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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Madalena

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-12-2007

HJM 28

SHORT TITLE Land Designation of Coronado State Monument

SB

ANALYST Dearing

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

*NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Cultural Affairs Department (CAD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 28 resolves that the University of New Mexico cease sale of a portion of

disputed land, designate a parcel of land as included in the Coronado State Monument property,

and grant the University of New Mexico’s half-interest in another parcel of disputed land to the

Museum of New Mexico.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

*No fiscal impact. Enactment of House Joint Memorial could incur indeterminate legal costs for

both the Museum of New Mexico and the University of New Mexico.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to the State Monuments division:

“This joint memorial requests that the Governor exercise his authority to designate state

monuments by adding a 26.57-acre parcel of land owned by the University of New Mexico to the

House Joint Memorial 28 – Page

2

97.8-acre parcel currently administered as Coronado State Monument by the Cultural Affairs

department under a 99-year lease agreement.

This action would accomplish two things:

1) Coronado State Monument would operate in perpetuity and forgo the established lease

agreement.

2) Provide protection in perpetuity to the 26.57-acre parcel which is located between the

monument and the Rio Grande.

Although Coronado was designated a State Monument in March 1931 and then dedicated in May

1940, its administration under the Museum of New Mexico was not formally realized until

October 1, 1943, under a lease agreement with the University of New Mexico. This lease

agreement provided for an undivided ½ interest over the 218.13-acre parcel of land that had been

conveyed to the UNM by the U.S. Government for “archaeological purposes". In 1986, to settle

a dispute with the Santa Ana pueblo, UNM exchanged a 119.86-acre parcel on the western part

of this property to Santa Ana Pueblo in exchange for a 26.57-acre parcel located between eastern

boundary of the “monument" parcel and the Rio Grande. The Museum of New Mexico was not

granted any ownership or authority over this 26.57-acre parcel.

During the past few years there has been some interest expressed by the UNM of divesting itself

of this property or developing it. This parcel is land-locked by Santa Ana Pueblo land to the

north, the Monument to the west and south and the Rio Grande to the east. The parcel, and its

resources, have a direct relation to the cultural and natural resources of the Monument and would

serve to enhance the interpretation of the site to visitors. If this property were to be disposed

through sale, lease, or otherwise, the integrity of the Monument will be compromised and

cultural/archeological resources associated to the Monument would be lost or destroyed. Also,

any development on this parcel would spoil the view shed of this site and impact the experience

of all visitors to the Monument."

PD/csd