Organized
in 1984 to protect the free flow of the Gila and San Francisco
Rivers and the wilderness characteristics of the Gila and
Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas, the Gila Conservation Coalition
(GCC) is a partnership of local environmental and conservation
groups and concerned individuals that promote conservation
of the Upper Gila River Basin and surrounding lands. The GCC
was instrumental in stopping the Hooker and Conner Dam proposals
in the 1980s. The group also achieved protection of the East
Fork of the Gila River from road building and partial closure
of the wild San Francisco River to ORV use.
2009 marks the Gila Conservation Coalition’s 25th year of working to protect the Gila River. Founded in 1984 by GCC’s current chairman, Dutch Salmon, the late Bob Langsingkamp, Herbie Marsden and Jim Goodkind, the organization is known for its success in stopping the Hooker and Conner Dam proposals in the 1980s. GCC was instrumental in calling attention to the huge environmental and economic impacts of these large-scale water development projects. The Hooker Dam would have flooded part of the Gila Wilderness, our nation’s first wilderness area. The Conner Dam and its alternative, the Mangas Diversion, were so costly that Silver City was unwilling to sign on to the repayment contract. Once these dam projects were laid to rest, GCC achieved protection of the East Fork of the Gila River from road building and partial closure of the wild San Francisco River to ORV use.
But in 2004, the water developers were back and the Arizona Water Settlements Act was passed providing New Mexico with a federal subsidy and the ability to develop up to 14,000 afy of Gila River water. The Gila Conservation Coalition sprang back into action and reconfigured itself. By forming a partnership between local environmental and conservation groups -- GRIP, Upper Gila Watershed Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity – GCC expanded its base of support and political strength. Working as a coalition, GCC partners are able to leverage scarce resources across partner organizations and enhance collaboration at the local level.
For the past five years, GCC has lead Gila River protection efforts at the federal, state and local levels. Through the annual Gila River Festival, Gila River Photography Exhibit, annual Gila River Day at the state capitol, America’s Most Endangered Rivers designation and the Gila River outreach campaign, GCC has been successful at raising awareness of the threat to the Gila and the need for its protection. GCC continues to advocate for Gila River protection in planning processes under the Arizona Water Settlements Act. Our position is that a fair analysis of water supply/demand management alternatives to meet our future water needs will demonstrate that the “no diversion options” are both feasible and more economically sound and will also protect the Gila River for future generations.
GCC will be celebrating its 25th anniversary throughout 2009. In March, the Silver City Public Library will host the photography exhibit “Gila River: Saving New Mexico’s Last Wild River,” along with special exhibits on GCC’s history and Aldo Leopold’s work in the southwest. GCC will be at the library on March 5 from 6:00 – 7:30pm for a family evening with children’s activities and a reading by author and GCC chairman, Dutch Salmon.
GCC
partners include the Gila
Resources Information Project, Upper
Gila Watershed Alliance, and the Center
for Biological Diversity.
For
more information on the Gila Conservation Coalition and how
your group might help out, please contact us.
Support:
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following funders:
Salmon Honored
 Gila Conservation Coalition founder and Chairman Dutch Salmon received a lifetime achievement award at the 3rd Annual Gila River Day held on February 4 at the State Capitol Rotunda. The award honors Dutch’s 25 years of work on behalf of the Gila River, the Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas and New Mexico’s wildlife. Dutch is a two-term member of the New Mexico Game Commission and has served on the boards of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Quivira Coalition, and GRIP. He also served on the Interstate Stream commission. Dutch is the author of seven outdoor books including the recently released Gila Libre!, Gila Descending, Country Sports, and the novel Home is the River. He has canoed, hiked, and fished the river from its source at Bead Spring to Safford, Arizona, and his experience makes him one of the few authorities on the Gila River in New Mexico.
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info@gilaconservation.org
