House Joint Memorial 5, introduced by Anita Gonzales and Elizabeth "Liz" Stefanics, calls on the New Mexico State Legislature to support federal actions aimed at permanently protecting the upper Pecos watershed. The memorial highlights the critical importance of the Pecos River for local communities, agriculture, and the environment, emphasizing its role in sustaining acequias and traditional farming practices. It also underscores the watershed's recreational value and its cultural significance to the descendants of Pecos Pueblo and the Pueblo of Tesuque. The memorial expresses strong support for the Pecos Watershed Protection Act, which aims to safeguard the area from mining activities that could harm its ecosystems.

The memorial further urges the legislature to recognize the historical and spiritual ties of local Indigenous communities to the region and to advocate for collaborative efforts among agencies and stakeholders to ensure the watershed's long-term health. It calls for the withdrawal of specific lands from federal mining and mineral leasing laws to protect this sensitive area, which has already suffered from past mining impacts. The resolution seeks to balance conservation, cultural preservation, and economic prosperity while transmitting copies of the memorial to relevant federal and state officials.