

of the scientific resources of New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, Laws 1931, Chapter 42, Section 2 authorized the

commissioner of the state land office on recommendation of the

science commission with the approval of the commissioner of

public lands to "declare by public proclamation that historic

and prehistoric structures and other objects of scientific

interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled

by the state of New Mexico, shall be state monuments and may

reserve as a part thereof such parcels of land as may be

necessary to the proper care and management of the objects to

be protected"; and

WHEREAS, in 1973 the governor of the state of New Mexico

was delegated the power of proclamation upon the

recommendation of the cultural properties review committee and

the board of regents of the museum of New Mexico to "declare

by public proclamation that any cultural property situated on

lands owned or controlled by the state shall be a state

monument and may reserve as a part thereof such parcels of

land as may be necessary for the proper care and management of

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the cultural property to be protected" and that "any such

monument shall be administered by the museum division of the

office of cultural affairs"; and

WHEREAS, in the ensuing years, nineteen monuments have

been proclaimed and designated; the first were designated in

1935 and included the Pecos, Gran Quivira, Jemez, Coronado and

Quarai state monuments; the Lincoln state monument was

proclaimed in 1937; Paako and Abo state monuments were

proclaimed in 1938; the Glorieta Battlefield state monument

and the palace of the governors were designated in 1940; the

Folsom and La Mesilla plaza state monuments followed in the

1950s; Fort Sumner state monument was proclaimed in 1968; Fort

Selden and Mimbres state monuments and the Dorsey mansion

followed in the 1970s; the Taylor Reynolds Barela Mesilla

state monument was designated in 2004; and the Bosque Redondo

memorial at Fort Sumner and El Camino Real international

heritage center were designated in 2005; and

WHEREAS, over the years, five of the monuments were

transferred to the national park service and included Pecos,

Gran Quivira, Abo, Quarai and Glorieta Battlefield, and the

Dorsey mansion was sold to a private party; and

WHEREAS, on March 14, 2006 the state monument system

will celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO that this anniversary be recognized as a

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milestone reflecting the long-standing commitment of the state

of New Mexico to the preservation of its rich heritage; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be requested to

designate March 14, 2006 as the diamond jubilee of the New

Mexico state monuments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the diamond jubilee be

properly observed throughout 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the governor, to the secretary of cultural

affairs and to the state monuments division.