The Hispanic descendants generally held title to the lands they used for irrigated agriculture, but exerted their rights to access larger properties, usually owned by Anglos, for grazing, timber, and other uses.
al.[6] In 1977, Romero Otero co-founded the Land Rights Council (LRC) in Chama, Colorado, and was elected president.
[10] The LRC formed to reestablish traditional "usufructory rights" and allow local people to access the land.
In November 2018, the Colorado Court of Appeals permanently reaffirmed the rights of Chicano and Mexican descendants to use the land in La Sierra.
They continue legal battles with the current owner, William Harrison, who purchased the Cielo Vista Ranch in 2018 for $105 million.
[2] In 2018, Romero Otero received a Lifetime Achievement award from the state of New Mexico for her leadership in the Land Grant struggle.
[13] In 2021, she was honored with the César Chávez Latino Leadership Hall of Fame Award from the Denver Public Library.