Proposed Mescalero Apache land swap changes locations

LAS CRUCES – A proposed exchange of state trust land with the Mescalero Apache Tribe near Las Cruces that stoked controversy late in 2025 has shifted, with the tribe looking instead at a parcel of public land near the Doña Ana County Fairgrounds.

County Manager Scott Andrews acknowledged the change during last Tuesday’s meeting of the county commissioners, and on Wednesday, Feb. 11, the State Land Office gave notice of a public meeting to gather public input on the 25th.

A map provided by the State Land Office showed the parcel under consideration is located south of Interstate 10, just east of the fairgrounds and west of the scenic overlook known for its landmark roadrunner statue assembled from recycled materials overlooking Las Cruces. 

Andrews also confirmed that the county is in discussions with the tribe about a potential “partnership” involving an amphitheater planned for the former speedway at the fairgrounds. The project is part of a $35 million general obligation bond approved by voters last year to fund upgrades at the fairgrounds located west of town.

“There will be a (memorandum of understanding),” Andrews said during the meeting. “That MoU will not go to the board until next month.”

Andrews said he was not speaking on behalf of the Mescalero Apache tribal government.

The tribe is holding sessions with members and a government session later this month to address the land exchange and a possible partnership with the county,  County Chairman Manuel Sanchez said during the meeting. 

The Mescalero Apache Tribe did not respond to a query from the Journal.

The potential ancestral land exchange – which would be the third since Public Lands Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard took office in 2019 – initially focused on approximately 330 acres of undeveloped state trust land in east Las Cruces.

The proposal would have involved a transfer of state-owned land to the tribe, in exchange for the tribe purchasing land of equivalent appraised value to trade with the State Land Office, which manages leases of state lands to derive revenue for public schools, hospitals and other beneficiaries of the state land trust.

The parcel was south of Tortugas Mountain, also known as “A” Mountain, a sacred site for the Tortuga Pueblo and a popular day-hike location. Neighboring residents and community members filled the hall at a November public input meeting, with most participants speaking against a potential exchange and expressing concerns about potential commercial development, impacts on water flows and traffic in the area. 

The tribe did not rule out commercial development of the land, but acknowledged it would be an expensive undertaking given the topography and lack of infrastructure at the site. Rumors swirled that the tribe might develop a casino or other venue, despite governing council president Thora Walsh-Padilla making a statement last fall that a casino “is not something we want to pursue.” 

Terence Johnson was among the neighbors who urged the tribe to look for ancestral lands elsewhere that might be suited for future development if the tribe so chose. On Wednesday, he said he felt grateful that the SLO and the tribe had reconsidered.

“This will be the compromise we all can live with,” he told the Journal.

The decision on an exchange of state trust land ultimately falls to Garcia Richard herself, but she has said public input – required under a 2019 law that Garcia Richard herself championed – would be a factor in her decision. “I want it to be informed by the people that are going to be impacted directly,” she said at the previous Las Cruces meeting.

The upcoming meeting is scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. It will also be accessible remotely by video conference.

Algernon D’Ammassa is the Journal’s southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.