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.