Baca Signs Agreement for South Valley Air Monitor

Bernalillo County has signed a three-year contract to fund local air quality monitoring in the South Valley and Mountain View.

Commissioner Frank Baca announced the partnership on Nov. 4. The agreement involves the Air We Share Project, a community-driven initiative. Baca, who represents District 2, directed $129,678 of district funds toward the effort. The financial terms were finalized on Oct. 29, 2026, following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on Oct. 13, 2026.

The project team will use the funding to hire technical staff. These employees will deploy and maintain air monitoring instruments already acquired by the group. The team will also build a public data dashboard and purchase calibration tools. All data collection will follow the project’s Quality Assurance Project Plan and Quality Management Plan.

Leadership of the Air We Share Project has changed. It began under the Environmental Justice Leadership Team of the Friends of Valle De Oro. The Los Jardines Institute now heads the group. The Natural Resources Department of Isleta Pueblo and the Air We Share Advisory Committee also share leadership roles. Technical experts from local colleges provide support. The Southwest Research and Information Center will handle financial sponsorship and reporting.

County officials started working with the community in late 2024. The process took time to meet procurement rules and secure a financial sponsor. The Natural Resource Services Section of Bernalillo County Public Works recently completed the necessary steps to formalize the partnership.

This agreement is part of a wider set of county actions in Mountain View. Other current efforts include the Mountain View Sector Planning framework. The county is also producing an Environmental Inventory and GAP Mapping report. A large park facility off Shirk Lane was recently acquired as part of these initiatives.