Preserving the Enchantment: Sustaining New Mexico’s Cultural Heritage, 2012—2016

From introduction: "Three important anniversaries help set the stage for the future of preservation in New Mexico. Our statehood Centennial in 2012 is also the 150th anniversary of the Homestead Act. The 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act is in 2016. New Mexicans have the opportunity to take a cue from these milestones to explore their roots, honor their heritage and to rediscover why—to quote Winston Churchill—“a country that forgets its past has no future.” Documenting and preserving remnants of three historic trails—El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Old Spanish Trail, and Santa Fe Trail—and their related sites, buildings, structures and landscapes will enhance our understanding of the dynamics that contributed to the diversity of New Mexico’s population. These transportation corridors spawned commerce and cultural activities that helped define who we are as New Mexicans today. Sharing this knowledge will increase awareness of the cultures that existed before, continued, and were joined by others, helping create a better understanding of the cultural landscape that is New Mexico today HPD and its preservation partners have begun this process and it will continue during the five-year planning period. A local historian worked diligently with his community to nominate one of the last remaining largely intact Mexican land grant communities, now the Guadalupita/Coyote Historic District. Partnerships among the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Native American governments, historians, citizens and the Historic Preservation Division are increasing our knowledge of these important trails, and in many cases the working relationships transcend state boundaries. Greater awareness of these resources will expand our knowledge base, creating more incentives to preserve open space. New Mexicans and visitors who travel here to experience our multi-cultural heritage will find a stronger sense of place, which will strengthen support to protect cultural sites and values. These themes were identified by the public in our most recent survey as four of our most pressing preservation needs." Funding was provided in part by a 2012 Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office (project number NM-12-013, grant number 35-12-41938) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Preserving the Enchantment: Sustaining New Mexico’s Cultural Heritage, 2012—2016

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