Cross-State Collaboration

There is momentum for joint workforce development programs (e.g. a two-state Permian job training center, cross-border apprenticeships in trades needed by oil/gas and construction). Transportation planning is another area ripe for partnership – New Mexico and Texas are coordinating on a potential extension of Interstate 27 that would improve connectivity from the Panhandle into southeastern NM. By speaking as a region, local leaders can attract more state and federal investment (for example, the Permian Road Safety Coalition secured over $3 million for first responders’ equipment by highlighting regional road accident data). Embracing a regional mindset can make small communities more competitive for big projects.

Joint Tourism Initiatives

A coordinated approach to tourism promotion could greatly benefit all counties. Packaging attractions into regional itineraries (e.g. a “Southeast NM Loop” that includes White Sands, Lincoln’s Billy the Kid country, Carlsbad Caverns, and Roswell’s UFO Museum) encourages visitors to extend their stay and spend more across the area. Local governments and chambers have an opportunity to pool marketing budgets and create unified branding (much like northern NM did with the “Enchanting Circle” and “Turquoise Trail”). Additionally, events can be co-hosted or staggered across counties to distribute economic benefits – for instance, a week-long bike rally that starts in Artesia (Eddy) and ends in Ruidoso (Lincoln).

Economic Diversification & Innovation:

The region can leverage its unique assets to diversify its economy in partnership with others. For example, carbon management and clean energy present new growth avenues. Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) is developing one of the nation’s largest direct air carbon capture facilities in the Permian Basin, spanning 2.8 million acres in Texas/New Mexico. Southeastern NM could attract auxiliary investments (research labs, CO₂ pipeline infrastructure, etc.) by coordinating with Texas on incentives and sites for carbon storage hubs. Likewise, the aerospace sector offers promise: Roswell’s expansive airfield and Alamogordo’s proximity to Spaceport America (just two hours west) mean the region could host space industry suppliers or UAV (drone) testing—especially if counties band together to provide needed amenities. The Department of Defense’s new focus on unmanned aerial systems has already led Holloman AFB to consider new missions, and a multi-county effort to establish a “Drone Corridor” for testing could draw high-tech firms. In short, by pursuing innovative industries as a region, southeastern NM can achieve scale and synergies that single counties could not manage alone.

Regional Resource Management

Opportunities also exist in managing natural resources jointly. Water, for instance, is a critical constraint in this arid region. Efforts like the Pecos Watershed Partnership already bring multiple counties (and Texas stakeholders) together to improve water quality and supply in the Pecos River basin. Expanding such collaborations to include Lincoln/Otero (for the Rio Hondo and Tularosa Basin) could attract federal support for water infrastructure (dams, pipelines, recycling) benefiting wide areas. Similarly, the region’s electric cooperatives are exploring connecting to the broader Western grid and developing community solar projects that could serve multi-county areas. By pooling demand and resources, rural communities can gain projects (like a multi-county solar farm or shared backup power systems) that individually they couldn’t. These efforts increase resilience and ensure the region’s long-term sustainability.

Adopt a Regional Mindset in Planning & Investment

Multi-county projects, shared planning capacity, and coordinated funding models must be prioritized over isolated, single-jurisdiction approaches.

Formalize Crossstate Collaboration Where Industry Already Operates.

Energy, agriculture, defense, and tourism function as regional systems, not local ones. Support mechanisms like MOUs with West Texas, joint grant pursuit, and coordinated workforce programs to address infrastructure, housing, and education needs at the scale they actually exist.

Target Regional Impact Projects Instead of Singlepoint Solutions

Infrastructure strain, workforce shortages, rural healthcare gaps, and housing pressures exceed the capacity of individual communities.

Leverage Strengths to Diversify the Economy.

Regional partnerships can unlock major growth areas like renewable energy transmission, tourism loops, bi-state supply chains, ag-tomarket expansion, and export-oriented manufacturing.

State and National Economic Context

As we focus on the local region, it is vital to understand how southeastern New Mexico stacks up against broader state and national benchmarks, and the outsized role this region plays in New Mexico’s and the United States’ economy. This section compares key economic indicators for the five-county region to state and U.S. averages, and it details the region’s contributions to state and national economic output. The picture that emerges is of a region that punches above its weight in certain areas (like energy and agriculture), while lagging in others (income levels, diversification) – underlining opportunities for strategic improvement.