It’s time to confront the heartbreaking truth: we are in a climate emergency. Our commitment to passing bold climate legislation has not wavered, but we will need your support and commitment to ensure that our elected leaders will take bold climate action to protect our communities, families, and economies and build a future in which our children and future generations can thrive.
In 2013, a Presidential proclamation designated the area a national monument, and part of the National Landscape Conservation System. Photo: Bob Wick
In every session, CVNM identifies bills that impact the air we breathe, the water we drink, our public lands and treasured wildlife, and our diverse communities. We evaluate each conservation-related bill and determine our top priority bills, other bills we’ll support, and any we oppose.
Winter is officially on its way, which means that we are approaching the start of the 2024 legislative session. In the calm before the excitement in the Capitol, we’d like to share a look ahead at some of our legislative priorities for the upcoming 30-day budget session.
Created during the 2023 legislative session, the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund (LOE) does what has never been done in New Mexico. It invests long-term in supporting statewide programs that help protect and restore our lands, water, wildlife, and cultural heritage.
2024 Tax Credits A number of different tax-related items were proposed as bills and eventually consolidated into the tax omnibus bill, Adjust Income Tax Brackets…
There is an enormous, once-in-a-lifetime amount of federal funding currently available to the state of New Mexico for building climate resilience, conservation projects, creating renewable…
HB 41 Clean Fuel Standards is the kind of bill that looks great at first glance but needs further analysis to understand its true implications….
HB 177 creates a New Mexico Match Fund of $100 million. Managed by the state treasury, the funds will be annual and non-reverting, and used to support grantmaking efforts. A host of state and local entities can apply for these grants. For a complete list of eligible entities, click here.
There is an enormous, once-in-a-lifetime amount of federal funding currently available. It comes from several sources, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). States, local governments and other public entities can apply for this funding. The funding is for infrastructure build-out, clean energy development, workforce training, pollution cleanup, and other essential functions.
Over the past year, New Mexico has had difficulty accessing this funding. This is because there is a requisite “local match” or “state match” that many of these federal funding opportunities require. NM Match Fund seeks to change this requirement by creating a “state match” fund. Without this fund, New Mexico risks leaving billions of dollars on the table. With these funds, we can ensure rural communities are not left behind in our transition away from fossil fuels. HB 177 passed the House 65-0, and passed the Senate 37-0. It now awaits the Governor’s signature. The NM Match Fund received a $75 million appropriation in House Bill 2.
Consistency is one of the key outcomes of SB 9 Conservation Legacy Fund. For years, New Mexico has lacked consistent funding for our state conservation agencies. SB 9 changes this by appropriating $300 million from the general fund to the Conservation Legacy Permanent Fund.
The importance of this fund is in the math. When the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund was passed last year, it was created as two separate funds: the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund (LELF) and the Conservation Legacy Permanent Fund (CLPF). Each fund received an initial investment of $50 million. The LELF is to start funding state agencies and conservation projects by 2025. It would do so by paying out 25% percent of its budget to the following entities:
The CLPF, on the other hand, was placed under the management of the State Investment Council, and its funds were invested to begin accruing interest to eventually be paid out into the LELF.
Unfortunately, as it stood, the CLPF would not have been able to replenish the LELF until 2040. This is because the CLPF can only distribute investment income to the LELF if its balance remains above $150 million. SB 9 Conservation Legacy Fund eliminates this roadblock by growing the CLPF overnight. With a CLPF at $350 million, it is estimated that the fund could start making distributions to the LELF by 2026.
This advance in timeline translates to consistency for not only our agencies and programs but for all New Mexicans. It means predictable funding for expanding conservation, building climate resilience, and supporting healthy communities for generations to come. While technically not passed, SB 9 lived on in HB 2, the state budget bill, which successfully appropriated the same $300 million from the general fund to the Conservation Legacy Permanent Fund. SB 9 died in the Senate Finance Committee.
Our annual Luminaria award recognizes pro-conservation champions in the New Mexico legislature. Since 2007, CVNM has been honoring members of our legislatures with pro-conservation voting records.
In order to pass strong laws that protect New Mexico’s environment, we believe it is critical to engage in the electoral process.
Through our work with both CVNM Action Fund and CVNM Verde Voters Fund, we let voters know that—for New Mexico’s air, land, water and communities—who we elect matters.
Through our Conservation Voters New Mexico Action Fund (CVNM Action Fund), a nonpartisan coordinated political action committee, we work to elect pro-environment candidates and to defeat anti-environment candidates at the state level up to the amount allowed by New Mexico campaign finance laws.
By donating to CVNM, you help mobilize voters, win elections, hold elected officials accountable and advance responsible public policies in our state.
