xvii

CONTENTS 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY v

ISSUES v

GOALS v

ALTERNATIVES v

COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES vii

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES xi

COMPARISON OF IMPACTS xi

CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE/PROCESS/ISSUES 1

PURPOSE/NEED FOR ACTION 1

BACKGROUND/LOCATION 1

RELATIONSHIP TO LEGISLATION/BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

AND NATIONAL PARK SERVICE POLICIES, PLANS, AND PROGRAMS 4

ADMINISTRATION/MANAGEMENT 5

MANAGEMENT GOALS 6

ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED 8

PLANNING CRITERIA 9

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS 10

COORDINATION WITH MEXICO 11

CHAPTER 2: ALTERNATIVES 13

INTRODUCTION 13

PROCESS USED TO FORMULATE ALTERNATIVES 13

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED STUDY 13

CONTINUING MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE 13

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE: DESCRIPTION 14

Preferred Alternative: Administration 15

Preferred Alternative: Resource Protection 35

Preferred Alternative: Visitor Experience 37

ALTERNATIVE A: DESCRIPTION 41

Alternative A: Administration 42

Alternative A: Resource Protection 42

Alternative A: Visitor Experience 42

ALTERNATIVE B: DESCRIPTION 42

Alternative B: Administration 43

Alternative B: Resource Protection 43

Alternative B: Visitor Experience 44

CHAPTER 3: EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 47

INTRODUCTION 47

LANDOWNERSHIP/LAND USE 48

SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS 50

RESOURCE VALUES 58

Cultural Environment 58

Ethnographic Resources 58

Archeological and Historic Resources 70

Geology 80
xviii Contents

Scenery 80

Soils/Vegetation/Noxious Weeds 81

Visitor Experience/Information and Education 82

Historic Sites/Parks/Cultural Facilities 85

Scenic Byway/Millennium Legacy Trail/Highway Markers 88

Public Art and Activities 88

Water/Air Quality 89

Wildlife/Fishery 90

RESOURCE USES 90

Energy/Minerals 90

Legal Disposition of Mineral Resources 92

Livestock-grazing 93

Lands/Realty 94

Recreation Use 96

National Forests 96

National Wildlife Refuges 97

Public Domain Lands 97

State Game Refuge 98

State Monuments 98

State Parks 99

North American Indian Pueblos 99

CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES 103

INTRODUCTION 103

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE 104

North American Indians 104

Cultural Resources (Archeological/Historical) 105

Energy and Minerals 105

Livestock-grazing 107

Land and Realty Uses 107

Recreation 108

Visitor Experience/Information and Education 108

Scenery 108

Socioeconomics/Social Values/Environmental Justice 109

Vegetation/Noxious Weeds/Soils/Water/Air 110

Wildlife 111

Cumulative Impacts 111

ALTERNATIVE A 112

North American Indians 112

Cultural Resources (Archeological/Historical) 112

Energy and Minerals 112

Livestock-grazing 113

Land and Realty Uses 113

Recreation 113

Visitor Experience/Information and Education 113

Scenery 113

Socioeconomics/Social Values/Environmental Justice 114

Vegetation/Noxious Weeds/Soils/Water/Air 114

Wildlife 114
Contents xvix

Cumulative Impacts 114

ALTERNATIVE B 114

North American Indians 114

Cultural Resources (Archeological/Historical) 115

Energy and Minerals 115

Livestock-grazing 115

Land and Realty Uses 115

Recreation 116

Visitor Experience/Information and Education 116

Scenery 116

Socioeconomics/Social Values/Environmental Justice 116

Vegetation/Noxious Weeds/Soils/Water/Air 118

Wildlife 118

Cumulative Impacts 118

IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES 118

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LOCAL SHORT-TERM USE 

OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE

AND ENHANCEMENT OF LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY 119

UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE IMPACTS 119

CHAPTER 5: CONSULTATION/COORDINATION 121

INTRODUCTION 121

FORMAL CONSULTATION 121

CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER PLANS 121

STAKEHOLDERS/DOCUMENT RECIPIENTS 123

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 125

NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN CONSULTATION 126

PREPARERS OF THE PLAN 126

COMMENTS AND RESPONSES 128

AGENCY LETTERS 129

APPENDIXES/GLOSSARY/A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 157

Appendix A: EL CAMINO REAL DE TIERRA ADENTRO NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL 

