Lujan Grisham, Salamanca Twins tout Great New Mexico Cleanup in Los Lunas

Los Lunas will be one of the local tests of whether New Mexico’s anti-litter push produces more than a photo op. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is set to join The Salamanca Twins and Village of Los Lunas leaders at Heritage Park on Saturday, April 18, where volunteers will target trash along the park and the nearby arroyo behind Smith’s.

The stop comes as the state’s Breaking Bad Habits campaign rolls out the Great New Mexico Cleanup on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18, 2026, calling it an effort to create the “largest coordinated cleanup in New Mexico history.” State officials say the campaign has already removed 10.5 million pounds of litter, with more than 19,000 volunteers taking part in 250 cleanups. In Los Lunas, the work is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Heritage Park, 3447 Lambros Rd SE.

For Valencia County residents, the stakes are practical: trash in the park and arroyo affects how the area looks, how it is used by families, and how much illegal dumping keeps piling up along visible corridors. The state campaign says residents can report litter and illegal dumping, submit their own cleanup events, and take a pledge to keep New Mexico clean and sustainable, a sign that officials are trying to turn one-day cleanups into a longer cleanup culture.

The state also says families with younger children are encouraged to clean up litter in their neighborhood, local parks or waterways, because children under 12 are not permitted on state highways for the effort. Collected trash will be hauled to the landfill by the New Mexico Department of Transportation, making the cleanup more than symbolic if the load leaves town and does not simply sit in bags after the cameras move on.

The Village of Los Lunas calendar lists the April 18 gathering as a notice of possible quorum, underscoring that local government is tied into the event as well. That matters in a community where residents can judge the campaign not by the speeches at Heritage Park, but by whether the arroyo behind Smith’s stays cleaner after Saturday, and whether the state’s promise of “we’re not done yet” becomes visible on the ground.