New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act

This bill establishes a process for New Mexico land grant communities (descendants of historic Spanish/Mexican land grants) to maintain traditional, noncommercial uses on federal land. It requires the Secretary of Agriculture or Interior to create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the New Mexico Land Grant Council, outlining procedures for permits, fee reductions based on community socioeconomic conditions, and coordination for activities like grazing, water access, cemetery maintenance, and small-scale gathering. The MOU must address routine infrastructure maintenance and include input from affected tribes when planning decisions impact traditional uses. The bill does not create new rights but streamlines existing processes for qualified land grant-merced communities to continue historical uses under federal land management rules.