ESTABLISHMENT ACT (P.L. 106-307) 159

Appendix B: NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT (P.L. 90-543), AS AMENDED 163

Appendix C: ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR 

EL CAMINO REAL DE TIERRA ADENTRO NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL 179

Appendix D: COMMUNITY MEETING RESULTS 183

Appendix E: HIGH-POTENTIAL HISTORIC SITES 185

Appendix F: HIGH-POTENTIAL ROUTE SEGMENTS 227

Appendix G: TRAIL MARKING AND SIGNS 255

Appendix H: VISUAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CLASSES AND OBJECTIVES

FOR BUREAU ON LAND MANAGEMENT–ADMINISTERED LANDS 257

Appendix I: CERTIFICATION AGREEMENTS 267

Appendix J: COMMENTS AND RESPONSES 275

GLOSSARY 329

A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 341

MAP SUPPLEMENT 345
xx CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES

1: Population Growth, U.S. Counties, 1950-2000 57

2: Historic tribal territories of north-central Mexico 59

3: Apachean-speaking tribal locations 60

4: Mescalero tribal territory about 1830 61

5: Agave (Century Plant: Agave arizonica: USDA) 63

6: Mid-19th century maps of Chiricahua Apache and territories 62

7: Jicarilla territory with band locations circa 1850 64

8: Approximate Navajo settlement area about 1600 65

9: Original royal land grants and modern reservations. 67

10: Early 19th-century territory of Ute bands in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico 69

LIST OF MAPS

1 National Trails System 2

2 El Camino Real United States and México 3

3A Auto Tour Route and High-potential Sites, Section 1 of 7 21

3B Auto Tour Route and High-potential Sites, Section 2 of 7 23

3C Auto Tour Route and High-potential Sites, Section 3 of 7 25

3D Auto Tour Route and High-potential Sites, Section 4 of 7 27

3E Auto Tour Route and High-potential Sites, Section 5 of 7 29

3F Auto Tour Route and High-potential Sites, Section 6 of 7 31

3G Auto Tour Route and High-potential Sites, Section 7 of 7 33

4A Jornada Area VRM Class II Alternative C, section 1 of 3 259

4B Jornada Area VRM Class II Alternative C, section 2 of 3 261

4C Jornada Area VRM Class II Alternative C, section 3 of 3 263

5 Santa Fe River Canyon VRM Class II Alternative C 265

LIST OF TABLES

1: Landownership 49

2: Land Uses 49

3: Trail Mileage on Federal Components 49

4: Study Area 2000 Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino 50

5: Socioeconomic Data Summary, North American Indian Reservations 55

6: Comparison of Selected Economic Indicators - State of Chihuahua 56

7: Comparison of Population Growth in El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT ESA 57

8: Visual Resource Management Classifications for BLM-Administered Lands 81

9: Areas with Moderate Potential for Discovery/Development 91

10: Federal Mineral Estate 92

11: Federal Mineral Resource Activities (by county) 93

12: Existing Federal Mineral Activities in Relation to Proposed Developments 107

13: Partial List, Stakeholders/Document Recipients 123

14: Public Meetings 125

15: North American Indian Meetings 126

16: List Of Preparers 126

17: Comments and Responses 277
1

PURPOSE/NEED FOR ACTION

The purpose of the Comprehensive

Management Plan/Environmental Impact

Statement (CMP/EIS) is to establish the administrative objectives, policies, processes, and

management actions needed to fulfill the

preservation and public use goals for El Camino

Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

(NHT). El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (The

Royal Road of the Interior) was added to the

National Trails System by P.L. 106-307 on

October 13, 2000 (see Appendix A), pursuant to

the National Trails System Act, P.L. 90-543, of

October 2, 1968, as amended (see Map 1 and

Appendix B).

