NEWS
Volunteer for the 18th Annual Gila River Festival Planning Committee
Join the Gila River Festival planning committee and be a part of efforts to connect people to the Gila River. Help us provide enriching opportunities for participants to experience the Gila River first hand and from diverse perspectives, creating a deeper intimacy with the river and a strong sense of place. Planning for the 18th annual festival kicks off on January 13th, 2022 at 10 am via Zoom. Contact Gila River Festival coordinator Jody Norman at gilariverfest@gmail.com
Groups Celebrate Governor Lujan Grisham’s Long-Term Funding Proposal for Conservation
Photo: Gila River Bird Area, Dennis O’Keefe SANTA FE, N.M. (December 14, 2021) — Conservation groups today applauded New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for announcing that her administration will pursue much-needed funding for state conservation programs through a general obligation bond. The unprecedented funding proposal, if approved by the state legislature and voters, would support jobs across the state, offer access to federal conservation funding, increase equitable outdoor opportunities for all New Mexicans, and help protect natural lands and […]
2021 in Review: Diversion Defeated!
$91 Million in NM Unit Fund Key to Building Resilient Water Supplies for Southwest New Mexico After 16 years of effort by the Gila Conservation Coalition, its partners and many supporters here locally and from around the state, the final nail in the coffin for the Gila River diversion was hammered into place during the 2021 legislative session. House Bill 200, sponsored by Representative Matthew McQueen, Representative Nathan Small, Senate Pro Tem Senator Mimi Stewart, and Senator Siah Correa Hemphill, […]
New Mexico to Protect 30% of State’s Land and Water by 2030
Photo: Gila River Bird Area, Dennis O’Keefe A broad coalition of advocacy groups applauded Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s new executive order released in August outlining her administration’s commitment to protecting 30% of the state’s land and water by 2030. This effort is urgently needed to address the climate and extinction crises, ensure that our state’s treasured wild places like the Gila can be enjoyed by future generations of New Mexicans, while also building thriving local outdoor recreation economies. At last […]
Take Action: Thank Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján for Protecting the Gila River!
Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján reintroduced the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to protect segments of the Gila and San Francisco rivers and their tributaries as Wild and Scenic. Join the Gila Conservation Coalition in thanking Senators Heinrich and Luján for their leadership and dedication to long-term protection of New Mexico’s last wild river. First introduced in May 2020 by Senator Heinrich and former Senator Tom Udall, this legislation comes out of a […]
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Take Action: Thank Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján for Protecting the Gila River!
Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján reintroduced the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to protect segments of the Gila and San Francisco rivers and their tributaries as Wild and Scenic. Join the Gila Conservation Coalition in thanking Senators Heinrich and Luján for their leadership and dedication to long-term protection […]
Governor Lujan Grisham signs House Bill 200!
Please thank the Governor for protecting the Gila River and moving forward with water supply security for southwest NM Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed HB200 into law last week, ending the Gila River diversion project after more than 15 years of wasted time, money and effort. In addition to prohibiting any expenditure of NM Unit […]
House Bill 200 Clears Legislature
Bill will fast track funds to local water projects and prohibit spending on diversion In the last few days of this year’s legislative session, House Bill 200 passed the Senate floor by a vote of 26-15! HB200 is an essential step in bringing good governance to NM Unit Fund spending. Our communities have been waiting […]
16th Annual Gila River Festival Goes Virtual
Although COVID-19 will prevent gathering in person, the pandemic won’t stop the Gila River Festival from meeting virtually to celebrate New Mexico’s last wild river. The 16th Annual Gila River Festival will take place online September 18 and 19, 2020 and will explore how we cultivate resilience in our communities and ecological systems in the […]