Cultural Affairs seeks modest recurring boost and one‑time funds for Fort Stanton, UNESCO nomination and field school

Secretary Garcia Griego of the Department of Cultural Affairs asked the Legislative Finance Committee for a modest recurring increase and a set of targeted one‑time investments to support museums, historic sites and preservation programs across New Mexico.

Garcia Griego said the department is seeking a base increase of about $1,900,000 in recurring general funds, which she described as a 4.13% step to stabilize operations that face declining earned revenue from attendance. "We are seeking a base increase of about $1,900,000 in our recurring general fund," she said, and outlined line items to replace nonrecurring health‑benefit changes and to cover cost increases passed through from other state service providers.

The request also includes nonrecurring approvals aimed at capital and program priorities. Garcia Griego highlighted a quarter‑million dollar request for a Fort Stanton master plan to guide use of a site that has seen more than $8 million in infrastructure investments in recent years; a separate quarter‑million request is aimed at producing a nomination package to seek UNESCO World Heritage designation for the U.S. portion of El Camino Real. She described other one‑time asks that include $600,000 to repatriate and transport paleontological specimens from out of state and $500,000 to expand an archaeological field school that drew more than 100 applicants for 35 slots in its first round.

Why it matters: the department manages museums, historic sites and statewide services that serve large numbers of residents — DCA reported about 1.33 million visitors and 430,000 children served last fiscal year — but faces lower earned revenue from site admissions. The nonrecurring proposals are positioned as investments to protect cultural resources, expand access in rural and tribal communities, and comply with federal deadlines.

Committee members pressed DCA on program details and value for money. Representative Chatfield and others sought specifics about the archaeological field school’s per‑participant cost and whether the curriculum could be scaled through higher‑education partnerships; Garcia Griego said DCA plans to discuss formal partnerships with colleges and tribal institutions to reduce per‑student costs over time. On repatriation and fossils, the secretary said the natural history museum would pursue loans and partnerships so recovered material could be displayed locally even if housed primarily in Albuquerque.

Dollars and next steps: Garcia Griego reported DCA expended about $14.7 million in capital outlay last fiscal year and has leveraged federal FEMA funds and other grants for fire mitigation at Fort Stanton and Los Luceros. The committee did not take a vote on the funding requests; staff follow‑ups were requested on program capacity, expected participants for the field school if expanded, and how the UNESCO nomination work would be scoped and procured.

The department also confirmed that the Museum Hill property purchase closed at $4.9 million after negotiation, and said an architect/engineer is working through code compliance with an education center ribbon‑cutting goal of December 2026.