The CMP/EIS will also provide a framework for

managing and allocating uses of BLM-administered lands along the trail in New Mexico. The

plan will be comprehensive in nature, and will

describe future conditions, set goals, and

address and resolve issues along El Camino Real

de Tierra Adentro NHT that have been identified through agency, interagency, and public

scoping efforts. The plan is needed in order to

comply with the requirements of the National

Trails System Act; and to address the management issues and concerns related to administration and management, resource protection,

interpretation and visitor experience, uses of

the NHT, and site development and marking.

National historic trails are set aside to identify

and protect a historic route and its remnants for

public use and enjoyment. These are extended

trails that follow as closely as possible and practicable original routes of travel that are of

national historical significance.

Existing trail segments already in federal ownership will become the initial components of El

Camino de Tierra Adentro NHT. Other trail

segments could be developed and protected

through various means, such as cooperative and

certification agreements and/or easements and

actions by state and local government and private organizations. There would be little or no

federal acquisition of private lands. Acquisition

would be on a willing-seller basis.

This CMP/EIS identifies and explains the

desired future conditions to be maintained or

achieved, and administrative and management

actions necessary to achieve objectives.

Through these actions, El Camino Real de

Tierra Adentro NHT will be administered and

managed according to the intent of Congress as

expressed in the establishing legislation and the

National Trails System Act.

BACKGROUND/LOCATION

The NPS prepared a feasibility study in 1997 that

subsequently led to the designation of the 404-

mile El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT

from El Paso, Texas, to San Juan Pueblo, New

Mexico (see Map 2). The study documented the

international significance of the entire route

from Mexico City to New Mexico’s respective

Spanish colonial capitals at San Juan Pueblo

(1598-1600), San Gabriel (1600-1609), and Santa

Fe (1609-1821). During that period, the road

formed part of a network of royal roads

throughout Mexico that ran from Spanish capital to Spanish capital. When Mexican independence was achieved, El Camino Real ceased

to be a royal road, because the Spanish crown

had been ousted. However, the route continued

in use during the Mexican National Period, as

Mexican and Indian travelers, traders, settlers,

soldiers, clergymen, and Anglo-American merchants continued their activities along it.

Significance has also been found for succeeding

periods, including the Mexican National Period

(1821-1848), and part of the U. S. Territorial

Chapter 1

PURPOSE/PROCESS/ISSUES


4 CHAPTER1 PURPOSE/PROCESS/ISSUES
Administration/Management 5

Period of New Mexico (1848-1882). San Juan

Pueblo was the terminus of the trail because it

was the first provincial capital of the northern

province of New Spain.

The NHT passes through four BLM Field

Office administrative areas with five existing

Resource Management Plans (RMPs). The following RMPs were reviewed for consistency

with goals, objectives, and actions proposed

under the various alternatives for the NHT: (1)

Taos RMP, (2) Río Puerco RMP, (3) Socorro

RMP, (4) White Sands RMP, and (5) Mimbres

RMP. The trail runs through 16.9 miles of public

lands in the Taos Field Office; 14.2 miles of

BLM-administered lands in the Socorro Field

Office; and 28.6 miles of public lands in the Las

Cruces Field Office (mileages include duplicate,

or variant, routes).

Approximately 33.3 miles of the NHT pass

through the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge,

and 56.8 miles pass through the Bosque del

Apache National Wildlife Refuge—both of these

administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

(FWS). Approximately 7.7 miles of the NHT

pass through the Santa Fe National Forest,

administered by the USDA Forest Service

(USFS); and approximately 4.6 miles of trail

cross lands administered by the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers. The remainder of the trail

passes through 376.7 miles of private lands; 24.7

miles of state-administered lands; and 89.5

miles of North American Indian tribal lands.

