In accordance with the Santa Fe County (County) Road Settlement Agreements, the County, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Pueblos of Nambe, Tesuque, Pojoaque, and San Ildefonso are in the process of establishing rights-of-way (ROWs) along several existing County-maintained roads (CMRs). The ROWs are located on the four Pueblos (see Vicinity Map). The purpose of establishing the ROWs under the Settlement Agreements is to resolve claims that existing CMRs may be in trespass on Pueblo lands, provide agreed-upon legal ingress and egress on public roads, and ensure the long-term maintenance of these roads.
The Settlement Agreements were an outgrowth of the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act and Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision (see https://sites.google.com/site/pbwatereis/documents/project-reports). The Settlement Agreements were approved by the Board of County Commissioners through Resolution 2018 – 13, A Resolution Approving the Road Settlement Agreements, and by individual resolutions executed by each of the Pueblos (see https://www.santafecountynm.gov/public_works/road_settlement_agreements). The Settlement Agreements with the Pueblos of San Ildefonso and Nambe will place the existing CMRs on the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory as BIA-owned roads. The Settlement Agreements with the Pueblos of Tesuque and Pojoaque will establish the CMRs as County-owned ROWs. The ROW transfers are a wholly administrative action. No improvements or alterations are currently proposed under the Proposed Action.
In order to fulfill its obligations under the Settlement Agreements, the County is preparing environmental documentation for the proposed ROW transfers in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other applicable environmental laws and authorities. The County has contracted with Ecosphere Environmental Services, Inc. (Ecosphere) to provide environmental documentation for the proposed action. To date, Ecosphere has completed biological and cultural resource surveys on the Pueblos of Nambe and Tesuque and the Pueblo of Pojoaque has completed its environmental documentation internally. The ROW surveys have not been complete on the Pueblo of San Ildefonso, so the environmental surveys have not been conducted.
Part of the NEPA process is to inform the community about the Proposed Action and obtain public input. To this end, public involvement opportunities will be held for each of the Pueblos (Nambe and Tesuque). This website has been developed to further the exchange of information.