Rio Grande Chapter

Here’s your update on New Mexico environmental legislation for Friday, March 17 (the 2017 session ends Saturday): SB81, Sen. Mimi Stewart’s bill to thwart wildlife trafficking, passed the House late last night and now goes to the governor’s desk. Thanks to everyone who contacted your representative about this bill!   SB227, Sen. Jeff Steinborn’s bill that would put the wheels in motion to put solar on state buildings, also passed the House. Congratulations!   HB338, Rep. Patricia Roybal-Caballero’s community-solar bill, ...

For immediate release: Thursday, March 16, 2017 Contact: Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter director, 505-715-8388, camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org On Thursday, Public Service Company of New Mexico announced that an analysis of San Juan Generating Station in Waterflow, N.M., found that the coal-fired power plant will no longer be economically viable after 2022, when the plant’s coal contract and ownership agreements expire. This result will almost certainly expedite PNM’s transition from the plant to other sources of power. This latest development ...

The El Paso Sierra Club is invites the community to a Meet and Greet and the Premier El Paso showing of “Wild Ways” on Saturday morning, April 8, 2017 at Chamizal National Memorial Auditorium.

Meet other members of the El Paso Sierra Club and enjoy the El Paso Premier showing of Wild Ways.  The 60 minute film explores how newly established wildlife corridors offer hope to endangered species.  Before the film we will present an update on our efforts to ...

Wildlife advocates are cheering passage of a bill in the New Mexico Senate on March 9 that would prohibit hunting coyotes as a contest. Senate Bill 268 arose from outcries against groups that began organizing coyote hunts for cash and prizes several years ago, but the legislation had failed to pass twice already. Mary Katherine Ray, wildlife chair for the Sierra Club’s Rio Grande chapter, called the contests “biologically unnecessary” and said she thinks they should be outlawed. “Sometimes, they even get ...

SB312, which requires utilities to move towards renewable energy, will be heard by the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee on Friday 3/10 at 2 pm in Room 311. The Clean-Energy Jobs Bill would require New Mexico’s big utilities to provide 50% of their electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and 80% by 2040. Co-ops would have lower requirements. Please attend the hearing Friday to help convince senators on this committee to pass this climate-protecting and economy-boosting legislation. The hearing is likely to be delayed because of Senate floor ...

Painted Cave Saturday, May 7
From leader Larry Hughes:
The Painted Cave did not disappoint. The cave itself is much larger than one would expect from seeing photos, and the petroglyphs are numerous, varied and very vivid. All of us had the same first impression — WOW! As a side note, from the Dome trailhead, the round trip distance is about 13.5 miles. (Larry also advised to watch for falling trees on Dome Road and hike, especially on windy days.) ...

New Mexico Story Power amplifies voices from the front lines where extreme fossil fuel extraction threatens the lives and cultures of the people of New Mexico. It engages our necessity to protect our land, our water and our communities with personal accounts and visual narratives. In this interview, Story Power interviews Mike Eisenfeld, Energy and Climate Program Manager for San Juan Citizens Alliance in Farmington, New Mexico ...

Join us for Renewable Energy Day at the Legislature on Friday, March 3. Hear about the many pro-active bills the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter and allied organizations are advocating for in the current legislative session, including a requirement for 50% renewable energy for New Mexico by 2030! Presentations will take place at 1 p.m., with speakers including Sen. Peter Wirth and Rep. Matthew McQueen. The Rio Grande Chapter will also lead lobbying trainings at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m ...

The Bosquitos are the youth-centered group of the Bosque Action Team. Our mission is to learn about Albuquerque’s Bosque, the animals and plants that live there, and ways to take care of the Bosque as a precious natural space. We are going bird-watching in Corrales Sunday March 5 at 10 am and you, your family, and friends are invited! Your guide to the Corrales Bosque Preserve will be John Egbert, former New Mexico Nature Conservancy director and field ornithologist. John ...

Over the next several weeks we’ll be providing a short one hour, lunchtime, telephone briefings on our priority legislation. The first will take place Wednesday March 1st from noon to 1pm.  Michael Dax of Defenders of Wildlife and Mary Katherine Ray of the Sierra Club will review the following four bills.  Please RSVP to camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org if you would like to participate.

1. HB 254 – Game Commission Legislative Appointments
   Over the past couple years, many New Mexicans have felt increasingly unrepresented by the ...
   
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