DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, NEW MEXICO

What DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, NEW MEXICO does

The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division (HPD) is the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for New Mexico, established in 1969 through the Cultural Properties Act and operating as a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. HPD administers statewide preservation programs including the State Register of Cultural Properties (1,985+ listed properties), National Register nominations, archaeological permitting, Section 106 federal compliance reviews, historic preservation tax credits (state and federal), Cultural Properties Restoration Fund grants, and Tribal Consultation services. Its core technology platform is the New Mexico Cultural Resource Information System (NMCRIS), an online portal for project submissions and records management that launched a Public Portal in February 2026 to replace email-based intake. Supporting infrastructure includes SiteWatch, a volunteer site steward network using the SWORD online reporting database, organized across 7 active chapters statewide.

HPD serves a defined set of public-sector constituencies: federal agencies (NPS, BLM, USFS, FHWA, DOE, DOD, EPA) requiring Section 106 compliance; New Mexico state agencies requiring project review; 12 Certified Local Governments receiving grant funding and technical assistance; Native American tribes and pueblos for tribal consultation and THPO coordination; private property owners seeking tax credits and Register listings; and archaeological consultants requiring permits and SHPO Directory qualification. The agency is funded through annual state appropriations as part of the Department of Cultural Affairs budget and federal pass-through funding from the NPS Historic Preservation Fund, with 10% of NPS allocations mandated for the CLG grant program.

The business model is a non-commercial regulatory and service model with no pricing for primary services; grants flow outward to CLGs (approximately $80,000 disbursed in 2017), while tax credits and preservation easements function as fiscal incentives rather than agency revenue. Distribution occurs through the Santa Fe headquarters (407 Galisteo Street, Suite 236), the NMCRIS Public Portal, bi-monthly CPRC meetings in-person and via Zoom, and the SiteWatch volunteer network. HPD is led by State Historic Preservation Officer Michelle Ensey with a staff of approximately 27, supported by key personnel including State Archaeologist Cortney Wands, Architectural Review lead Gretchen Brock, and Archaeological Review lead Geoff Cunnar.

Name

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, NEW MEXICO

Legal name

New Mexico Historic Preservation Division

Website

https://nmhistoricpreservation.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division (HPD) is the state's official Historic Preservation Office, administering statewide programs for registering cultural properties, issuing archaeological permits, conducting Section 106 federal compliance reviews, and providing grants and tax credits. It serves federal and state agencies, 12 Certified Local Governments, Native American tribes, property owners, and archaeological consultants across New Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Historic preservation services
• Cultural resource management
• Archaeological permitting
• State historic preservation
• Preservation grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: HPD is funded through annual state appropriations as part of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs budget
2. National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund: SiteWatch program is funded through annual appropriations from the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund; 10% of NPS funding must be allocated to CLG grant programs
3. Federal Pass-Through Funding: Administration of federal preservation programs including National Register nominations, Section 106 reviews, and tax credit programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division (HPD) serves as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), administering regulatory and incentive programs for identifying, evaluating, and protecting the state's archaeological, historic, and cultural resources. Core offerings include the State Register of Cultural Properties, National Register nominations, archaeological permits (General, Project-Specific, Mechanical Excavation, Unmarked Human Burial), Section 106 compliance reviews, Historic Preservation Tax Credits (state and federal), Cultural Properties Restoration Fund grants, the Certified Local Government program, and the SiteWatch volunteer monitoring network.

Product overview

The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division (HPD) operates as the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), providing a comprehensive suite of regulatory, permitting, and incentive programs for cultural resource management. The core technology platform is NMCRIS (New Mexico Cultural Resource Information System), which serves as the unified portal for project submissions, compliance reviews, and permit applications. Supporting this platform is SiteWatch, a volunteer monitoring network utilizing the SWORD reporting database. The product portfolio includes: archaeological permitting (General, Project-Specific, Mechanical Excavation, and Burial permits); State and National Register administration; Historic Preservation Tax Credits (state and federal); Cultural Properties Restoration Fund Grants; Official Scenic Historic Markers; Section 106 federal compliance reviews; Tribal Consultation services; and the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program for local government certification. The division also conducts education and outreach through Heritage Preservation Month events and the annual Archaeology Fair.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NMCRIS (New Mexico Cultural Resource Information System) Online portal system for submitting cultural resource projects, applications, and documentation for HPD review, including Section 106 compliance, archaeological permits, tax credit applications, and SHPO directory submissions. Used by federal agencies, local governments, tribes, and archaeological consultants.
• SiteWatch Volunteer Monitoring Program Network of trained citizen volunteers who monitor prehistoric and historic resources on public, private, and tribal lands using the SWORD (SiteWatch Online Reporting Database) system. Operates 7 active chapters statewide.
• Archaeological Permits Program Permit programs issued by the CPRC for archaeological investigations including General Archaeological Investigation Permits, Project-Specific permits, Mechanical Excavation permits, and Unmarked Human Burial excavation permits.
• State and National Register of Cultural Properties Administration of the State Register of Cultural Properties (authorized 1969) with 1,985+ listed properties and coordination with the National Register of Historic Places (authorized 1966), including nomination processing and property listing.
• Historic Preservation Tax Credits State and federal financial incentive programs for approved restorations and rehabilitation of historic properties, administered under NMAC 4.10.9. Available to property owners undertaking qualifying rehabilitation work.
• Cultural Properties Restoration Fund Grants Grant program for restoration and preservation of cultural properties, with annual application deadlines and matching fund requirements.
• Certified Local Government (CLG) Program Certification program enabling 12 local governments to participate in national and state historic preservation programs, with requirements for preservation ordinances and local preservation commissions. 10% of NPS Historic Preservation Fund allocation is distributed through this program.
• Section 106 Review Federal compliance review process for projects using federal funds or requiring federal permits, evaluating effects on historic properties under the National Historic Preservation Act.
• Tribal Consultation Services Consultation services with Native American tribes and pueblos for proposed projects, including county-by-county contact lists and THPO coordination.
• SHPO Requests for Proposals Procurement process for historic preservation research and planning projects, including historic land research and planning within land grants.
• Official Scenic Historic Markers Program for designating and installing official scenic historic markers throughout New Mexico, including the Historic Women Marker Initiative.

