Last weekend, I had the pleasure of celebrating National Public Lands Day with our amazing staff and Friends Network partners in New Mexico, Congressional champions, and public land enthusiasts in the community to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the National Conservation Lands. The contrast between public lands celebrations and today couldn't be starker. Today’s federal government shutdown marks the latest blow to unprotected public lands across the country. The shutdown, combined with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s plan to designate oil and gas permitting as "essential" and the administration’s threat to lay off thousands more federal employees, makes it clear that this administration prioritizes corporations over communities. Here's what they can't shut down: our resolve. Despite an administration historically opposed to public lands and conservation, our collective voice has been able to fight off every attempt to sell off public lands. That's the power of what we've built together—and it's why we can't stop now. In this newsletter, you'll find two urgent threats that need your voice right now, celebrations worth sharing, a tribute to our founding trustee Richard Moe, and ways to deepen your connection to this growing movement. Your action matters—let's get to work.

In July, the Conservation Lands Foundation proudly joined the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Trout Unlimited, NM Wild, and Friends of the Rio Grande Del Norte (FRGDN) for the "Rally For The Rio Grande Del Norte" to celebrate the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument and the 25th anniversary of the National Conservation Lands system. The three-day event (July 25-27) featured camping, service projects, and culminated in a community gathering on July 26 at New Mexico River Adventures.

SANTA FE, NM — On Monday, June 23, New Mexico Wild and its partners are inviting members of the public to join its peaceful Public Lands Rally and March through downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. The rally will send a loud message to elected officials that New Mexicans value public lands and national monuments and oppose any attempts to sell off public lands and reduce national monument boundaries. The rally will be held at De Vargas Park (302 W De Vargas St) at 3:30 pm MT, followed by a march to the El Dorado Hotel (309 W San Francisco St.) where Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will be speaking at the Western Governors Association Annual Meeting. The brief speaker program will include representatives from conservation organizations, pueblos, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico Union. Participants are encouraged to bring signs in support of public land protection. Parking is available at Sandoval Parking Garage (217 W Water St.), Water Street Municipal Lot (100 E Water St.), Railyard Public Parking, and the State Capitol Facility (485 Galisteo St.). The rally comes at a critical time for public lands and waters. New Mexico and national organizations shared the following statements in response to the rally and emerging threats to New Mexico’s public lands and national monuments:

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) joined conservation advocates, local leaders, and community members at the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument (OMDP) to rally against renewed efforts to sell off federal public lands. The event featured a press conference and community hike, highlighting the cultural, economic, and environmental importance of public lands to southern New Mexico. The event comes amidst a revived push by Senate Republicans to advance one of the most extreme public land sell-off proposals in recent history of over 3.3 million acres. While these provisions were blocked in the House thanks to Rep. Vasquez’s leadership in the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, they have resurfaced in the Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill, reigniting concern across the West.

Silver City, NM – A diverse coalition of New Mexico residents, local businesses, organizations, and elected officials celebrate the reintroduction of the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act in the Senate (S.1476) and the House (H.R. 2903) by Senator Martin Heinrich and Representative Gabe Vasquez. The coalition also thanks Senator Ben Ray Lujan, Representative Melanie Stansbury, and Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez for cosponsoring this important legislation. This legislation – which has previously been introduced three times – would designate approximately 446 miles of the Gila, San Francisco, and East Fork of the Mimbres Rivers and their tributaries under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, permanently protecting these rivers and streams in their free-flowing condition. The local community has been advocating for the protection of these waterways for a decade, which led Senator Heinrich and former Senator Tom Udall to first introduce this legislation in May 2020. The M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act has broad, grassroots support of Pueblos and Tribes, faith leaders, private property owners, local governments, civic organizations, sportsmen and women, conservation groups, and more than 150 small businesses in Grant County and surrounding communities. Additionally, polling has found that 81% of voters across New Mexico are supportive of protecting these rivers and streams through Wild and Scenic designation. The Gila River is New Mexico’s last remaining free-flowing mainstem river. It is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, offering opportunities to fish, hunt, hike, kayak, camp, picnic, view