On May 5, protect New Mexico’s last wild river through #GivingTuesdayNow!
At this moment, as the country continues to deal with a global health and economic crisis, GivingTuesday, the groundbreaking global generosity movement, announced #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity, set to take place on May 5, 2020 as an emergency response to the enormous need caused by COVID-19.
The day is designed to focus on generosity, citizen engagement, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.
#GivingTuesdayNow encourages us to show generosity in a variety of ways. Whether by helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes, every act of generosity counts.
Our work to protect the Gila River is critical now more than ever. Despite our request for a delay due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, the Bureau of Reclamation released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Gila River diversion. We have just 45 days to review and comment on the document.
We need your support to ensure that federal funds under the Arizona Water Settlements Act are directed away from the harmful and costly diversion and instead used to fund priority community water projects that will build a secure water supply for everyone in southwest New Mexico.
On May 5, please join us for #GivingTuesdayNow, because together, we can protect our beloved Gila River!
On April 17, the Bureau of Reclamation released for public review and comment the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Gila diversion (NM Unit Draft EIS). Public comments are due on June 8.
The Gila Conservation Coalition is hosting a Zoom informational webinar on Monday, May 11 at 1pm. Register today to learn more about the DEIS and how to effectively comment on the document.
What: Gila Diversion Draft EIS Informational Webinar
On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, help us protect the Gila River.
On April 17, the Bureau of Reclamation released for public review and comment the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Gila diversion (NM Unit Draft EIS). Public comments are due on June 8.
The Gila Conservation Coalition is reviewing the document and preparing our evaluation.
Please sign up to help us advocate on behalf of the free-flowing river!
The Gila National Forest is revising its forest management plan for the first time since 1986. Your input is urgently needed on how the forest, the Gila River, Wilderness, wildlife, and other natural resources are managed for the next 20 – 30 years.
The draft plan was officially released on January 17, kicking off a 90-day public comment period that ends April 16. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, conservation groups asked that the Forest Service keep the public comment period open until we are able to safely and effectively engage in the public participation process, but the agency has re-affirmed this deadline.
Early reviews show that the Gila’s draft management plan falls far short. Instead of identifying and protecting wildlife migration corridors, Wilderness areas and Wild and Scenic Rivers, and incorporating the need to address the climate crisis, the Forest Service’s draft plan is insufficient.
Help us ensure that the Gila National Forest is managed for ecological integrity in the face of climate change and that eligible Wilderness areas and Wild and Scenic reaches of the Gila are protected by submitting your public comment TODAY. The deadline to submit comments is April 16.
We want you to write personalized and substantive comments. Tell the Forest Service how you would like to see Gila National Forest managed by clicking on the button below.
Department of Interior denies request for extension of Gila diversion
NM CAP Entity loses access to $50 million to build harmful project
On Friday, the Department of Interior denied the NM CAP Entity’s request for an extension of the deadline for a Record of Decision on the Gila River diversion, cutting off access to more than $50 million in construction funding for the project that would harm New Mexico’s last wild river and take money away from local communities with critical water supply needs.
The letter from the Department of Interior states “The slow pace of progress by the State since the passage of the Act shows a lack of urgency and priority by the State for delivering water supplies to rural communities that could be served by the project. Even today, a feasible project with necessary funding and contractual commitments has not been identified to enable project success. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that due to the State’s failure to make progress, an extension of the deadline identified in Section 212(i) of the Act will not be granted.”
“This is great news,” said Todd Schulke, Senior Staff with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Planning for a Gila River diversion under the Arizona Water Settlements Act has gone on for 15 years and wasted $15 million without producing plans for a viable project. It’s well past time to move on and focus our attention and the tens of millions of dollars in AWSA funding on priority community water projects that can bring real water security to everyone in southwest New Mexico.”
Senator Martin Heinrich, Senator Tom Udall, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham all have supported protection of the Gila River and use of AWSA funding on cost-effective, non-diversion projects. Additionally, they opposed an extension of the AWSA deadline for the diversion.
“We really appreciate the hard work of our senators and Governor Lujan Grisham to protect the Gila River. What a great holiday gift this is to people who care about the Gila!” stated Allyson Siwik, director of the Gila Conservation Coalition.
Join the Gila Conservation Coalition for the 8thannual Wild & Scenic Film Festival at WNMU’s Light Hall on Friday, June 28that 6:30 pm.
The four-day national event features over 100 award-winning films and welcomes over 100 guest speakers, celebrities, and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement.