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPS provides annual Historic Preservation Fund appropriations to HPD. SiteWatch program is funded through NPS allocations. NPS administers the National Register of Historic Places under the Interior Secretary. HPD forwards National Register nominations to the Keeper of the National Register for federal approval.
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLM provides funding for SiteWatch program and sponsors the Northwest New Mexico Site Stewards chapter administered by Salmon Ruins Museum. BLM works with HPD on Section 106 reviews for projects on BLM-managed lands.
• United States Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFS provides funding for SiteWatch program. The Santa Fe National Forest Site Stewards program operates in affiliation with SiteWatch. USFS participates in cultural resource reviews for projects on national forest lands.
• Site Steward Foundation, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that manages resources to support stewardship, conservation and education activities in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. The Foundation supports both SiteWatch and Santa Fe National Forest Site Stewards.
• Santa Fe National Forest Site StewardsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMonitors archaeological resources in Santa Fe National Forest. Self-administered with input from USFS representatives. Affiliated with SiteWatch but not administered by HPD.
• Northwest New Mexico Site StewardsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMonitors archaeological resources in San Juan County. Sponsored by BLM Farmington Field Office and administered by Salmon Ruins Museum. Affiliated with SiteWatch but not administered by HPD.
• Albuquerque Archaeological SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchaeological society partner in SiteWatch ecosystem
• Torrance County Archaeological SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchaeological society partner operating within Torrance County SiteWatch chapter
• Grant County Archaeological SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchaeological society partner in SiteWatch ecosystem
• Taos Archaeological SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchaeological society partner in SiteWatch ecosystem
• The Archaeological ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit that acquires and preserves archaeological sites; partner in land management agency network
• Statistical Research, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelected for Historic Land Research Planning project within San Antonio de las Huertas Land Grant (RFP 23-505-7088-50145). Contract awarded January 2023 for cultural resources survey, archaeological survey, and historic report.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Salmon Ruins Museum: Northwest New Mexico archaeological museum that administers the BLM-sponsored Northwest New Mexico Site Stewards chapter — explicitly affiliated with HPD's SiteWatch program. A direct operational peer in the volunteer monitoring network.

Others

• Statistical Research, Inc. Cultural resource management consulting firm contracted by HPD (RFP 23-505-7088-50145) for historic land research planning. Represents the ecosystem of archaeological consulting firms that HPD regulates through permitting and SHPO Directory qualification.

Direct peers

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Private nonprofit chartered by Congress that works to save America's historic places. While broader in national scope, the Trust operates in the same preservation ecosystem as HPD, runs grant programs, and partners with state and local preservation offices on preservation advocacy.
• Texas Historical Commission: Texas's state agency for historic preservation operating as the SHPO. Functions as a direct peer administering the same National Register, Section 106, tax credit, and CLG programs at larger scale in a neighboring Southwestern state.
• The Archaeological Conservancy: National nonprofit that acquires and preserves archaeological sites, explicitly listed as an HPD partner in land management. The Conservancy directly overlaps with HPD's mission of archaeological site preservation and operates in New Mexico and surrounding states.
• Colorado History Colorado: State of Colorado's combined state historic preservation office and state museum. It is the most directly analogous peer — a sister SHPO administering the same federal preservation programs in an adjacent Rocky Mountain state with similar cultural resource profiles.
• Arizona State Historic Preservation Office: Arizona's state historic preservation office and a regional SHPO peer operating in a culturally and geographically adjacent jurisdiction with overlapping tribal consultation and archaeological resource challenges.

Broad incumbents

• New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs: HPD's parent state agency that oversees multiple museums, cultural centers, and historic sites statewide. As the umbrella organization, it provides budget oversight, legal services, and IT infrastructure for HPD's operations.
• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP): Independent federal agency that advises the President and Congress on historic preservation policy and oversees the Section 106 review process. ACHP sets the federal framework within which HPD operates, making it the principal policy and procedural counterpart for Section 106 work.
• National Park Service (Historic Preservation Fund): Federal agency that funds and oversees the State Historic Preservation Officer program nationwide. NPS administers the National Register of Historic Places and provides the Historic Preservation Fund appropriations that fund HPD — the direct federal counterpart and principal funding partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCC3ySEbmdJJKAeWyVihM0Kg
• Facebookfacebook.com/nmhistoricpreservation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-cultural-affairs-new-mexico

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, NEW MEXICO