wildlife, and more. The popularity of these segments is an important economic driver for the communities in southwestern New Mexico, as many businesses in the region rely on revenue from outside visitors traveling through communities like Silver City to access the Gila and San Francisco Rivers. Data released in 2023 by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found that the state’s outdoor economy is an important and growing sector, contributing $3.2 billion to New Mexico’s GDP and that more than 29,000 people statewide work in the outdoor recreation industry. Established by Congress in 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was passed to protect our nation’s free flowing rivers that have outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values. Wild and Scenic designation ensures that water quality is maintained and, where possible, enhanced; restricts activities that would harm a river segment’s special values for which it was specifically designated; and prohibits the construction of new federally-licensed dams and other water development projects that could impact designated segments. Importantly, these designations have no effect on traditional uses such as livestock grazing, hunting, and fishing; maintain existing water and private property rights; and protect critical habitats for threatened and endangered species. Less than one-half of one percent of rivers and streams nationally are protected as Wild and Scenic. The M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act is needed due to persistent threats to Gila-area rivers. At least four significant proposals to dam or divert the Gila River have arisen since the 1960s and in 2021, a dam was proposed on the Lower San Francisco River that would have created a 10-mile-long slack water reservoir on the river and flooded the river canyons of the Lower San Francisco Wilderness Study Area. Though this proposal was ultimately withdrawn, our extraordinary rivers in Southwestern New Mexico will continue to face the prospects of damming and ruin until they are permanently protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Wild Gila River Coalition is comprised of the Gila Conservation Coalition, Gila Resources Information Project, Heart of the Gila, Upper Gila Watershed Association, New Mexico Wild, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Rio Grande Restoration, American Rivers, American Whitewater, Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Lands Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Wilderness Society, and Trout Unlimited

New Mexicans Applaud the Reintroduction of Legislation to Protect Public Lands Surrounding Chaco Canyon Indigenous communities, conservationists, preservationists, and other stakeholders in New Mexico urge Congress to pass important bill (Santa Fe, NM) – New Mexicans are applauding the reintroduction of the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, supported by the entire New Mexico delegation – Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich and Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury, and Gabe Vasquez. The legislation will permanently protect federal public lands within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park from new oil and gas leasing. Originally introduced and passed with bipartisan support by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019, the legislation would protect nearly 339,000 acres of federal public lands, containing thousands of significant cultural properties and sites. The land that is being considered for withdrawal from future leasing does not include any private lands or Tribal allotments; is historically, spiritually, and ecologically significant to numerous Tribes in the Southwest; and its protection is critical. The reintroduction comes at a critical time when representatives outside of New Mexico are attempting to reverse the historic 20-year administrative mineral withdrawal of federal lands and minerals surrounding Chaco Canyon from future oil and gas leasing, for which the Bureau of Land Management received over 80,000 public comments in support. Today’s reintroduction further demonstrates the growing momentum behind lasting protections for this significant landscape. The Greater Chaco Landscape includes Chaco Culture National Historical Park and dozens of ancient villages, roads, and shrines that were built by the ancestors of the Pueblos and other Indigenous Nations which emerged and flourished in Chaco Canyon between 850 and 1250 A.D. Chaco Canyon has also been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site based on its importance as a center of trade, political activity, and ceremony, as well as its monumental buildings and distinctive architecture. The culture and heritage of the Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest are inextricably linked to lasting protections for the Greater Chaco Landscape. Over the years, drilling has caused significant harm to the health of Indigenous and other local communities, air quality, and cultural values in the landscape surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Oil and gas wells, roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure have destroyed significant cultural sites and transformed others into industrial parks . To allow more drilling in this area would completely disregard the calls from the Pueblos, Tribes, and other communities who share a deep connection to Chaco Canyon. New Mexicans from across the state are joining the All Pueblo Council of Governors and others who have advocated for protection of the greater Chaco Canyon landscape to celebrate the reintroduction of the proposed legislation. Passage of the bill would ensure the permanent protection