RELATIONSHIP TO LEGISLATION/BUREAU

OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE POLICIES,

PLANS, AND PROGRAMS

The National Trails System Act provides legal

mandates, policy, and general guidance for the

national system of recreation, scenic, and historic trails. The National Trails System was

established to provide for the ever-increasing

outdoor recreation needs of an expanding population, and to promote the preservation of,

public access to, travel within, and enjoyment

and appreciation of, the open air, outdoor areas

and historic resources of the nation.

Public Law 106-307, titled “A Bill to amend the

National Trails System Act to designate El

Camino Real de Tierra Adentro as a National

Historic Trail,” was signed into law on October

13, 2000. The legislation recognizes a 404-milelong trail from the Río Grande near El Paso,

Texas, to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, as

generally depicted on the maps entitled “A

United States Route: El Camino Real de Tierra

Adentro,” contained in the March 1997 El

Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic

Trail Feasibility Study and Environmental

Assessment. The Secretary of the Interior is

directed to administer the trail, and land acquisition may only take place with the consent of

willing sellers.

This CMP/EIS complies with applicable federal

laws, regulations, and planning direction. This

includes, but is not limited to, the establishing

legislation; the National Trails System Act

(NTSA); the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA); the National Historic Preservation Act

(NHPA); the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act (FLPMA); the Native

American Graves Protection and Repatriation

Act (NAGPRA); the American Indian Religious

Freedom Act (AIRFA) regarding affirmative

consultation with North American Indian

Tribes; Executive Order No. 12898 on

Environmental Justice; Executive Order No.

13007 (Indian Sacred Sites), May 24, 1996, 61 FR

26771, 42 USC 1996; Executive Order No. 13175,

Consultation and Coordination with Indian

Tribal governments, November 6, 2000, 65 FR

67249, 25 USC 450; Executive Order 13195, Trails

for America in the 21st Century; the

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, and the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973; BLM Land Use Plan

policy; and NPS Management Policies and

Director’s Orders. In accordance with NPS

Director’s Order 12, the environmental impact

statement (EIS) is being prepared as a part of

the plan.

The CMP/EIS will also comply with all state

environmental and cultural resources preservation laws as applicable.

This CMP/EIS will address and integrate, to the
6 CHAPTER 1 PURPOSE/PROCESS/ISSUES

degree possible, management plans related to

management of the lands in or adjacent to the

NHT, including, but not limited to, fire management plans, livestock grazing allotment

management plans, wildlife habitat management

plans, and recreation management plans. It will

also include guidance for natural and cultural

resources, interpretation and education, trail

marking, the certification process, financial and

technical assistance, logo marker use and protection, relationships with other conservation

programs, facilities management, research and 

monitoring, lands and rights-of-way, event

coordination, communication, and visitor management. On public lands, the document will

address both potential RMP-level amendments

and site-specific management actions.

Section 5(f) of the National Trails System Act

provides that, within two complete fiscal years

of the date of enactment (in this case,

September 2003), the Secretary of the Interior

shall submit the CMP/EIS for the management

and use of El Camino de Tierra Adentro NHT

to the U.S. Congress, House Resources

Committee, and the Senate Committee on

Energy and Natural Resources.

ADMINISTRATION/MANAGEMENT

Administration of national historic trails rests

with the Secretary of Agriculture and the

Secretary of the Interior. In a landmark decision

on January 19, 2001, the Secretary of the Interior

directed that administrative responsibility for El

Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT be

assigned jointly to the BLM and the NPS, based

on the joint memorandum of the two agencies

to the Secretary of January 9, 2001 (see

Appendix C). Because the two agencies are the

joint administrators, they will also cooperatively

prepare the CMP/EIS. The joint administration

of the trail will be referred to in this document

as the Camino Real Administration.