“The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a natural extension of the Gila Conservation Coalition’s work to inspire people to act on behalf of the Gila River and its wilderness watershed,” says Allyson Siwik, Executive Director of the Gila Conservation Coalition. “The Wild & Scenic Film Festival shows us through film how communities like ours are working to protect their water resources, unique landscapes, and the environment, galvanizing us to do the same.”
The tour event in Silver City will feature the film Sacred Strides, which chronicles how a group of indigenous people from various tribes unified for a Healing Prayer Run of up to 800 miles to Bears Ears National Monument, currently under serious threat and considered sacred to many tribes.
Hear Our Olympics examines the effects of Navy jet electronic warfare training on the Olympic Peninsula, an area that is recognized as a National Park, wilderness area, an international Biosphere Reserve, and World Heritage Site.
In the film Great Basin Water is Life, we learn what is happening with the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s $15.5-billion proposal to build a pipeline to transport water 300 miles from the Great Basin of Nevada to Las Vegas. The Great Basin is a desert, and there simply isn’t an extra 58 billions of gallons of water per year; it would profoundly change the area and residents’ way of life.
Approximately ten other short films will be screened, with special guest appearances and prizes raffled throughout the evening. Mark your calendars – you don’t want to miss this!
With thanks to the National Partners of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival: CLIF Bar, EarthJustice, Klean Kanteen, Peak Design, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Many thanks to our local sponsors:
Vicki Allen & Neal Apple
Center for Biological Diversity
Gila Native Plant Society
Southwest New Mexico Audubon Society
Western Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL)
Western New Mexico University
EVENT DETAILS:
Date and Time: Friday, June 28, 2019. Doors open at 6:00 pm and show starts at 6:30 pm
Venue Name and Address: WNMU’s Light Hall, 1000 West College Avenue, Silver City
Ticket Prices: $15 at the door; GCC members $12; Admission + GCC membership $20; Students FREE
Gila River named America’s Most Endangered River of 2019
Climate change and proposed diversion threaten New Mexico’s last wild river
April 16, 2019, Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Gila River #1 on the list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that climate change and a proposed diversion project pose to New Mexico’s last free-flowing river. American Rivers, the Gila Conservation Coalition, Upper Gila Watershed Alliance and Center for Biological Diversity called on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to permanently stop the diversion project and advance more cost-effective, innovative water supply solutions.
“New Mexicans can’t afford to dry up their last wild river,” said Matt Rice, Colorado Basin Director for American Rivers. “Ruining the Gila River with an expensive diversion project doesn’t make sense when there are better, more cost-effective water supply options.”
“We are already feeling the impacts of climate change in New Mexico and across the Southwest, and it’s only going to get worse. The decisions we make today will determine whether we have healthy rivers and secure water supplies in the future. We have an opportunity on the Gila to demonstrate that it is possible to protect healthy rivers and meet our water needs in an era of climate change.”
Scientists estimate that due to climate change, the Gila River will cease to be a snowpack-fed river by mid-century. The proposed diversion project would put greater strain on Gila River flows already altered and reduced by the impacts of climate change. In turn, climate change likely will limit the amount and availability of water that can be developed by the proposed diversion, calling into question the project’s long-term viability.
American Rivers and its partners called on Governor Lujan Grisham to stop the diversion project and instead spend $66 million available through Arizona Water Settlement Act (AWSA) funding on alternative water supply solutions to meet the water needs of communities throughout southwest New Mexico. These solutions include infrastructure improvements and expansions such as the Grant County Regional Water Supply Project and municipal and agricultural conservation and efficiency projects.
“It’s time to stop the waste of millions in federal funds on a Gila River diversion to benefit a small number of irrigators and the world’s largest copper mining company, and instead direct AWSA monies to critically important community water projects that achieve long-term water security for thousands in southwest New Mexico,” stated Allyson Siwik, Executive Director of the Gila Conservation Coalition.
“It’s rare to see a wild river these days because so many of the nation’s rivers have been dammed,” said Donna Stevens, Executive Director of the Upper Gila Watershed Alliance. “People come from all over to visit the Gila Wilderness – the nation’s first wilderness area – and the Gila River. They boost the local economy with their tourist dollars.”
Flowing out of the nation’s first Wilderness Area, the Gila River supports outstanding examples of Southwest riparian forest, cold-water fisheries and a remarkable abundance of wildlife. The river is home to indigenous people who have lived in southwestern New Mexico for thousands of years, and remains vital to the region’s culture and heritage.
“A stronghold for many endangered species, the Gila is one of the last intact rivers left in North America. We have to work hard to make sure it stays that way. We urge Governor Lujan Grisham to help us protect the Gila River forever,” said Todd Schulke, co-founder and Senior Staff with the Center for Biological Diversity.
