SANTA FE, NM – The New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) is awarding over $1 million in grant funding for beautification and litter reduction initiatives to a record 71 partners for fiscal year 2026.
Roughly 67 percent of grant funding in FY26 is dedicated towards the program goals of reducing waste, beautifying communities and eliminating litter. The remaining grant funding will be directed towards youth empowerment initiatives and increasing local program capacity.
"Observing the number of communities participating in this program continue to grow demonstrates there is a real need for cleanup and beautification efforts, and we're grateful to contribute to those efforts through this program," said Acting Secretary Lancing Adams.
A focus for the program in FY26 will be beautification and cleanup partnerships with educational institutions. NMTD is awarding six grants to educational institutions and school systems, totaling $91,969.
Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Pojoaque and Pueblo of Santo Domingo were each selected as grant recipients, totaling $43,022 in grant funding for tribal partners in FY26.
One of the key features of the Clean and Beautiful Grant Program is how it provides space for grant recipients to embrace creativity while meeting the program's mission to end littering, reduce waste, beautify communities, empower youth and increase program capacity.
One proposed FY26 project that demonstrates how this program empowers recipients to embrace creativity came from Luna County which plans to upcycle old wine barrels into waste receptacles. Another proposed project comes from the New Mexico Academy for the Media Arts which will orchestrate opportunities for students to beautify communities through the creation of Route 66-themed murals.
Click here for a full list of New Mexico Clean and Beautiful grant recipients for FY26.
NMTD issued $1 million in grant funding to 67 recipients in FY25. More information about the Clean and Beautiful Grant Program is available at www.NewMexico.org/industry.