A Memorandum of Understanding for the

Administration and Management of National

Historic and National Scenic Trails signed by

the BLM, NPS, USFS, Federal Highways

Administration, and National Endowment for

the Arts on January 19, 2001, defines administration and management as follows:

• Administration - Each national trail,

established by law, is assigned for

administration to a specific federal

agency by either the Secretary of the

Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture,

as designated by Congress. Subject to

available funding, the administering

agency exercises trail-wide responsibilities under the act for that specific

trail. Such responsibilities include

coordination among and between

agencies and partnership organizations

in planning, marking, certification,

resource preservation and protection,

interpretation, cooperative/interagency

agreements, and financial assistance to

other cooperating government agencies, landowners, interest groups, and

individuals.

• Management - Various government

and private entities own or manage

lands along each national trail.

Management responsibilities often

include inventorying of resources;

mapping, planning, and development

of trail segments or sites; compliance;

provision of appropriate public access;

site interpretation; trail maintenance;

marking; resource preservation and

protection; viewshed protection; and

management of visitor use.

Executive order 13195 dated January 18, 2001 -

Trails for America in the 21st Century -provides

direction for achieving a common goal of

improving America’s national system of trails.

This is the first time that a component of the

National Trails System has been assigned to two

agencies for joint administration. The Long

Distance Trails Group Office of the NPS in

Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the New Mexico

State Office of the BLM are leads for preparation of the plan, and both are responsible for

administering the trail as per agency agreement.

They will coordinate with the public, various

federal agencies, tribal offices, and local and

state governments in the plan’s development.
Management Goals 7

Consultation will be an important factor in the

process, and should be an integral part of the

planning team’s efforts.

The joint BLM/NPS administration of El

Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT must rely

on the cooperative management efforts and

support of state, local, and private interests,

including landowners, to ensure the protection

of trail-related resources, to provide outdoor

recreational opportunities, and to accomplish

the objectives of interpretive programs.

Section 5 (d) of the National Trails System Act

calls for the establishment of an advisory council of not more than 35 members, chartered for

10 years. The advisory council will be informed

and consulted at appropriate steps in the planning process for the NHT. The council will be

an important part of the process, and will contribute valuable information to the plan. It will

serve as an excellent source of communication

with member publics and the public in general.

Once the advisory council has been formed, the

study team will work closely with that body.

The charter and list of nominating organizations

has been forwarded to the Secretary of the

Interior.

MANAGEMENT GOALS

Visitor Experience

Visitor experience goals help define actions that

should be taken to ensure that visitors would

have the opportunity to have specific experiences while visiting El Camino Real de Tierra

Adentro NHT. The term “visitor” is used very

broadly, and includes people of local, national,

and international origin. “Visitor” can also

apply to people who visit the NHT through

technologies such as the Internet, and it is recognized that visitors are individuals who have

different needs and interests. 

The visitor experience goals below define the

collective range of opportunities that Camino

Real Administration and its partners would

provide for visitors along the NHT in the

future. 

Visitors would:

• Feel welcome, be aware of safety, and be

satisfied with facilities, services, and

recreational opportunities.

• Be able to visit historic and archeological

sites, museums, and visitor centers offering interpretation and education.

• Understand and appreciate the trail’s

history and significance.

• Where permissible, be able to use the

trail corridor in ways that conserve significant values and resources. This

includes opportunities to drive sections

of the historic trail, and to walk, bike,

and hike along portions of the trail

and/or Río Grande Valley.

• Have opportunities to participate in cultural activities associated with the trail.

• Be able to obtain scholarly research and

interpretive materials to learn more

about the trail’s history and significance.

• Be able to participate in both formal and

informal educational programs dealing

with the trail.

• Be able to recognize place names and

landscapes associated with the trail.

• Be able to access all trail-related facilities

and programs, regardless of ability.

• Appreciate and respect the rights of

landowners.

• Experience meeting people whose life

ways were, and continue to be, influenced by the trail.

• Gain an appreciation for different perspectives about the trail’s legacy.

