Public Lands, Water & Wildlife:

Building Resilient Landscapes and Communities

New Mexico is home to nearly 35 million acres of public lands. They support wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and traditional cultural practices that are essential for our state’s diverse communities.

However, our wildlife, waters and ecosystems are at grave risk from decades of mining and oil and gas activity, climate change impacts, and limited agency capacity to enforce rules.

In addition, complex water rights and decreasing water supplies have fueled disputes on the best ways to manage New Mexico’s waterways and rivers.

Our Vision

Governor Lujan Grisham’s executive order on 30×30 committed to protect 30% of state lands and waters by 2030. By creating a uniquely New Mexican approach, we can safeguard the natural resources we rely on for food, jobs, and recreation and protect our communities.

We will:

Address loopholes in existing law that allow mining and other extractive industries to pollute our water and land
Modernize our state’s water infrastructure and management to address the challenge of climate change
Spark local, regional and federal policy discussions that will protect 30% of our watersheds by 2030
Protect watersheds from development, pollution and diversion

Embudo Box Trail

Hike through the canyon carved by Embudo Creek in Dixon, New Mexico.
Photo: Sherman Hogue

Learn More > Take Action!

Related Work

Learn more about conservation efforts.

November 13, 2025
Public Lands, Water & Wildlife

CVNM Statement in Response to Water Quality Control Commission Dismissal of Public Comment

Today, during a Water Quality Control Commission public meeting, Commission members publicly dismissed and prohibited public comment on oilfield wastewater (misleadingly called produced water) or items pertaining to the agenda. This decision was announced after a long queue of members of the public lined up to speak in objection to…

Read More
March 6, 2025
Public Lands, Water & Wildlife

Press Release: Trump Slashes Protections, Orders Logging on Federal Public Lands

On March 1, President Trump issued an executive order, the latest in an unprecedented stream of such orders, directing the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to expedite timber sales on federal public lands. The order claims a national and economic emergency...

Read More
February 5, 2025
Public Lands, Water & Wildlife

Strategic Water RESERVE vs Strategic Water SUPPLY

In the short amount of time since the Strategic Water Supply initiative has been announced, there has already been ample confusion between the Supply and the already-existing Strategic Water Reserve.

Read More

Broad-Based Support

CVNM partners with and supports these organizations in order to move the needle on conserving Public Lands, Water and Wildlife.

Special thanks to…

Amigos Bravos

Audubon Southwest

CAVU

Defenders of Wildlife

Environment NM

Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Organ Mountain Desert Peaks

Gila Conservation Coalition

Gila Resources Information Project

League of Conservation Voters

The Nature Conservancy

NM Wild

NM Wildlife Federation

Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project

ProgressNow NM

Sierra Club - Rio Grande

Western Environmental Law

Western Resource Advocates

Wild Earth Guardians

The Wilderness Society

Trout Unlimited New Mexico Council

Trust for Public Land

Topics:

Air Quality
Effective
Government
Energy &
Climate Change
Environmental
Justice
Land
Water
Wildlife & Habitat
Conservation

Bill #	Title	Sponsors	CVNM Position	Year
SB 4	Clear Horizons & Greenhouse Gas Emissions more Summary: SB 4: Clear Horizons & Greenhouse Gas Emissions - would have codified the Governor's 2019 executive order and put the state on a path to reduce economy-wide fossil fuel emissions. SB 4 died in Senate Financial Committee. Outcome: SB 4 passed the Senate Conservation Committee, but died in the Senate Finance Committee.	Mimi Stewart	Support	2025
SB 48	Community Benefit Act more Summary: SB 48: Community Benefit Fund - establishes the Community Benefit Fund to invest $340 million in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and provides renewable energy resources. SB 48 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 48 passed the Senate 23-15, and passed the House 39-26. It was signed into law by the Governor.	Mimi Stewart	Support	2025
SB 5	Game Commission Reform more Summary: SB 5: Department of Game & Fish Modernization - updates and modernizes the Department of Game and Fish, as well as the Game & Fish Commission, it reforms it into the Department of Wildlife with an updated mission and scope of work. SB 5 received a partial veto from the Governor striking the Game Commissioner removal process. All other aspects were signed into law. Outcome: SB 5 passed the Senate 37-5, then passed the House 44-23, and was partially vetoed and signed into law by the Governor	Matthew McQueen	Support	2025
HB 9	Immigrant Safety Act more Summary: HB 9: Immigrant Safety Act – aimed to eliminate safety oversight loopholes exploited by ICE that can lead to human rights violations against undocumented immigrants who are often fleeing the impacts of climate change. HB 9 died waiting to be heard in Senate Judiciary. Outcome: HB 9 passed the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee, but died in the Senate Finance Committee.	Eleanor Chávez	Support	2025
SB 23	Oil & Gas Royalty Rate Changes more Summary: SB 23: Oil & Gas Royalty Rate Changes - updates the royalty rate with a range of 20% to 25% for productive state trust land leases in southeastern New Mexico, potentially generating $50 to $84 million annually. SB 23 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 23 passed the Senate 21-15, and passed the House 37-31. It was signed into law by the Governor.	George K. Munoz	Support	2025
SB 21	Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act more Summary: SB 21: Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act - protects the state’s waters by authorizing key components of a state permitting program for waters no longer protected by the federal Clean Water Act. This bill also transfers water pollution prevention permitting to New Mexico that is currently done by the EPA for waters still federally protected. SB 21 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 21 passed the Senate 25-16, and passed the House 43-25. It was signed into law by the Governor.	Peter Wirth	Support	2025
HB 91	Public Utility Rate Structures more Summary: HB 91: Public Utility Rate Structure - allows investor-owned utilities (like PNM) to provide New Mexico’s most vulnerable residents with lower electric and gas bills. Outcome: HB 91 passed the House 42-25, then passed the Senate 26-16, and was signed into law by the Governor	Kristina Ortez	Support	2025
SB 36	Sensitive Personal Information Nondisclosure more Summary: SB 36: Sensitive Personal Information Nondisclosure - protects all New Mexicans’ personal and sensitive information from misuse by government employees. Outcome: SB 36 passed the Senate 26-14, then passed the House 42-23, and was signed into law by the Governor	Antoinette Sedillo Lopez	Support	2025
SB 37	Strategic Water Reserve more Summary: SB 37: Strategic Water Reserve - helps keep water in streams for two new specific purposes to support instream flows and recreational, cultural and habitat uses. SB 37 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 37 passed the Senate 25-15, and passed the House 42-20. It was signed into law by the Governor.	Elizabeth Stefanics	Support	2025