Policy & Advocacy

Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project exists to ensure that historically and deliberately excluded communities have access to the outdoors and that their history, values, and people are authentically reflected in public land and water management decisions. Through education, advocacy and empowerment, Nuestra Tierra’s work stands at the intersection of environmental conservation and social justice.

Nuestra Tierra educates policy makers and the public on legislative policies that address inequitable access to the outdoors and its management on a state and national level. As part of a growing network of progressive conservation advocates, we are committed to redefining the 21st century of conservation; conservation is not just about land, it is also about people. At the forefront of this shift in the conservation movement, Nuestra Tierra strives to make sure policy makers understand the importance of community led conservation.

Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project’s current policy and advocacy work centers on on three principal campaigns:

The Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative, 30x30, and the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund.

The Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative

The Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative (Outdoor Fund for Underrepresented, Tribal, Urban, & Rural Equity - OFI) aims to address the historical barriers and systemic inequalities that have limited access and public participation for underrepresented populations in our nation's lands and waters. These communities include people of color, disabled populations, low-income communities, tribes, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. OFI seeks to create a national equity fund that will bring about long-term investments in programs promoting outdoor exploration and cultivating a new generation of environmental stewards.

This initiative recognizes that throughout history, racism, exclusion, oppression, and injustices have shaped the operations and policies of land management agencies, resulting in an inaccessible and unwelcoming environment for marginalized groups. Underrepresented populations have been excluded from decision-making processes despite being the most directly affected by the management of public lands and waters, which are meant to benefit everyone.

To address these issues, the Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative is working to establish an equitable policy framework that is locally led and designed. By doing so, the initiative aims to empower these communities and ensure their meaningful engagement in outdoor recreation and educational experiences. The goal is to create sustainable access to the outdoors, providing opportunities for health, wellness, cultural identity, activism, and fun.

Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project serves as a fiscal and administrative partner for the Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative, collectively working towards establishing a national Outdoor Equity Fund. This fund seeks to ultimately break down systemic barriers, increase representation, and empower underserved youth and communities of color to engage in meaningful outdoor recreation and educational experiences in natural spaces.

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30 x 30

As a leading organization in the America the Beautiful For All Coalition, Nuestra Tierra is committed to advancing the Biden-Harris administration’s 30X30 Initiative. Preserving 30 percent of the U.S. land and waters by 2030 is the most ambitious conservation goal in the history of the United States, and is amplified by its co-constitutive Justice40 goal which aims to ensure that at least 40 percent of conservation investments directly benefit diverse communities of color. Together 30x30 and Justice 40 are critical targets that address biodiversity, climate change, and social inequality in the United States.

Nuestra Tierra endorses America The Beautiful for All Coalition’s robust policy agenda that seeks to tackle climate justice head on. Check out the 2023 policy agenda on the coalition’s website and stay tuned for the updated 2024 agenda:

Policy agenda

New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund

One of Nuestra Tierra Project’s first major campaign efforts after we became a non profit was advocating for the establishment of The New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund (NM OFI). This state-level fund was first launched in 2020 and has helped countless organizations get underserved youth and their families access to the outdoors. The NM OFI has also inspired other states like California, Colorado and Nevada to follow suite and establish similar funds.

Recently, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's proposed to move the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund from the Economic Development Department to the Tourism Department, which has raised significant concerns. Nuestra Tierra believe this proposed move threatens the core principles and objectives of the fund, which exists to prioritize outdoor equity and empower New Mexico's low-income youth and community-based outdoor nonprofits rather than the tourism industry’s interests. We will continue to advocate for the fund to remain within the purview of the Economic Development.

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