Size:
5.5 acres
Location: Sandoval County
Eco-region: Rio Grande River Valley
Conservation Value: Agricultural land, scenic
open space, & wildlife habitat values
Type of Project: Purchased Conservation Easement
Date Completed: September 2008
Property Description: The Gonzales property was historically
part of the Town of Alameda Land grant. In 1710, a grant of the
Alameda lands was given to Corporal Francisco Montes Vigil, a
soldier in the Spanish army. The Alameda Land Grant, which was
comprised of over 100, 000 acres, provided clear title of ownership
for all property within the Village of Corrales. Vigil was unable
to settle on his grant as required by Spanish law so, in 1712,
he sold it to Captain Juan Gonzales Bas. Through the years the
land was subdivided among family members and many parcels were
sold, however, the tract recently purchased by the Village of
Corrales is part of a larger parcel of land that had remained
in the Gonzales family for centuries and had been continuously
farmed since 1712.
The acquisition was a joint effort between the Village of Corrales,
through its Farmland Preservation Program, and the New Mexico
Land Conservancy. Funding for the acquisition of the land was
provided by the Village through a local, voter approved general
obligation bond passed in 2003 in support of farmland and open
space preservation within the Village. Village bond measure funds
combined with matching funds from a federal grant from the U.S.
Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Farm and Ranch
Lands Protection Program were used to purchase the conservation
easement.
Property Photo:
