New Mexico Historic Preservation Division

New Mexico Historic Preservation Division
Name	New Mexico Historic Preservation Division
Type	State agency
Formed	1972
Jurisdiction	State of New Mexico
Headquarters	Santa Fe, New Mexico
Parent agency	New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
Chief1 name	Director

New Mexico Historic Preservation Division is the state office responsible for identifying, protecting, and promoting cultural resources across the State of New Mexico. It operates within a network of federal, tribal, and local entities including National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, National Trust for Historic Preservation and numerous tribal nations such as the Pueblo of Taos and the Navajo Nation. The Division works at the intersection of preservation law, archaeology, architectural history, and community heritage, engaging with partners like Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, New Mexico Museum of Art, and the University of New Mexico.

History

The Division traces its roots to preservation movements that followed passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and creation of state offices across the United States. Early collaborations connected the Division to projects such as restorations of Palace of the Governors, inventories of Pueblo sites, and surveys influenced by scholars from School for Advanced Research and University of New Mexico Department of Anthropology. Over decades the Division interacted with federal programs like the Historic Preservation Fund and state initiatives administered by the New Mexico Legislature and the Office of the State Historian. Significant events in its timeline include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, implementation of the Section 106 review process with agencies including the Federal Highway Administration and the Bureau of Land Management, and cooperative work with tribal historic preservation offices such as those in the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Mescalero Apache Tribe.

Mission and Functions

The Division’s mission encompasses identification, evaluation, registration, and stewardship of historic and archaeological resources under statutes like the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and state preservation laws enacted by the New Mexico Legislature. Core functions include maintaining the state inventory used for National Register of Historic Places nominations, administering compliance reviews under Section 106 with agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency, and advising on tax incentive programs linked to the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program. The office provides technical guidance to municipalities such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Roswell, New Mexico and supports cultural resource management in federal landscapes like Gila National Forest and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs managed by the Division include the State Register program coordinating with the National Register of Historic Places, archaeological permitting tied to sites like Chaco Culture National Historical Park, preservation easement initiatives aligning with organizations such as Preservation New Mexico and Historic Santa Fe Foundation, and grant administration from the Historic Preservation Fund. Initiative examples include heritage tourism planning in regions like the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, adaptive reuse projects in Silver City, New Mexico and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and outreach partnerships with institutions like New Mexico Highlands University and New Mexico State University. Educational and stewardship programs often involve collaborations with tribal entities including the Isleta Pueblo and Cochiti Pueblo, and non-profit partners such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Getty Conservation Institute.

Organizational Structure

The Division is organized within the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and coordinates with statewide offices such as the New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission and the State Historic Preservation Officer role established under federal law. Staff specialties include architectural historians educated at institutions like the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning, archaeologists with ties to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, compliance officers who interface with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and grant administrators who manage awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. Regional field offices liaise with county governments like those of Santa Fe County, Bernalillo County, and Doña Ana County.

Major Projects and Properties

The Division has played roles in documenting and nominating key properties such as the Taos Pueblo, Bandelier National Monument adjacent sites, the Gospel Church (Santa Fe) context studies, historic districts in Albuquerque Historic District, and vernacular architecture surveys across the Rio Grande Valley. Other major involvements include archaeological assessments for pipeline and transportation projects coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration and conservation plans for sites connected to the Spanish colonial and Territorial New Mexico eras, including missions, haciendas, and trading routes like the Santa Fe Trail. Collaboration on landscape-scale studies has intersected with research at the Bandelier National Monument and resource stewardship in the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Partnerships and Funding

The Division partners with federal agencies such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and United States Forest Service; tribal governments including the Pueblo of Zuni and Hopi Tribe; academic institutions like the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University; and non-profits including Preservation New Mexico and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Funding streams include federal allocations from the Historic Preservation Fund, competitive grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, state appropriations authorized by the New Mexico Legislature, and private philanthropy channeled through entities like the Lannan Foundation and regional historic foundations. The Division also administers tax-credit incentive programs coordinated with the Internal Revenue Service and state revenue authorities to support rehabilitation of historic properties.

Category:State historic preservation offices of the United States Category:History of New Mexico