Interpretation and Education

Camino Real Administration and partners along
8 CHAPTER 1 PUROSE/PROCESS/ISSUES

the NHT would develop a high-quality program of information, interpretation, and education for all visitors.

Camino Real Administration and partners

would:

• Promote, develop, and support a variety

of interpretive and educational materials

appealing to visitors with diverse abilities, interests, and learning styles.

• Work together to ensure that interpretive and educational materials, programs,

and media are accurate, consistent, sensitive, and complimentary among the

various sites and facilities along the

NHT.

• Work cooperatively to provide training

for interpreters and educators designed

to set and meet high-quality standards.

• Provide trip-planning and other information about the trail to support visitation to trail-related sites and interpretive

facilities.

Resource Protection 

Camino Real Administration and its partners

would:

• Encourage the identification, evaluation,

and preservation of Camino Real

resources, including archeological and

historic sites and trail segments.

• Identify research needs and coordinate

research.

• Assist in the development of models for

determining the impacts on historic

resources from excessive visitor use

(using concepts such as carrying capacity); natural processes (such as erosion);

incompatible uses (such as mineral

development); and others.

• Protect certified NHT segments and historic sites from over-use, inappropriate

use, and vandalism.

• Protect scenic values related to historical

resources.

• Identify and protect ethnographic

resources (those cultural and natural

resources of ongoing significance to

contemporary peoples, especially in

consultation with North American

Indians and Hispanics).

• Encourage uses of adjacent lands that

complement the protection and interpretation of NHT resources.

• Encourage research to improve knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of

the NHT and related resources, and their

significance in history.

Administration

Camino Real Administration would:

• Implement the National Trails System

Act in conjunction with other authorities

through partnerships, whenever possible.

• Develop an efficient, professional, and

effective organization to administer the

NHT.

• Achieve the spirit of the interagency

memorandum of understanding.

• Promote the management and development of the entire NHT as one integrated system.

• Certify trail segments and sites that meet

the criteria described in this management

plan, consistent with the purposes of the

National Trails System Act as amended.

• Mark the NHT route and auto tour route

with standardized and recognizable

markers.

• Encourage a unified design theme for
Planning Criteria 9

signs, exhibits, and public use facilities.

• Work with partners to provide access to

trail resources through certification or

other means such as easements.

ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED

A planning issue is a matter of controversy or

dispute over resource management activities or

land use that is well defined or topically discrete, and entails alternatives among which to

choose. This definition suggests that one or

more entities are interested in a resource on

public land, that each entity may have different

values for the resource, and that there are different ways (alternatives) in which to resolve the

competition or demand.

Management concerns are topics or points of

dispute that involve a resource management

activity or land use. While some concerns overlap issues, a management concern is generally

more important to an individual or a few individuals, as opposed to a planning issue that has

a more widespread point of conflict. Addressing

management concerns along the NHT helps to

ensure a comprehensive examination of federal

and state land use management.

Through phone calls, e-mails, letters, and several meetings conducted over the summer of

2001, issues and management concerns have

been identified by BLM and NPS personnel;

tribal members; local, state and other federal

other agencies; and individuals and user groups.

The major issue themes that are addressed in

the draft CMP/EIS are listed below. Each issue

theme, in turn, has a number of different planning questions and management concerns that

address more specific uses and resources related to the issue theme.

How will the historic, scenic, and natural

resources of the trail be preserved?

• Where are important cultural and historic resources located?

• What management actions are needed to

protect and preserve the historic features

of the trail while offering visitors a recreational opportunity?

• How will historic and scenic values be

protected against impacts from authorized or unauthorized uses?

• Are changes in off-highway-vehicle

designations necessary to protect historic

resources?

• Will human activities result in the displacement of wildlife; changes to vegetation, including invasive species; or

changes in water quality?

How do people’s activities and uses affect

the trail?

• How will interpretation be used as an

education tool to increase the public’s

awareness and appreciation of the trail’s

cultural resources?

