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The province that was once Spanish New Mexico included all of the present day New Mexico plus most of Colorado and Arizona and slices of Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming. The Original American Territory of New Mexico that the US Congress created in 1850 included all of present-day New Mexico and Arizona plus parts of Colorado, Nevada and Utah. The boundaries of the present day New Mexico were drawn by the US Congress in 1863; however, New Mexico did not become a state until January 6th 1912. At 7,000 feet above sea level, the capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe, is the highest capital city in the United States. There are only about 12 person per square mile in New Mexico and about one fourth (1/4) of New Mexico is forest. New Mexico has seven (7) National Forests including the Nation’s largest – the 3.3 million acre Gila National Forest that also includes the Gila Wilderness. The Taos Pueblo, located just north of the Town of Taos, is the oldest continuously occupied community in the United States. Families still live in some of its 1,000-year-old buildings. New Mexico was named by 16th century Spanish explorers who hoped to find gold and wealth equal to Mexico’s Aztec treasures. |
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Chairperson: Rob Mitchell, San Juan County District 1 Representative – Rhetta King, Cibola County District 2 Representative – Herbert Valdez, Taos County District 3 Representative – Cindy McClean, Grant County District 4 Representative – Cammy Mansell, DeBaca County |
