Land Grant-Mercedes Traditional Use Recognition and Consultation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the ranking member, I would just like to say that we support this legislation. We certainly appreciate our friend, Mr. Lujan, for bringing it forward.

Just a few comments I would like to make, rising in support of H.R. 3682. This bill seeks to ensure better consultation and collaboration between our Federal land management agencies and local stakeholders over management of New Mexico's land grants and acequias.

H.R. 3682 requires coordination between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and land grant-mercedes. These are the governing bodies of certain community land grants made by Spain or Mexico in the 17th to the mid-19th centuries to individuals, groups, and communities to promote the settlement of the southwestern United States.

Specifically, this bill directs Federal land management agencies to make these bodies aware of changes to management plans and other Federal actions affecting their land grants. H.R. 3682 also requires the Federal Government to issue guidance on permitting and permissible uses.

Finally, this bill creates a process for New Mexico's land grant- mercedes to establish their historical boundaries and provides a pathway for acquiring Federal land that falls within those boundaries when the Federal Government disposes of it.

We should always strive to make sure that the Federal Government is a good neighbor to the communities most impacted by its land management decisions, and this good bill does exactly that. It empowers rural communities in New Mexico with a greater say over land management decisions impacting their historically important common lands which will, in turn, ensure continued community care and use for generations to come.

So I support this legislation. I thank the gentleman very much for bringing it forward, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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