• What range of recreational opportunities

should be provided?

• What methods will be used to determine

appropriate levels of visitor use?

• What new uses, trends, or future use levels are anticipated?

• How will livestock management activities

affect management of the trail?

• How will rights-of-way or land-tenure

adjustments affect management of the

trail?

• How will mineral-related activities affect

management of the trail?

• Will plan proposals affect floodplains or

wetlands?

• Will plan proposals affect threatened and

endangered species?

How will trail management be integrated
10 CHAPTER 1 PUROSE/PROCESS/ISSUES

with tribal and other government agency

and community plans?

• What agreements exist and/or need to be

established to promote preservation and

interpretation of the trail?

• What opportunities are available to provide visitor services, education, and/or

recreation?

• What opportunities, partnerships, and

facilities can be capitalized upon to efficiently provide services?

How do we incorporate international interest in the trail?

• How can we tell the whole story of the

trail, given that 1,200 miles of the trail lie

within Mexico?

• From what historical perspective does

Mexico view the trail?

• From what historical perspective does

Spain view the trail?

An administrative issue was discussed by the

planning team regarding the location of the

Camino Real Administration Office. It was

determined that locating the office in Santa Fe,

New Mexico would be appropriate to take

advantage of BLM and NPS staffing and

resources and provide a "seamless" operation

for the benefit of the public.

PLANNING CRITERIA

Both BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610)

and NPS planning policies and guidance

(Director’s Order 2) require the preparation of

planning criteria to guide development of all

resource management plans or amendments.

Planning criteria are the constraints or ground

rules that guide and direct the development of

the plan, and that determine how the planning

team approaches the development of alternatives, and, ultimately, selection of a preferred

alternative. They ensure that plans are tailored

to the identified issues, and ensure that unnecessary data collection and analyses are avoided.

Planning criteria are based on standards prescribed by applicable laws and regulations;

agency guidance; the results of consultation and

coordination with the public, other federal,

state, and local agencies, and governmental

entities, and North American Indian tribes; the

analysis of information pertinent to the planning area; and professional judgment.

The following proposed criteria were developed

internally and public review was requested during the scoping process:

• Although Spain developed and owned

the Camino Real 1540-1821, the historic

period of significance for El Camino Real

in the United States extends from 1598 to

1882. 

• The draft CMP/EIS should be completed

in compliance with Section 5(a) of the

National Trails System Act and all other

applicable laws. It will meet the requirements of Public Law 106-307 to protect

the trail’s natural and historic resources

and recreation opportunities.

• The planning team should work cooperatively with the State of New Mexico;

tribal governments; county and municipal governments; other federal agencies;

and all other interested groups, agencies,

and individuals. Public participation will

be encouraged throughout the process.

• The planning process will include an EIS

that will comply with NEPA and CEQ

guidelines.

• The plan will emphasize the protection

and enhancement of the historic values

of the trail, while providing the public

with opportunities for compatible recreation activities.

• Development and management of each

segment of the National Trails System

shall be designed to harmonize with and
Coordination With Mexico 11

complement any established multipleuse plans for the specific area, in order to

ensure continued maximum benefits

from the land (Section 7 (a)(2)).

• The lifestyles and concerns of area residents, including the activities of grazing

and hunting, will be recognized in the

plan.

• Any lands or interests in lands located

along the trail that are acquired by federal agencies from willing sellers to

accomplish purposes for which the trail

was designated will be managed consistent with the National Trails System Act.

• The planning process will involve tribal

governments, and will provide strategies

for the protection of recognized traditional uses.

• Decisions in the plan should strive to be

compatible with the existing plans and

policies of adjacent local, state, tribal,

and federal agencies, as long as the decisions are in conformance with congressional direction and federal laws, regulations, and policies. The following BLM

RMPs will be amended as necessary: (1)

Taos RMP, (2) White Sands RMP, and

(3) Mimbres RMP.

