Results of recent endorsements

Photo of John P. Kelly for the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter website
The Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter endorsed multiple candidates in local 2015 elections, including candidates for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy Distract, Valencia County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Doña County Soil and Water Conservation District. Here are the results of those endorsements: June 2 Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District elections:
John Kelly: WON, Janet Jarratt: LOST May 5 Valencia County Soil and Water Conservation District elections:
Andrew Hautzinger (write­-in candidate): WON May 5 Doña Ana County Soil and ...
/ Elections, Politics

New edition of ‘Day Hikes’ coming — volunteers needed!

Photo of Santa Fe day hikes
Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area was first published in 1981. We are commencing work on the 8th edition of our best-selling hiking guide. It is a serious undertaking to produce a new edition since we are all volunteers, but a very rewarding task! Our small editorial committee could use more help in the following areas:
  • Folks to sign up to check out existing hikes in the current edition
  • Draft submissions of new hikes (but nothing that has to ...

Sealing the deal on Big Bend

Photo of Big Bend
Big Bend International Park is one of the best-kept secrets in North America. Since 1932, the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, Mexican President Manual Avila Camacho, members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Rotary International and the National Parks Conservation Association have been unable to seal the deal in creating the largest symbol of international peace ever planned in the Western Hemisphere. Lands on both sides of the border have been protected ...
/ El Paso Group, Land

Strenuous hike to Pecos Baldy Lake

Hike to Pecos Baldy
Strenuous hike to Pecos Baldy Lake, with optional summit of East Pecos Baldy.
Early start from Eldorado, long day, 16 miles, plus another mile to summit, 2600 or 3800-foot gain.  Limit 8, 2 dogs.
Contact Dag Ryen at 466-4063 by July 21. Date: Sunday July 26th, 2015
Time: 3AM
Presented by: Rio Grande Chapter
Leader: Mr. Dag Ryan
Level: Strenuous See our Event Page for our full calendar of upcoming events. Featured photo by JustTooLazy ...

‘Save the Bag’ comes to Los Alamos

Photo of a plastic bag as trash for the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter website
If you have read comments in the Los Alamos Monitor, Los Alamos Daily Post, or savethebaglosalamos.blogspot.com, you have seen that well-meaning people are either uninformed, misinformed, or have been activated by the American Chemical Association (ACA) to fight a ban on the single-use disposable plastic shopping bag. An interesting assertion from the save-the-baggers is that bags aren’t a problem locally or globally, and there are no bags blowing around Los Alamos. In order to help inform the savethebaggers, we have ...

Thank you, Margot Wilson!

Photo of Margot Wilson
We wish Margot Wilson a relaxing and rewarding retirement! From forest-restoration projects to travel management plans to injudicious mining proposals to State Game Commission meetings, Margot Wilson has advocated for the outdoors, our wildlife, our water and our natural landscapes from low elevations to high for decades. And even when doing all that, she also led outings to so many special places across New Mexico. I first met Margot in the mid ’90s when she started a Sierra Club section ...

Sunshine on the Gila River process

Gila River, photo by Alan Stark
Allyson Siwik, Chapter Executive Committee Gila Resources Information Project As the dust settles on the 2015 legislative session, I’m heartened by many of our state senators who voted to hold the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) accountable for its misguided and wasteful plan to divert the Gila River. The ISC is spending millions of dollars planning a massive diversion project that is unlikely to ever be built and may yield little water — at a likely cost of more than a billion ...

The importance of the Pecos

Nambé Lake in the Pecos
Norma McCallan, Chapter Vice Chair The 223,637 acres of the Pecos Wilderness, which straddles the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, have long been a key destination for locals and visitors alike, to hike, backpack, birdwatch, climb, fish, ride horses, take photos, hunt, or just relax and enjoy its peace and solitude. The word “Pecos” means place where there is water. Because of its many high mountains, more than 15 lakes, and broad meadows, it has some of the lushest and greenest landscapes in our ...

Chaco Coalition challenges BLM

Chaco Coalition challenges BLM
By Teresa Seamster March 11, 2015, was 108 years to the day that President Theodore Roosevelt declared Chaco Canyon to be a historical monument in 1907. The threat to Chaco in that time was the looting of archaeological treasures and sacred artifacts. Today, it is ramped-up oil and gas development, especially fracking and contaminated water supply. On March 11, WildEarth Guardians, Western Environmental Law Center, Diné CARE and San Juan Citizens Alliance, all groups in the Greater Chaco Coalition, filed ...

Assault on Mining Act stalls in House

coal mine
Allyson Siwik, Chapter Executive Committee, Gila Resources Information Project Director With only 16 days left in the 60-day legislative session, mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, owner of the Chino, Cobre and Tyrone copper mines in Grant County, tried to push through a bill to roll back critical safeguards in the New Mexico Mining Act. Although a strong defense by environmental groups and legislative champions prevented HB625 from ever coming up for a vote in the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, ...