New Mexico & El Paso
In response to The Department of the Interior virtual public forum the Greater Chaco Coalition, a collaborative effort between over 200 Indigenous community leaders and groups, environmental justice advocates, and environmental groups representing thousands of New Mexicans and millions of Americans issued a public statement that the oil and gas leasing program must be fundamentally reformed.
Join us on April 8 for a conversation and reading with journalist and author Laura Paskus and poet and author Michelle Otero.
On March 25, Senators Heinrich, King, and Markey and Majority Leader Schumer introduced a resolution in the Senate and U.S. Reps. DeGette, Peters, and Lamb introduced a resolution in the House that would reinstate the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2016 methane pollution safeguards.
A coalition of environmental organizations praised efforts by the state legislature to increase funding levels for key agencies like the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), including the State Parks Division, and the Office of Outdoor Recreation.
The Senate confirmed Deb Haaland on March 15 to lead the Department of the Interior. Haaland is the first Native American to hold a cabinet position.
As part of promised swift action on the climate, the Biden Administration is expected to announce it will pause new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters, review existing leases and permits, and increase offshore wind renewable-energy development. Taken with the existing 60-day pause on fossil-fuel development, which includes an examination of the federal coal-leasing program, the order makes significant progress in addressing climate emissions from public lands.
See the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Op/Ed letter to the Editor by Miya King-Flaherty.
Welcome to our virtual art show. This show features paintings by the New Mexico Watercolor Society.
Community leaders across New Mexico today applauded the introduction of the Climate Solutions Act (HB 9), highlighting its science-based approach and focus on historically disadvantaged communities. They called on state legislators to protect public health and New Mexico’s air and water resources from climate change and to accelerate a just transition to a more diversified and resilient economy built by and for everyday New Mexicans.
The 2021 New Mexico Legislative session runs from January 19 through March 20. This post contains are summaries and links for some of our top priority bills.