of roughly 339,000 acres of public lands surrounding the park, which contain thousands of archaeological and cultural sites , and would also help protect local communities from the impacts of additional drilling. Below are several statements supporting increased protections for the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act. “The Greater Chaco Landscape is a living cultural site that is central to the history of Pueblo people. It is a place of prayer, ceremony, and connection that continues to sustain our people and the world around us,” said Keegan King, Executive Director of Native Lands Institute . “Permanent protection through the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act is not only the right decision, it is an act of deep respect and responsibility. We thank New Mexico’s delegation for standing with Tribal Nations and future generations of New Mexicans.” “Our Pueblo communities have long advocated for permanent protections of the Greater Chaco landscape. The codification of a buffer zone is only the first of many meaningful steps towards ensuring that Chaco Canyon’s Pueblo descendants continue living in harmony with this living cultural landscape. The attacks on the Greater Chaco landscape can exacerbate under the current political climate so we witness rescindment of environmental justice for minority populations under the second Trump administration. This is a meaningful step to build momentum for strong landscape protections in the future. Pueblo Action Alliance remains committed to working against the violent legacy of extraction as environmental justice initiatives continue to be impacted.” Julia Bernal, Executive Director, Pueblo Action Alliance “We at Archaeology Southwest are gratified that Senators Luján and Heinrich, and Representatives Leger Fernández, Stansbury, and Vasquez, are once again going to bat for all New Mexicans by reintroducing the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act,” said Paul F. Reed, New Mexico State Director and Preservation Archaeologist for Archaeology Southwest . “Protection for the fragile Indigenous landscapes and sacred sites of Greater Chaco cannot wait a minute longer.” “New Mexico Wild stands united with Pueblo leadership in calling upon our elected officials to seize this moment and pass legislation that will forever safeguard the Greater Chaco Landscape. This action is crucial to protect its cultural heritage, ecological importance, and sacred sites, many of which lie outside the Park’s boundaries, where oil and gas development threatens to destroy artifacts, history, wildlands, habitat, and dark skies,” said Mark Allison, Executive Director of New Mexico Wild . “Furthermore, prohibiting new leasing is vital for combating climate change, improving air quality, and enhancing public health. We are grateful to our full congressional delegation for standing in solidarity with local communities and all those who have advocated for these vital protections through a robust stakeholder engagement process.” “The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act is an important measure needed to provide permanent protection for the cultural and historical resources sacred to surrounding communities, Pueblos, and Tribes throughout New Mexico,” said Ángel Peña, Executive Director of Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project. “The 10-mile protective buffer zone encompasses rare and irreplaceable spiritual, archaeological, scientific treasures, and there are undoubtedly thousands more that have yet to be identified or disclosed since less than 20 percent of the lands lying within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park have been archaeologically surveyed. We urge Congress to follow the lead of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation and act quickly to safeguard this sacred landscape from the extreme attacks on public lands.” “Thank you Senators Ben Ray Luján and Heinrich and Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez, Stansbury, and Vasquez for championing legislation that will dramatically reduce the threat that expanded oil and gas drilling poses to Chaco Canyon,” said Jesse Deubel, Executive Director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation . “It is more important than ever to safeguard the irreplaceable values of this sacred landscape as our public lands face unprecedented threats. We look forward to working with Congress to move this bill forward and safeguard Chaco Canyon once and for all.” “We thank the New Mexico Congressional Delegation for reintroducing the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act—an essential step to protect the culture, heritage, and health of our communities” said Gabrielle Uballez, Executive Director of New Mexico Voices for Children . “This bill helps safeguard families from the dangers of unchecked oil and gas drilling and preserves Chaco Canyon for future generations. With 2023’s widely supported protections now at risk, we urge swift action in Washington to pass this critical legislation.” “Today, we celebrate the introduction of necessary legislation that would permanently protect the Greater Chaco Canyon landscape from more drilling, putting the interests of thousands of Indigenous Peoples and others in the region first over the interests of extractive and dangerous industries.” said Michael Casaus, New Mexico State Director of The Wilderness Society . “We know the Chaco Cultural Heritage Protection Act is needed as a permanent reprieve from the imminent threats facing these culturally important lands and the communities living here today. We thank Senators Luján and Heinrich and Representatives Leger Fernández, Stansbury and Vasquez for their work to introduce this critical