Among the rugged landscapes of the Chihuahuan desert, a grassroots revolution is taking shape. New Mexico has been at the forefront of providing equitable opportunities for youth and families to get outdoors since establishing the country’s first Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) in 2019. Administered by the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division, the Outdoor Equity Fund is a state‐based grant program that supports local organizations providing transformative outdoor experiences to historically underserved youth.
Since 2020, the New Mexico OEF has awarded $6.5 million in grants to 169 organizations in this effort, with $2.7 million of that total being distributed to rural and Tribal areas. Spanning 23 counties, this initiative has connected more than 83,000 youth to the outdoors.
What began as an audacious venture among a small coalition of conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts, has transformed into a national blueprint. States like Colorado, Nevada, Washington and California have now also developed similar programs based on New Mexico's success.
At the heart of this program lies the OEF's commitment to community-driven solutions, by funding Tribal and Indigenous organizations like the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) and StoryRiders, outdoor recreation programs reconnecting youth of color to their natural and cultural heritage. With funding challenges and recent political developments, the demand for OEF continues to grow.
Why This Matters Now
As national headlines highlight alarming shifts in public lands management — from the mass firing of seasoned federal employees to the heedless review of critical national monument designations — New Mexico's OEF remains committed to its foundation.
Developments under the Trump administration are creating a vacuum of outdoor educational opportunities in which programs like the New Mexico OEF are needed now more than ever — as they directly impact marginalized communities whose access to nature is already limited by systemic, economic and social barriers.
The experiences offered by programs, funded by New Mexico OEF, have cultivated a new generation of public land and water stewards. Lizzeth Bermudez, 18, says her participation with Latino Outdoors has inspired her to pursue a degree in environmental science after graduating high school.
Meet Lizzeth Bermudez: From Teen Outdoor Recreationalist to Environmental Scientist
“The outdoors has always been a space for me and my family to connect with not only nature but with each other,” Bermudez said, “This is part of the reason that I’ve decided to pursue a career in environmental scence. I want to help in preserving our Earth and ensuring that other’s understand why that’s important.”
In an interview with Bermudez, she recounted how being connected to Latino Outdoors as a young teen by a former elementary school teacher gave her and her family outdoor experiences that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
“We didn't grow up like skiing or going like rafting and everything, and I think cost is definitely a big factor in that, which is why when we found Latino Outdoors, there was all these really fun things that we got to try."
This ripple effect stemming from her exposure to the outdoors was instrumental in her decision to continue her education in environmental sciences — something she says her peers graduating this year haven’t even determined yet.
"Two years ago, I wasn't even thinking about a career in environmental science yet. It really just started to click for me when I took an environmental science class over the summer,” ... “[It] was genuinely one of the classes that I read the entire textbook because I just found all of it so fascinating,” Bermudez said. “Then I started thinking back to the things I would do at my job at Nature Niños as a camp counselor. I was already kind of working with kids and teaching them about environmental science, unintentionally doing that right at that moment.”
This February, making her first visit to the New Mexico State Legislature (Roundhouse), Bermudez spoke at New Mexico's Lands, Water & Wildlife Day. There, she met with state Senators Jeff Steinborn, Michael Padilla, Carrie Hamblen, Representative Angelica Rubio, and other outdoor advocacy partners to share her experiences and advocate for continued funding for New Mexico’s Outdoor Equity Fund.
How can you help the NM Outdoor Equity Fund
Thanks to champions like Representative Nathan Small and Representative Angelica Rubio, the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund will have an additional $3 million next cycle to meet growing demand. This increased support will ensure more young New Mexicans like Bermudez can access transformative outdoor experiences that improve health, foster belonging, and create meaningful career pathways in conservation and outdoor recreation.
Nuestra Tierra and outdoor advocacy partners are continuing to connect decision-makers with the incredible impacts of the Outdoor Equity Fund.
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Donate to Nuestra Tierra so that we can continue mobilizing OEF supporters
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Learn more about Nuestra Tierra’s initiative to create an Outdoor Opportunity Fund to help states like New Mexico meet community outdoor recreation need
Your support and advocacy directly strengthens New Mexico's growing outdoor economy while building a more inclusive conservation movement — because the outdoors belong to everyone.