WHEREAS, In 1829, Antonio Armijo, a merchant from Santa Fe, led 60 men and approximately 100 mules on known Native American and later Fur Trappers/Traders trails northward through northwestern New Mexico, southwestern Colorado, southern Utah, northern Arizona, and southern Nevada, across the Mojave Desert into the San Gabriel Mission, and finally to the Los Angeles Plaza where their goods were sold or exchanged; and

WHEREAS, The Old Spanish Trail was used successfully as a major Southwestern Trade and Migration Route between 1829 and 1848 in delivering Native American, Spanish, and Mexican goods along the approximately 3,500 miles of the trail that helped enable the settlement of the west; and

WHEREAS, The Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization supported by a broad membership in 27 states and 13 local chapters in the six Old Spanish Trail States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) and England; and

WHEREAS, The Old Spanish Trail became the 15th National Historic Trail when Congress adopted S. 1946 in November 2002 and 2002, which President George W. Bush signed it into law in December 2002; and

WHEREAS, It is the Mission mission of OSTA to study, preserve, protect, interpret, educate, and promote respectful use of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail and closely related historic routes, as well as promoting and to promote public awareness of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail and its multicultural heritage by encouraging research, publication, and partnering with governments and private historical, educational, and tourist organizations; and

WHEREAS, California recognizes and commends OSTA for its efforts to study, preserve, protect, interpret, educate, and promote respectful use of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail and its multicultural heritage; now, therefore, be it