legislation.” “We deeply appreciate New Mexico Senators Luján and Heinrich, as well as Representatives Leger Fernández, Stansbury, and Vasquez, for respecting the concerns of local communities and reintroducing the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, which will protect valuable and vulnerable public lands surrounding Chaco Canyon from harmful extractive uses. We call on Congress to swiftly pass this crucial legislation,” said Romir Lahiri, New Mexico and Arizona Associate Program Director for Conservation Lands Foundation . “The greater Chaco Canyon landscape—sacred to numerous Pueblo and Diné people across the Southwest and treasured by local communities—has faced the persistent threat of fragmentation from oil and gas leasing for far too long. The time to protect this cultural heritage is now.” “Already 90% of the Greater Chaco Landscape has been leased to oil development, and more than 37,000 wells have been drilled , some near schools and people’s homes. We celebrated the BLM’s actions in 2023 as a much-needed step to protect Chaco Canyon but permanent protections are necessary. Enacting the Greater Chaco Protection Act would safeguard the region’s biological marvels, cultural resources, sacred sites and scientific values and protect the health and well-being of local communities. We want future generations of New Mexicans and visitors from around the world to enjoy Chaco Canyon’s history, beauty and dark skies.” Ellen Montgomery , Environment New Mexico’s public lands campaign director “Chaco Canyon is home to diverse wildlife populations and significant Indigenous sites. The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act will safeguard these lands from oil and gas development so that future generations will be able to experience the cultural, spiritual, and recreational opportunities that these lands offer,” said Andrew Black, public lands field director at the National Wildlife Federation . “The National Wildlife Federation applauds the leadership of the entire New Mexico Congressional delegation for continuing to collaborate closely with Indigenous communities about how to best protect and manage these sacred lands.” ###

Santa Fe, N.M. - The Conservation Lands Foundation supports the growing call to designate the Caja del Rio Plateau in New Mexico as a national monument, joining the diverse voices of Indigenous-led organizations, conservation groups, Hispano organizations, hunting and fishing advocates, local governments and others who have worked tirelessly to protect this remarkable landscape. Statement from Romir Lahiri, New Mexico and Arizona associate program director at the Conservation Lands Foundation: “For years, we have partnered with the Caja del Rio Coalition to safeguard this culturally and ecologically significant landscape. This coalition represents the strength and diversity of New Mexico’s communities, uniting voices from Pueblos, Hispano leaders, conservationists, hunters, anglers and faith leaders to protect a place that holds profound meaning for so many. “As part of the Caja del Rio Coalition, the Conservation Lands Foundation supports calls by the All Pueblo Council of Governors, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich , the Santa Fe County Commission and Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber in urging President Joe Biden and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to designate the Caja del Rio as a national monument. “A Caja del Rio National Monument would honor the landscape’s deep significance to Indigenous and Hispano communities, preserve its rich cultural history, safeguard vital wildlife habitat and local watersheds and sustain traditional uses for future generations" Visit the Caja del Rio through the coalition's interactive StoryMap and hear from those who know the land best about why it deserves lasting protection. ####

U.S. Forest Service Deals Devastating Blow to Sacred Lands and Local Communities in New Mexico’s Caja del Rio Decision Opens the Door for a Power Transmission Line through Sacred Landscape; Ignores Tribal Interests, and Renewable Energy and Location Alternatives  SANTA FE, NM - Yesterday the Santa Fe National Forest released a draft Decision approving a proposal by the Los Alamos National Laboratory to construct a new 14-mile transmission line across public land managed by the Santa Fe National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management, which includes the Caja del Rio Plateau southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Forest Service’s draft decision ignores the immense opposition to the project by Tribal sovereign nations in the region, including the All Pueblo Council of Governors, and the thousands of public comments that were registered opposing it. The construction of the transmission line is an imminent threat to the delicate ecological balance of the Caja, to the public’s access to these lands and to the health of its waterways, wildlife habitats and cultural resources. The decision marks a surprising about-face for the Forest Service, which established the Caja Del Rio Wildlife and Cultural Interpretive Management Area in 2022 to, in part, protect this landscape from transmission lines and other forms of development. The Forest Service also did not require the project to go through the standard and more rigorous Environmental Impact Statement process and instead allowed a short-cut review through an Environmental Assessment, seemingly knowing it couldn’t be approved otherwise. The decision comes after the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG) took action on June 27, 2024, to pass APCG Resolution 2024-01, which called on the Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to pause the planning of the