Doña Ana County staff to pursue lease, volunteers ask county to protect historic Oregon cemetery

Steven Lopez, assistant county manager, told the Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners during a work session that the Oregon Cemetery—identified on‑site by a sign as "Slumbering Mountain Cemetery"—sits on state land for which there is no active maintenance and that local volunteers have cared for the site for about a decade.

Lopez said the site was set aside in the 1880s and lies partly on State Land Office trust property; an adjacent Bureau of Land Management parcel also appears to contain unmarked graves. He said early talks with the state land office indicate a county control mechanism would likely be a 99‑year lease and added that New Mexico State University classes (anthropology, history) could help identify unmarked graves using ground‑penetrating radar and improve record keeping.

Dan Bragg, president of the Oregon Mountain Veterans Coffee Group, said volunteers have been maintaining the cemetery (he estimated 11 years of active care) and asked the county to help by installing a fence, improving the access road, adding walking paths and benches, and preserving the site’s historic character. "We're not looking for grass like they have out on Picacho. That's just not it. It needs to stay as original as possible with minor upgrades," Bragg said.

Jamie Michael of the county's Health and Human Services Department told commissioners the county already funds burial costs for unclaimed bodies (about $11,000 a year at St. Genevieve) and that the county might be able to partner with existing programs if cemetery space were used for certain burials. Representative Sarah Silva, who joined the meeting, said she has met with the state land office and the Department of Veterans Affairs and described strong state interest in a local stewardship plan.

Commissioners asked about acreage and possible veteran‑only sections; some suggested pursuing additional BLM acreage rather than limiting the effort to a single 5‑acre parcel. No formal vote was taken, but several commissioners gave informal nods to direct staff to work with the state land office and to return with a resolution codifying the county’s role. Steven Lopez confirmed staff will follow up with a plan and keep the volunteer group involved.

Next steps: staff will work with the state land office and BLM, explore a 99‑year lease for the cemetery land, produce a draft resolution for the board’s consideration, and return with a formal proposal and public discussion before taking legal action or agreeing to any long‑term transfer of stewardship.