Western Resource Advocates
Western Resource Advocates
Western Resource Advocates (WRA) fights climate change to sustain the environment, economy, and people of the West. Our team of policy experts in New Mexico works with local communities and decision-makers to preserve the state’s precious land and water resources.
Last month, WRA and its partners celebrated Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signing of Senate Bill 9, establishing the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund – the single largest land and water conservation investment in New Mexico history. The approved state budget included a $100 million appropriation for the fund, which will invest in existing state programs and unlock access to significant available matching federal funds that have been historically left on the table.
“Recent catastrophic and devastating wildfires have shined a bright light on our state’s need to invest in landscape and community resilience,” said Jonathan Hayden, western lands senior policy analyst with WRA.
“The Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund is the kind of investment New Mexico needs to ensure the health of our forests, watersheds, and the communities that rely on them. By making this investment, our elected leaders have cemented their commitment to land and water stewardship and have allowed us – for the first time – to access millions of federal dollars available to protect our lands, waters, wildlife, and cultural heritage. Now we can begin the hard work needed to ensure a healthy environment for future generations.”
Over the past five years, WRA has worked to secure conservation funding by driving a unified plan of action with our coalition partners, crafting bill language, and finding consensus between diverse stakeholders. Going forward, WRA will advocate for the full funding necessary to ensure the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund’s long-lasting impact and preserve New Mexico’s ecological, cultural, and economic future.
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The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited nonprofit partners to submit stories related to its April topic of Environment.
New Mexico Kids Matter
New Mexico Kids Matter advocates for children who have been abused or neglected by empowering community volunteers to speak up for them in the foster care system with the goal of having every child grow up in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.
IndigenousWays
IndigenousWays is a Native led Indigenous Arts Non-Profit founded in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2007. IndigenousWays highlights Indigenous artists of all media as well as 2SLGBTQIA+ and differently abled performers.
Nizhóní Smiles
Nizhóní (Beautiful) Smiles Dental Program is the only non-profit dental program located on the Navajo Nation in the rural community of Shiprock, New Mexico. The program opened its doors in 1994 offering orthodontic(braces) services and later expanded to include general dentistry. The program has provided services to numerous patients, the majority of those being residents of the Navajo Nation.