proposed project in order for a Pueblo led study to be conducted, identifying important cultural resource information. “This area and the living gifts it holds are invaluable to the past, present, and future of our communities. These desecrations are a reminder that we must work together to be as proactive as possible in preservation of this sacred landscape. A tribally-led ethnographic study will ensure our Pueblos have the opportunity to adequately inform agencies of the living nature of this place in relation to our communities, how those resources should be managed, and the potential cultural impacts of proposed federal projects," said Governor Milton Herrera, Pueblo of Tesuque, in a APCG press release. The Caja del Rio coalition, a group of Indigenous, Hispano and faith leaders, hunters, anglers, conservation and Indigenous climate justice organizations working to gain long-lasting protection for the Caja del Rio areas, issued the following statements in response to the draft decision notice: "Streamlining this project without proper cultural and archaeological assessments disregards the ancestral and traditional ties the surrounding Pueblos have to this landscape. The protection of cultural and natural resources, vital biodiversity and ecosystems are directly tied to the health and well-being of our Pueblo communities. We can not allow a decision that disrespects our traditional lifeways and cultural preservation. Our future generations deserve more." – Julia Bernal, Executive Director, Pueblo Action Alliance. "This is a blatant violation of the public trust and complete disregard of the valid objections outlined by local communities who have deep, ancestral ties to the Caja del Rio. The Forest Service is not only gambling with an irreplaceable landscape that supports traditional uses like hunting, fishing, and livestock production, but they are also rewriting their own management plan to push this ill-conceived project through, sidestepping important environmental review processes. We will file our objection and call on all those who care about the Caja to stay engaged and resist this reckless decision during this critical time." – Romir Lahiri, Associate Program Director, Conservation Lands Foundation “The Caja del Rio is a treasured landscape, rich with history and cultural significance, connected to Bandelier National Monument directly across the río, that should not be turned into an industrial zone. This is a place where generations have come to connect with the land, and we have a responsibility to protect the Caja landscape for the future. Moving forward with such a proposal violates the public trust and disregards the local communities with strong connections to this place and its cultural history. This is an opportunity to rethink energy development that protects land and people, and the Forest Service is well equipped to be a leader in this approach.” – Maude Dinan, New Mexico Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association "The Forest Service has chosen to ignore the voices of local communities and the cumulative, adverse impacts that a transmission line will pose to the cultural, environmental and historical values of the Caja del Rio. This disappointing decision paves the way for irreversible damage to a landscape that should be protected, not destroyed. This is a sad day for New Mexico’s diverse cultures and rich tradition that are so deeply connected to this sacred landscape.” - Reverend Andrew Black, EarthKeepers 360 “What have we become if we are even considering degrading irreplaceable natural and cultural heirlooms like the Caja in the name of technological advancement that will make us more “secure.” The land, its water, wildlife and cultural sanctity are the very bedrock of our security. Exceptional places like this are our fragile tether to the universe and the core of our very identity and regional origins. If we continue to degrade and forsake jewels like this, we have forsaken the very future of generations that follow in our footsteps.” - Garrett VeneKlasen, Northern Conservation Director, NM Wild About the Caja del Rio The Caja has been inhabited by local and Indigenous communities since time immemorial, with evidence of human occupation going back over 12,000 years. The Caja contains thousands of sacred sites, structures, petroglyphs, irrigation systems, and other cultural resources and Pueblos continue to use this cultural landscape and maintain a connection to it through ongoing traditional use of flora and fauna and cultural religious practices, including storytelling, songs, pilgrimage, and prayer. The Caja also retains deep historical significance for traditional local Hispanic communities and is home to one of the most iconic stretches of the famed El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the longest Euro-American trade route in North America that ran from Mexico City to Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. The proposed transmission line will impact one of the oldest sections of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro that was utilized from 1598-1610, before the capital was moved from Ohkay Owingeh to Santa Fe. Local governments, including the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, and San Miguel County, have adopted resolutions affirming that the Caja is “one of the United States’ most iconic landscapes, an area of profound cultural, historical, archaeological, and ecological significance.” The Board of Directors for the Northern Río Grande National Heritage Area has likewise recognized the significance of the Caja landscape. To learn more about the history and importance of the Caja del Rio plateau and to receive notices on opportunities to engage, visit cajadelrio.org. ###