The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers® report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.
The Gila River was previously included on this list in 1995, 1996, 2008, 2014. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Lower Rio Grande (2018), Lower Colorado River (2017) and Colorado River in the Grand Canyon (2015).
On April 5, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham took a big step toward protecting the wild Gila River when she vetoed $1.698 million in funding requested by the Interstate Stream Commission for diversion planning and design.
A hearty thank-you to the governor for taking this major step forward to fulfill her pledge to end work on the Gila River diversion project.
In her plan for managing the state’s water released last year, the governor stated she will “end work on the Gila River Diversion Project” given that “there is little to show for the millions of dollars spent on staff, lawyers and studies” with only one year left to secure approval of the project. She supported use of the Arizona Water Settlements Act funds for water efficiency, conservation and restoration projects.
We encourage Governor Lujan Grisham to take the additional steps to finally end work on this wasteful diversion project and instead fund community water projects to ensure a secure water supply for everyone in southwest New Mexico.
Please thank the Governor today for the veto and support her pledge to use Arizona Water Settlements Act monies to fund priority community water projects throughout southwest New Mexico rather than an unjust and environmentally damaging diversion project.
The Gila Conservation Coalition is deeply saddened by the passing on Sunday of conservation warrior, friend and colleague M.H.”Dutch” Salmon at 73 after a brief illness.
Dutch’s storied career spanned more than 35 years in the Southwest. His professional and personal pursuits were many: author, publisher, hunter, fisherman, homesteader, conservationist.
Dutch’s name is synonymous with the Gila Conservation Coalition, the organization he co-founded and chaired for more than 35 years to protect the free flow of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers and the wilderness characteristics of the Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas.
Dutch and his fellow advocates were successful in defeating the Hooker and Conner dams and Mangas diversion in the 1980s and 1990s, closed the San Francisco River to motorized vehicle use, and also kept the East Fork of the Gila River closed to motorized vehicles. Since 2001, he had been a leader in the fight against the current diversion threat under the Arizona Water Settlements Act.
Dutch’s steadfast commitment to the protection of the Gila River and his unending love for our wild river and wild places have been an inspiration to all of us. He will be remembered always for his tireless work to protect and conserve New Mexico’s wildlife, rivers and lands.
Rest in peace, dear friend.
We send our condolences to Dutch’s wife, Cherie, and son, Bud.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 24 at 1pm at the Murray Hotel Ballroom, 200 West Broadway, Silver City.
Please tune into Earth Matters this week 3/11/19 for an archived interview with Dutch on the 30thanniversary of his trip down the Gila River that he memorialized in his book Gila Descending, first published in 1984. The show airs Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 10 am and Thursday at 8 pm on KURU 89.1 FM and streams live at gmcr.org
With the federal deadline now only months away, the NM CAP Entity (NMCAPE) is scrambling to get a NEPA Record of Decision for its Gila diversion project, rather than wake up to the reality that they have no viable project after 15 years of wasted time and $15 million of wasted spending.
Obtained through the Inspection of Public Records Act, the Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the NM Unit predicts the NMCAPE’s “construction costs associated with the Proposed Action would reach a total of $69,690,054 while operations and maintenance costs would reach $1,872,226 annually.” The costs to build the project are greater than the $50 million earmarked for construction funds under the Arizona Water Settlements Act (AWSA), and the annual operations and maintenance cost is beyond the reach of the small group of farmers irrigating low value pasture.
While additional time and over $3 million more in AWSA funds budgeted by the Interstate Stream Commission for the Gila diversion will be wasted, the priority water needs of the 60,000 people of southwest New Mexico are being ignored. Most importantly, the NMCAPE is withholding $12 million to fully fund the Grant County Regional Water Supply Project that will provide water to low-income communities in the Mining District. The Grant County Water Commission is being forced to obtain federal loans to fund the remainder of the project, raising water bills by $20 per month.
In her October 2018 plan for managing and conserving the state’s water, Governor-Elect Michelle Lujan Grisham states that as governor she will “end work on the Gila River Diversion Project,” given that “there is little to show for the millions of dollars spent on staff, lawyers and studies” with only one year left to secure approval of the project under the Arizona Water Settlements Act (AWSA). She goes on to say “we need to use the [AWSA] settlement money more efficiently on other projects that could help more of southwestern New Mexico.”
The time is now to stop the hemorrhaging of public funds for this unfair diversion project. The equitable solution is to direct AWSA funding to priority community water projects that will provide a secure water supply for everyone in southwest New Mexico.
