Lots of good news as we wave goodbye to this year’s New Mexico legislative session, which ended at noon Thursday. Here’s a recap of some of the bills you lobbied your legislators on.
Fracking Threats to the Albuquerque Basin Aquifer
Geologist Donald Phillips helped turn the tide on the outcome of the Sandoval County Commission vote to approve the Stoddard/Heil oil and gas ordinance. Donald Phillips’ presentation summarizes the general geology of Sandoval County and the risks of contaminating drinking-water aquifers from horizontal drilling and fracking.
Interview with Susan Martin
Here’s an interview with Susan Martin, Rio Grande Chapter political chair, with Santa Fe station KTRC and Richard Eeds. (22 minutes). Susan explains how the Sierra Club goes about researching and endorsing candidates.
Health Impact Reports from Oil & Gas Well Exposure
The Navajo Nation Health Impact Report Summary on Oil & Gas Well Exposure is an environmental epidemiological report of how oil and gas development impacts the health of those living in the neighborhood.
State Trust Lands in the West
42 million acres of western state trust lands are an important public resource. Trust land managers uphold the fiduciary purpose of these lands for the designated beneficiaries—primarily K-12 public schools—and ensure the long-term sustainability of the trust. Read the 2015 report on State Trust Lands in the West, which describes the history and current uses for State Trust Lands’ income.
Global Warming Express fundraiser
Join Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter for a fundraiser for the Global Warming Express, a kid-founded climate-action group with a science-and-civics program in schools around the state.
How to get involved at the Roundhouse
Democracy doesn’t end with the vote; it begins with the vote. And your vote counts! Read Senator Peter Wirth’s Top 10 Tips for Citizen Advocacy at the New Mexico Legislature.
Trip report – Bandelier, January 13
Trip report, January 13 2018.
Carson National Forest jeopardizes its rivers
More than 100 free-flowing streams in northern New Mexico’s Carson National Forest are listed as Wild and Scenic. The Carson’s draft evaluation includes 61 river segments that were previously found eligible for designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, but that the Carson now considers non-eligible.
Final U.S. plan leaves wolves in trouble
Under court order, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its final version of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan in late November. Most of the 100,000 comments they received were concerned with the low number of wolves allowed in the plan and the declining genetic diversity of the wild population. Unfortunately, this plan fails to adequately address those concerns.