The Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit born on the frontera in New Mexico. Our mission is to ensure that historically and deliberately excluded communities have access to the outdoors and that our history, values, and people are authentically reflected in public land and water management decisions.
Why We Engage at the NM State Legislature
Every year, elected officials, decision-makers, community advocates and lobbyists gather in Santa Fe to discuss proposals that impact all New Mexicans. Proposals range from outdoor recreation, oil and gas regulation, budget decisions, health, education, water, and many more. Nuestra Tierra primarily tracks and advocates for bills that impact New Mexico’s lands, water, wildlife and outdoor access for New Mexicans. We engage in the legislative process to protect our natural resources, promote equitable access to the outdoors, and ensure sustainable management for future generations.
Our citizen legislators rely on stories from community members to make the best possible decisions: join our advocate group to stay up-to-date on important proposals, tell your story and add your voice!
In 2025, Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project focused on four key issues:
Funding for the Outdoor Equity Fund
$3 million secured for the Outdoor Equity Fund
Recently released economic data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that outdoor recreation contributes nearly $3.2 billion to New Mexico’s economy. The New Mexico OEF is essential in ensuring current and future generations of New Mexicans are provided with the opportunity to connect with the land, and thus see themselves reflected in future career pathways.
Just this year the Outdoor Recreation Division received 96 applications with more than $3 million in grant requests and awarded $851,400 in grants to 43 organizations. That equates to less than half of proposals being funded, meeting less than 30% of community programming needs. This means many organizations have had to significantly reduce their outdoor programming. This results in fewer kids being exposed to the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of the outdoors.
Through persistent coalition advocacy, Nuestra Tierra and key partners at The Semilla Project, Western Resource Advocates, Latino Outdoors alongside Outdoor Equity Fund recipients and Outdoor Recreation Division champions helped secure an additional $3 million for the Outdoor Equity Fund, expanding opportunities for underserved youth to access outdoor experiences.
Huge thanks to unwavering legislative champions (and southern NM Champions!) Representative Nathan Small and Representative Angelica Rubio for believing all our youth deserve access to meaningful experiences in nature.
Watch how Outdoor Equity Funds help get youth outdoors!
SB 5 – Modernizing the Department of Game and Fish:
Signed, partially, by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Nuestra Tierra supported and advocated for updates and improvements to the governance of the Department of Game and Fish, ensuring more inclusive and science-based management of wildlife and habitats. This proposal goes a long way to giving the NM Department of Game and Fish the tools, authority, and funding needed for a 21st century wildlife management system. The bill includes updates to the department’s mission to give clear legislative authority to manage all wildlife, help recover native species so they don’t get put on the federal threatened or endangered list, and improve wildlife habitats and migration corridors. With modest fee increases (most notably for non-resident hunters and anglers) the bill solves a long funding crisis with additional funding to operate fisheries, boating access, leverage additional federal dollars, improve outdoor recreation infrastructure and fund additional conservation work for Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). The proposed bill also included fixes to the NM Game Commission to add checks and balances, ensure legislative input on candidates, and ensure qualified Commissioners are not dismissed without cause. Critical language regarding Commissioner removal was line-item vetoed by Governor Michelle Lujan.
SB 21 – Protecting New Mexico’s Surface Waters
Passed House and Senate - Signed by Governor on April 8, 2025
We advocated for two critical bills to safeguard New Mexico’s waters from pollution and degradation. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v Environmental Protection Agency eliminated protections under the federal Clean Water Act for the majority of our waterways, threatening the health of our streams, rivers, and wetlands. New Mexico waters are left at even greater risk because we don’t have a state surface water permitting program to protect waters that are no longer federally protected. It’s clear that New Mexicans can no longer rely on federal protections to protect our waters. The bills give New Mexico the ability to take the reins of our state water decisions and authority to develop a permitting program.
Safeguarding Water Quantity & Quality: Strategic Water Supply
Legislation Stalled
Nuestra Tierra closely monitored and engaged in discussions around the Strategic Water Supply Bill, which initially proposed using treated fracking wastewater as part of New Mexico’s water supply. After public outcry and advocacy, the bill was amended to exclude oil and gas wastewater, though it retained a $75 million allocation for other water supply projects. We emphasized the importance of protecting water quantity and quality, ensuring New Mexico’s water resources remain safe and sustainable for communities and ecosystems.