• The location of the trail has been determined on the basis of historical information and actual field surveys, and will be

further refined to meet the direction of

the activation memo that Geographic

Information Systems (GIS) will be used

as an invaluable aid in administering the

trail, and as a means by which the public

can be provided with accurate trail mapping as quickly as possible.

• Private landowner rights will be respected. Land or interest in private land will

only be acquired on a willing-seller

basis.

• United States and Mexican public and

non-governmental organizations and

academic institutions will be consulted.

In cooperation with the Secretary of

State, consultation will take place with

the government of Mexico and its political subdivisions, for the purpose of

exchanging trail information and

research, fostering trail preservation and

education programs, providing technical

assistance, and working to establish an

international historic trail.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER 

PLANNING EFFORTS

There are several other planning efforts that

have either just recently taken place or are in

the stages of planning that are related to El

Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT:

• Camino Real National Scenic Byway -

A “Camino Real Scenic Byway Project

Corridor Management Plan” was completed in September 1997. The New

Mexico State Highway and

Transportation Department administers

the program, which highlights the cultural and natural experiences along the

designated route. The corridor management plan describes those assets.

• El Camino Real Historic Corridor

Management Plan for the Río Abajo

(May 2001)- This plan is in conjunction

with the Camino Real National Scenic

Byway and is a component of El Camino

Real International Heritage Center. This

plan covers the route between Los

Lunas and Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The plan makes recommendations for

preserving and protecting the integrity

and value of the trail’s qualities. The

plan provided a wealth of opportunities

for cooperation between the NHT and

the International Heritage Center to

benefit communities along the corridor.

• El Camino Real International Heritage

Center - A joint project between New

Mexico State Monuments and the BLM,

this center will house exhibits, information, and interactive programs related to

the Camino Real. A variety of outreach
12 CHAPTER 1 PURPOSE/PROCESS/ISSUES

activities are also planned. Facility and

exhibit planning, as well as planning for

the management of the center, is underway. The International Heritage Center

and the NHT will closely cooperate to

implement the individual and joint goals

of each program. A Resource

Management Plan Amendment/

Environmental Assessment for the center was completed in March 2001.

• Fort Selden State Monument - Fort

Selden is an established park in the New

Mexico State Monuments system. A

general management plan is being

developed. The Camino Real is associated with Fort Selden, and the planning

will take the trail into consideration.

• Fort Craig - Fort Craig is a unit of the

BLM Socorro Field Office. Planning is

under way for additional interpretive

exhibits and waysides. Fort Craig is

associated with the Camino Real, and

current efforts will take the trail into

account.

• San Gabriel - San Gabriel is on San Juan

Pueblo land, and is the location of the

first capitol in New Mexico. It is the first

terminus of the Camino Real in New

Mexico. Planning is under way by the

Pueblo of San Juan to develop a “First

Capitol” visitor center and possibly

some associated facilities.

• El Camino Real River Connection,

Santa Fe - Planning is under way

between a number of public and private

agencies and organizations to restore

and preserve a portion of the Santa Fe

River. The Camino Real is in close

proximity to the River Connection project. They are planning trails and interpretive exhibits in conjunction with

their work on the river.

• El Paso Río Grande Riverpark - The

city and county of El Paso, Texas, in

conjunction with a number of public

and private organizations, are in the

process of planning a series of over 42

miles of trails along the Río Grande,

within the corridor of the Camino Real.

The planning is taking into account the

route, history, and traditions of the

Camino Real.

• El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail

Association - The New Mexico

Historical Society is sponsoring the formation of El Camino Real de Tierra

Adentro Trail Association. A committee

has been formed to organize the association. It is envisioned that the association will be open to any interested parties.

COORDINATION WITH MEXICO

Because 1,200 miles of the NHT lie within

Mexico, the enabling legislation authorizes

cooperation among United States and Mexican

public and non-governmental organizations;

academic institutions; and, in consultation with

the Secretary of State, the government of

Mexico and its political subdivisions. This