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JULY 26, 2000

President Clinton on Tuesday signed into law a bill that will allow the Pueblo of Santa Clara in New Mexico to buy 5,000 acres of land considered vital to the northern New Mexico tribe.

The law authorizes the government to spend $101 to buy the Baca Ranch, a 95,000-acre ranch which is home to elk, deer, trout, mountain lions and 17 endangered species of plants and animals.

Its also home to the headwaters of the Santa Clara Creek, which the Pueblo uses the creek for drinking water and irrigation. It also holds religious and cultural significance to the tribe.

The Lannan Foundation of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has agreed to provide a grant of about $4.5 million to the Pueblo. The amount represents an estimation provided by the federal government.

Representatives of the tribe were present along with members of New Mexico's Congressional delegation on Tuesday to commemorate the deal. The ranch's owners, the Dunigan family of Texas, were also on hand.

Relevant Links:
From Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico - The Valles Caldera Preservation Act and Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act