New Mexico & El Paso
On Friday, Oct. 1, members of the Greater Chaco Coalition delivered stacks of comments representing nearly 2-million protests collected since 2016 opposing federal fossil fuel leasing to the Bureau of Land Management’s state headquarters in Santa Fe. Representatives once again shared a timeline of extractive colonialism in New Mexico and once again, urged agency officials to stop sacrificing more New Mexico land for oil and gas.
Election day is November 2, and in odd-numbered years like this, we vote on non-partisan elections, which include municipal and certain other local elections. The Rio Grande Chapter has endorsed mayoral and city council candidates in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces. In addition, the Chapter has endorsed candidates for the Boards of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which do great conservation work at the local level. Finally, we have endorsed candidates for the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Directors, which is ground zero for equity issues and climate education. Read about the endorsements here, and please vote!
AlbuquerqueTim Keller, MayorLan Sena, City Council District 1Cynthia Borrego, City Council District 5Tammy Fiebelkorn, City Council District 7Rob Grilley, City Council District 9 Albuquerque Public SchoolsEmma Jones, District 5Josefina (Josie) Dominguez, District 6Julie Brenning, District 7 Santa FeAlan Webber, MayorSigne
A broad coalition of New Mexico advocates today applauded Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for announcing an executive order to protect 30% of the state’s land by 2030. The order—titled “Protecting New Mexico’s Lands, Watersheds, Wildlife, and Natural Heritage”—is a critical step to conserving the state’s treasured landscapes and biodiversity for generations to come, while bolstering our economy, expanding access to the outdoors, and increasing opportunities for hunting and fishing.
A coalition of New Mexico community, environmental, and justice organizations warned state and federal lawmakers of the risks of diving head-first into fossil-fueled hydrogen projects. The groups’ letter provides guidance on the context and safeguards that must be enacted before hydrogen projects are considered in the San Juan Basin, and in New Mexico generally. The oil and gas industry has lobbied for billions in taxpayer funds for hydrogen in the coming federal infrastructure bill, and states, including New Mexico, are scrambling to win those funds for “hydrogen hubs.” But hydrogen derived from fossil gas presents significant climate and health dangers, driving new methane, carbon dioxide and other emissions as well as a massive new market for fracked gas, just when scientists tell us it is most urgent to dramatically scale back our consumption of fossil fuels.
Senator Martin Heinrich released a letter yesterday to several environmental groups confirming that he supports ending federal subsidies to oil and gas companies. Heinrich’s message came in response to a letter from environmental groups and lawmakers across the state, who have been urging lawmakers to take action on subsidies as part of the upcoming spending packages.
Nearly a month after delivering a letter to New Mexico Sens. Martin Heinrich (D) and Ben Ray Luján (D), lawmakers and environmental advocates held a press conference to demand a response from the senators and a commitment to oppose the inclusion of fossil fuel subsidies in the federal budget reconciliation package.
September Friday, September 17: Tree Spring Trail Hike. This hike is a 3.7-mile out-and-back trail and 944 feet of elevation gain. A great hike with shade on most of the trail and a scenic view at the top—great for a
Join us for outings, work projects and other outdoor-oriented events.
Join us online for a juried recycled art exhibition. Of 77 entries, 35 were chosen and are listed in order of the 6 prize winners and then alphabetical by artist. Twelve of the entries are for sale, the price included in the title. All sales benefit the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter.