On Monday, the Environmental Improvement Board approved a fee increase for air permits for the first time since 2009! This will double the agency’s enforcement budget.  We joined our partners with Western Environmental Law Center, EarthWorks and New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light to support the rules.

The same day we, along with partners, filed a protest at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opposing the methane gas pipeline that would feed Project Jupiter’s mega gas-fired power plant project in Dona Ana County.  We called for the denial of the permit and called for a full environmental impact review.

On Tuesday we joined a huge coalition of groups in opposing yet another attempt by the oil and gas industry to solve its liquid, toxic waste problem by again pushing for rules to use “produced water” outside oil and gas operations.  The Water Quality Control Commission will make a ruling on whether to take up this industry rulemaking at their meeting in May.

Thanks to all of you who are taking action on these important issues!

And we need to continue to build our base of support for protecting our little corner of the planet and we could use your help.  Here’s how you can help this Earth Month:

Thursday, April 23rd 10am- 2:30 pm (RSVP)

UNM Sustainability Fair

• HELP US STAFF THE SIERRA CLUB TABLE: Sign up here morning and pm slots available. Right now afternoon/pm slots are needed.

Sunday, April 26th, 10am – 3pm (Tickets | Be en Energy Guide | Volunteer)

EARTH DAY FESTIVAL 2026 ALBUQUERQUE – SIGN UP TO BE AN ENERGY GUIDE!

We can’t wait to see you at the 3rd annual Earth Day Festival at Balloon Fiesta Park. Help spread the word on Facebook.  Get your tickets or help out as a general event Volunteer.  But if you want help people make a climate difference at home:

Sign up to be an Energy Guide helping people find vendors and experts here.

Then, join us on April 23 from Noon – 1pm on NMClimateCorps for a pre-event volunteer training where you will learn how to greet and guide people at the festival to rebates and incentives to make their homes and transportation clean, comfortable, convenient and cost-effective. Sign up for Earth Day Pre-Event Energy Guides Training here.

On February 23rd we lost Eleanor Eisenmenger, a transplant from New York City, a music booster and connoisseur, animal lover and environmental champion.  Her loss is deeply felt.

For many years I could always rely on Eleanor Eisenmenger, who died Feb. 23, to join us in canvassing precincts in and around Santa Fe, and on occasion even in Albuquerque. Chauffeured by Tom Gorman,  Eleanor struck an elegant style knocking on doors and delivering the pitch. I doubt many folks resisted her ask.

Two years ago, after we had divvied up a precinct for Alma Castro in her successful run for Santa Fe City Council, Eleanor finished her turf in a way that left her temporarily stranded. Seeing a car she believed part of the campaign, she in effect successfully hitchhiked her way back to the starting spot. Try that when you’re in your 90s!

Last year I visited Eleanor in the hospital as she recovered from a spill. As I was leaving she said, “Be sure to save some doors for me to knock on.” I will always oblige that request.

Read Eleanor’s obituary that ran in the Santa Fe New Mexican here

I met Eric Patterson at a Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge cabin where Rio Grande Chapter volunteers and staff stay for chapter meetings.

Within minutes of walking through the door, Eric had somehow determined that I had gone to high school with his son thousands of miles away. That became part of Eric’s go-to introduction at chapter meetings:

“I’m Eric Patterson. I live in beautiful downtown Valdez, NM. I run our Water Sentinels Rio de Taos program, and I’m the only one here who cared enough to attend Mona’s high-school graduation.”

That intro concisely described Eric: Always with the jokes; loving his life with his wife and garden in his tiny rural Northern New Mexico town; leading truly impactful work by teaching students to protect our waterways; and always seeking out new people and making them feel comfortable, special and seen.

Eric passed away in December at the far-too-young age of 82, leaving behind his wife, Nora, sons Jason, Tad and Eric, four grandchildren and a newborn great-grandchild he met in November. His life of education, friendship, water-monitoring and joy was celebrated by many friends and family in January in Taos.

Below are a few memories from Water Sentinels colleagues:

Shannon Romeling, Water Sentinels, Amigos Bravos:
I met Eric in 2013, new to my job, when he taught water-quality training for the Water Sentinels with my colleague. His style of making the training fun, emphasizing “safety first” and using practical examples to explain different aspects of water quality were the pillars I carried on over the years as Eric began to retire and I took over the trainings.

I really started to get to know Eric when he took me out to sample water on the Red River. This was to teach me the sites and to solidify and practice what had been taught during the training. I don’t remember the many things we talked about in the car that day. But I remember laughing hard, feeling supported and knowing I was in the right place at that moment in time.

Shortly after that, he also introduced me to volunteering for the Sierra Club and prepared me to take over one of his positions. I still volunteer with the Sierra Club, and I will always have him to thank for the valuable experiences and friends that come with that work.

Over the 13 years I knew Eric, he became family. He invited my family over every year for his birthday to pick raspberries and eat his homemade ice cream. He came to my wedding, and even as we saw each other less through work and the Sierra Club, he always called to check on me and congratulate me on life milestones. His enthusiasm for life was infectious, and I will miss it. In the space left by his loss, I hope to carry even a part of his enthusiasm for life to others.

Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos:
Eric walked into the Amigos Bravos office 20 years ago with a proposal to start a local water-quality sampling program.

It was his vision, his energy and his connection to the Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels that got our program up and running. We started small, focusing mostly on the Rio Hondo those first couple of years. But now the program has expanded to sample three to four times a year in seven streams in the Taos area and now also includes numerous sampling sites in the Pecos, Gila, and San Juan drainages. This is Eric’s legacy to clean water in New Mexico – being a forerunner of citizen water-quality sampling across the state.

To give context to how critical citizen water quality sampling is, the state Environment Department only has the resources to sample rivers and streams once every 9-10 years. Without leaders like Eric making citizen monitoring possible, we wouldn’t know year to year if many of the streams in Taos County are safe to swim in, irrigate from or safe for wildlife and livestock to drink. Eric’s legacy lives on in our annual sampling program.

Eric was passionate both about gathering the data to make sure our waters were safe and about the science of water chemistry. I will always remember the many volunteer sampling trainings we conducted and the joy he had when he could fully embody his high-school science teacher self and explain the chemistry of dissolved oxygen or pH.

Over the years, my family got to know Eric and Nora through visits to their garden, raspberry patch, chickens, apple trees and hot tub. And oh, the tractor rides! My two boys just adored getting to ride the big orange tractor with Eric.

Eric had a big heart. Both our local rivers and my family are better off because of his generosity with his time, knowledge and love.

Teresa Seamster, Sierra Club, Water Sentinels:

I have lots of memories of Eric:

“Bad data is worse than no data.”

“Nora has her way of getting water and I have mine — you pick!”

“Always check the parking lots for runoff (into rivers).”

“Food is on the table!”

Eric got me started on testing the upper Pecos five years ago, and I will always bless his memory for opening this world of water protection to me and the wonderful team of volunteers and advocates we have in Pecos.

Teresa’s article on Water Sentinels in Pecos
Article in Sierra Magazine
Eric’s Sierra Club National Service Award

Southern New Mexico Group Project Jupiter Raises Concerns Over Pollution, Transparency. Beware the Sleight of Hand. If Something Seems “Too Good to Be True,” It’s Worth Investigating

The 21st century has seen an advancement in technology like no other point in history, but due to the rapid pace of these advancements, we are often unaware of the potential downsides. State and federal governments have taken certain steps when it comes to the supervision and regulation of emerging technologies, but these steps are often insufficient to address potential risks. Worse, the public is often left unaware and uninformed.

Project Jupiter — a massive new data center planned for Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico — is an example of private companies rushing ahead with development without adequate oversight and transparency.      The developers promise to bring significant monetary investment and job opportunities. But there has been a troubling lack of transparency about the project, which is especially worrisome given how fast the project is moving.

There’s no doubt that the regional economies of the El Paso-Las Cruces area are going to see massive changes if the project moves forward. But the environmental harms may be drastic as well as the developers intend to install a large natural gas plant to power the facility, but they have not been transparent about how big it will be or the pollution impact. According to notices published in November 2025, the project will emit about 500 tons of ozone-forming nitrogen oxides per year. That is a major public health concern in an area that struggles with dangerously high ozone pollution already.      The November notices also report the plant will emit a staggering 12.7 million metric tons of green-house gases per year — considerably more than the 8.5 million metric tons emitted annually by the entire El Paso metro area.      An October notice showed an even greater climate impact, apparently underscoring the fact that even the developers are unclear regarding the true impact of the project. And we haven’t even touched the topic of the water demands of the project.

If the Project Jupiter developers truly want to partner with the community, it is imperative they not leave us in the dark about the risks involved. Better still, the developers should use solar power and battery storage instead of fossil fuels to run their power grid. This would be easily affordable, particularly since the region is one of the sunniest places in the country. It would also demonstrate a commitment to delivering positive change for our community.

More information on Project Jupiter – https://projectjupitertogether.com/

Michelle Compean is a senior at Pebble Hills HS in El Paso, Texas.
Fernanda Theresa Compean is a senior at UTEP, studying Art.
David Baake is the Chair of the Southern New Mexico Group of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Year in review: Success partnered with chaos in 2025

January

Thousands attend the People’s March to protest  Trump’s promised policies. State Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, introduces climate and just-economic transition bills at the legislative session.

February

SB4, The Clear Horizons Act, which would have codified the governor’s climate climate orders, fails in the Senate Finance Committee with all Republicans and two Democrats, Benny Shendo of Jemez Pueblo and Chair George Muñoz of Gallup, voting against it.

Hundreds gather for Climate Crisis and Lands, Water and Wildlife Days at the Roundhouse delivering dozens of articles enumerating the impacts of climate change on New Mexico to the offices of Senators Shendo and Muñoz.

March

Chapter wins major legislative victories including SB48, Community Benefits Act, and SB 83, Innovation in State Government, a $300M investment in climate solutions and a just economic transition. SB21, giving NM primacy over its surface water permitting and intermittent waterways that were left unprotected by a US Supreme Court ruling.

SB5, reforms the newly named State Wildlife Department and State Wildlife Commission — formerly the State Game Commission. Governor line item vetoes provision for commissioner removal for cause only. The US Fish and Wildlife Service releases the 2024 Mexican Wolf population count at 286, an increase of 11% over 2023. There are 162 wolves in NM and 124 in AZ.

April

Thousands turn out for the annual Earth Day Festival co-organized by the Chapter. This year’s we focused on energy efficiency and EV rebates available to the public.

Chapter members table at and join thousands of others for Hands Off! rallies to protest the destruction wrought by the Trump regime.

Rancho Viejo Solar and battery project to be located south of Santa Fe, supported by the Northern Group and the Chapter, gains county Planning Commission approval. Former Global Warming Express student, now university climate science major Magnificent Farrell gives a thoughtful and passionate speech in support of the project to great acclaim. Club opposes Trump administration’s efforts threatening public lands and monuments.

Catron County declares a “wolf emergency,” claiming wolves are a threat to humans, which they are not.

State Sen. Mimi Stewart, author of SB4, the Clear Horizons Act, and her entire staff request a visit with the students of the Global Warming Express Program at Acequia Madre Elementary School. They attend an after-school class in order to understand how the students learn and process environmental science and public policy information.

May

Sierrans join the May Day March in defense of working and immigrant families.

Chapter is part of a group that successfully persuades the state Water Quality Control Commission to adopt a rule to prohibit the discharge of toxic oil and gas produced water into surface and ground waters and opposes a House bill to end a methane emission reduction program that eliminates a charge on emissions and funds a grant program to reduce pollution.

June

Members gather at Capulin Springs for our annual appreciation picnic.

Chapter Director Camilla Feibelman is an invited speaker, addressing a crowd of about 20,000 people at the No Kings Rally in Albuquerque.

Thousands gather in Santa Fe to protest US Interior Department head Doug Burgum’s efforts to sell off public lands.

The US Supreme Court allows licenses for nuclear waste facilities to stand in NM and Texas. The Chapter and State of NM both opposed this storage; the legislature passed legislation prohibiting it in 2023.

The State Game Commission unanimously passes a science-based Wildlife Action Plan supported by the Chapter.

State learns of Trump plans to roll back several national monuments, including Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks. Letter of protest sent.

Mexican wolf Asha, who roamed in the wild almost to Colorado, twice, gives birth to 5 pups in captivity.

July

The Water Quality Control Commission votes to move forward with an oil and gas industry-backed proposal that would allow produced water to be discharged to surface and ground waters for a range of industrial, agricultural and commercial uses despite the ban on discharge outside of oil and gas operations it just approved in May.

Flash flooding ravages communities in Texas and in Ruidoso.

EPA proposes elimination of the “endangerment finding,” which allows the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Sierra Club joins the Good Trouble Lives On Candle Light Vigil inspired by John Lewis to keep resisting Trump policies.

Club opposes EPA elimination of methane release fee.

New Mexico youth travel to the Sierra Club’s Claire Tappan Lodge for a student activist training. They join participants from across the US in a vote to reestablish the Sierra Student Coalition, the youth-led arm of the Sierra Club.

August

Asha, her captive mate and all 5 pups are named the Quartz pack and are finally released to the wild on a private ranch in NM. But not all the wolf news is good. Ella, “the wondering wolf,” was found dead near Mt. Taylor, and two other wolves were killed by US Fish and Wildlife at the urging of ranchers. The Catron County Emergency Wolf Declarations spreads to Socorro and Sierra Counties. The NM State Game Commission signals willingness for wolves to be allowed to roam north of I-40 at its meeting in Catron County, where comments supporting wolves in the wild exceeded those in opposition.

Dozens of New Mexicans speak out against the rollback of the EPA’s Endangerment Finding.

Trump EPA proposes a delay of the implementation of its methane rule that would have applied to Texas, which is largely unregulated, leaving New Mexico communities exposed even with our nation-leading rules. Also EPA rules would have led to certain improvements to our state rules.

The Chapter and other partners win the fight against the reopening of the Copper Flat mine in southern NM.

September

Through webinars, radio stories and car shows, the Chapter helps New Mexicans take advantage of federal EV tax credits before the Trump administration’s elimination of the tax credit on Sept. 31.

Sierra Club cohosts the SUNday of Action along with 350NM, Third Act and other groups.

Six Global Warming Express year-long programs for New Mexico students ages 8-11 kick off the 14th year of the program and the 8th year of the program’s partnership with the Rio Grande Chapter.

October

Sierra Club helps plan and lead the massive No Kings 2.0 March in Albuquerque, and members take part in protests around the state.

The Chapter is among those urging tighter bonding requirements for oil and gas producers in rulemaking at the Oil Conservation Commission. Dozens speak out in public comment.

AES solar and storage effort clears Santa Fe County Commission. Opponents appeal to court.

Years-long effort by Chapter comes to an end when Holtec decides not to put more waste in NM.

November

Chapter opens its new office by the Sunport Airport.

Chapter sees 12 of 15 endorsed candidates win. Three others, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and City Council Candidates Teresa Garcia and Stephanie Telles, faced runoff elections on Dec. 9.

Under pressure from the public and environmental groups including the Chapter, the Water Quality Control Commission reverses its decision to consider Big Oil’s proposed produced-water rule. This reversal restored our prior win, a rule prohibiting the discharge of treated fracking wastewater into New Mexico’s waters.

The Bureau of Land Management moves to eliminate the 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Historic Park.

Trump nominates former US Rep. Steve Pearce, D-NM, to lead the Bureau of Land Management. The Chapter opposes, given his record of threatening public lands protections.

NM’s US Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján both vote to stop EPA’s methane-rules delay, but the challenge to the delay fails.

2025 NM State Wildlife Action Plan approved by US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Seven new avian, fish and non-game species biologists, and one coordinator for Species of Greatest Conservation Need have been hired at the soon-to-be renamed NM Department of Wildlife.

Rio Grande Chapter file photos, Miya King-Flaherty and Richard Barish, photographers.

When:
Saturday, June 14th, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Where:
Capulin Spring Picnic Site in the Cibola National Forest

Directions and information

Bring a potluck offering to share. If your last name starts with A-H, bring appetizers and salads; last name starts with I-S, main entree; last name starts with T-Z, desserts. Drinks, chips, plates, utensils and napkins will be provided by the Central Group. We have a few other surprises planned during the day, so don’t miss out.

For those that don’t have a Cibola Forest pass or National Parks Pass we will have a limited number of free parking passes to distribute, first come-first served. Otherwise, you’ll need to pay $3 cash at the self-pay station at the picnic area.

Please register at this link no later than June 12.

By Terry Owen, Featured Image by McGahey

Many of us are unsure how to communicate with climate deniers these days. My experience has been that there’s still one arena where we can communicate in a friendly way – on a hike or outing. We don’t lecture on the trail, but some participants bring things up and it’s appropriate to briefly address them.

Sierra Club events are publicized everywhere and are free to all. This provides one of the few remaining opportunities to interact and lightly influence people of different mindsets.

For example, on hikes I have heard comments like “all recycling just ends up in the landfill anyway.” The need to breathe while hiking makes it easier to listen to comments like this and stay calm. This is important as it provides time to plan your response.

Two popular ways to influence others that I think are appropriate are: 1) Facts, figures and first-hand knowledge. For example, “We’ve visited our recycling facilities and can see the material being sent to market, especially aluminum and cardboard.” And 2) The “bypass method,” where you acknowledge a bit of what the person says while expanding with details. For example, “Yes, the oil industry oversold the ability to recycle plastics and hid the effects of plastics on testosterone. That’s why I’m using less plastic these days. But aluminum and cardboard are definitely recycled here in NM at various plants. We have tours if you want to go see for yourself.”

Success looks like a small victory as it’s unlikely you can change a mind in five minutes, and I don’t recommend ruining your hike with an argument. If you make a small impact, that is enough. I remember at the top of a nearby peak we hiked. I heard, “I guess climate change must be real, it’s never been this warm this time of year before.” I count those “awareness moments” as a win. So I encourage you to have short environmentally aware conversations and not to get discouraged!

If you make a small impact, that is enough. 

I remember at the top of a nearby peak we hiked, I heard “I guess climate change must be real, it’s never been this warm this time of year before.” I count those as ‘awareness moments’ as a win.

Featured image: Sevilleta Hike, photo by Melissa Bernardin.

Bring a potluck offering to share.

• Last name A-H, bring appetizers and salads
• Last name I-S, bring a main entree
• Last name T-Z, bring desserts

So that we have an attendee estimate, please RSVP no later than June 13th.

For those that don’t have a Cibola Forest pass or National Parks Pass we have a limited number of free parking passes to distribute, first come-first served. Otherwise you’ll need to pay $3 cash at the self-pay station at the picnic area.

Dr. Caroline Funk joined the chapter staff team as Chapter Coordinator in October 2023, and her role focuses on grants and fundraising, volunteer coordination, and chapter administration.
Hi! I’m glad to be a part of the Chapter and to join in the work to make positive changes for a climate secure future. I came to the Sierra Club from positions as a research faculty member and in university administration. Most of my 25 years of research have been spent in Alaska, working in remote wilderness landscapes to better understand long-term ecosystem change and Unangam (Alaska Natives from the Aleutian Islands) history. I have camped under smoking volcanos, watched millions of birds minding their own business, and picked through miles of plastic trash littering the beaches of Bering Sea Islands. My studies of millennial scale climate change made me realize that we need to respond faster and proactively to our changing world, and we need to learn to practice resilience and conservation holistically as a human society. I hope to use my experience in science and administration to help the Chapter and our New Mexico and West Texas communities change our present and future for the better.

Melissa Bernardin joined us as Climate Organizer in January 2024, and her role focuses on organizing our members and supporters for climate solutions, and just transition action and leadership.
I am excited to join this active and engaged chapter to help us all use our voices and our actions to help slow the climate crisis. I come to this work with over two decades of experience in public policy advocacy and voter engagement. Early in my career I led community outreach on environmental health and conservation issues – and when one door closed and another opened, I moved into the larger sphere of progressive issues, lobbying and organizing the grassroots on campaigns for voting rights, minimum wage, retirement security, and health care access, among others. I’ve also held unique roles coordinating statewide initiatives: one focused on strengthening the advocacy capacity of human service groups, and another supporting a network of state and local organizations formed to strengthen grassroots and civic leadership. I lived most of my life in New Hampshire until moving to New Mexico in 2022 to escape the oppressive humidity and never-ending rain that global warming has brought to the Northeastern US. I live with my partner and our fur babies in Los Lunas and in my free time I enjoy hiking, cycling, and being outdoors.