New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

06/10/2026

The Roadless Rule has protected 45 million acres of our national forests from logging, drilling, and mining since 2001. Now the administration is pursuing repeal on every front — through the courts, through federal agencies, and now through Congress. Thank you to Sen. Martin Heinrich for voting against this today and standing up for New Mexico's roadless areas. Swipe to see where things stand and stay tuned for how to take action.

06/06/2026

New Mexico is home to a fascinating reptile: the New Mexico whiptail (Aspidoscelis neomexicanus), an all-female species that reproduces through parthenogenesis. These lizards still engage in courtship and mounting behaviors, earning them the nickname "leaping le***an lizards."

Antelope Pass is home to the rare Dixon's whiptail (Aspidoscelis dixoni), another all-female whiptail species found in and around the biologically extraordinary Peloncillo Mountains.

Recently, Almadex America Inc., a subsidiary of Canadian-owned mining company Almadex Minerals, filed at least 132 mining claims in the Antelope Pass area.

🦎 Sign the petition to help keep mining out of Antelope Pass and protect this unique habitat for the rare Dixon's whiptail.
https://nmwild.org/get-involved/sign-a-petition/keep-mining-out-of-antelope-pass/

Photo & media credits:
• Antelope Pass map: Curt Bradley
• Antelope Pass drone photo: Tony Donaldson
• Dixon's whiptail photo: Toby Hibbitts
• Painting: Pine Bones / High Country News

06/04/2026

Join Shelby, New Mexico Wild's Wyss Fellow Conservation Organizer, for an introduction to nature journaling while exploring one of the Santa Fe National Forest's Inventoried Roadless Areas.

All ages and drawing or journaling experience levels are welcome. Journals and pencils will be provided, but you’re welcome to bring your own.

📍 Ski Santa Fe – Winsor Trail
📅 June 12 | 10:00 a.m.

RSVP is required to attend — https://ow.ly/2qNH50Z6o2Y

06/03/2026

Join New Mexico Wild for an urgent community presentation featuring Garrett VeneKlasen, New Mexico Wild’s Northern Conservation Director, on the escalating mining threats facing northern New Mexico’s public lands.

The presentation will cover how President Trump’s Executive Order 14156, “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” and the Department of Interior’s Fast 41 Program have accelerated mining exploration on federal public lands, including the proposed uranium mine near Canjilón. Attendees will also learn about threats to federal land, water, and cultural protections, as well as efforts to roll back safeguards like the Roadless Rule.

Most importantly, New Mexico Wild will discuss what these changes could mean for northern New Mexico communities and how people can get involved in protecting the places they care about.

📅 Friday, June 5 | 6:00 PM
📍 Taos Democratic Party Headquarters (729-A Paseo del Pueblo Sur)

RSVP at https://ow.ly/qugF50Z6OCK

We hope to see you there!

06/02/2026

New Mexico is leading the nation in developing effective clean water protections.

While federal rollbacks have stripped protections from streams and wetlands across the country, New Mexico is taking action to restore and strengthen safeguards for the waters that sustain our communities, agriculture, wildlife, and economy.

As Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth and Representative Kristina Ortez write in their recent op-ed, passing SB 21 was only the first step. Now we need strong implementation rules to ensure the law delivers on its promise.

➡️ Sign the petition to support strong SB 21 protections: https://ow.ly/hwZO50Z6TgZ

📖 Read the full op-ed, "Commission Must Adopt Strong Water Quality Rules," here: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/commission-must-adopt-strong-water-quality-rules/article_06ca5a0c-cc48-4bd4-9e0e-0c634e50e41e.html

Together, we can help ensure New Mexico remains a national leader in protecting clean water.

06/02/2026

Join New Mexico Wild and REI Santa Fe for a special evening book talk featuring Thomas W. Swetnam and his acclaimed work, The Jemez Mountains: A Cultural and Natural History.

Tom Swetnam, a Regents’ Professor emeritus at the University of Arizona and lifelong Jemez Mountains resident, will share stories from his book — a rich tapestry of natural history, forest ecology, and the human histories woven into this beloved landscape. Tom will speak to the Jemez Mountains’ remarkable geology, forests, and river canyons, as well as the history of forest management and the challenges these lands face today.

New Mexico Wild will join the conversation to discuss how this history connects to current policy, including the federal administration’s push to rescind the Roadless Rule, which has long protected millions of acres of undeveloped national forest land from road construction and industrial development, and what’s at stake for the Jemez and beyond if those protections are lost.

Copies of The Jemez Mountains: A Cultural and Natural History will be available at the event.

This event will be available via Zoom for those who cannot attend in person. The link will be sent out to attendees a week before the event date.

When: Wednesday, June 10 | 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Where: REI Santa Fe (500 Market St Ste 100, Santa Fe, NM 87501)

RSVP is required: https://ow.ly/XHEP50Z5Epg

06/01/2026

What do mountain bikers and horseback riders agree on?

That New Mexico's roadless forests are worth protecting.

A new joint op-ed from leaders in New Mexico's mountain biking and equestrian communities highlights why these groups are standing together in support of the Roadless Rule, which has protected 1.6 million acres of New Mexico forests from road building and industrial logging for the past 25 years.
While these communities may experience public lands in different ways, they share a commitment to protecting the trails, forests, wildlife habitat, and clean water that make those experiences possible.

Read more:

Mountain bikers and horseback riders are often maligned as embroiled in conflict, propagating the unfortunate myth that our favored means of riding our trails are incompatible.

06/01/2026

Remember when a proposal to sell millions of acres of public land was included in the budget reconciliation process last summer? The Public Lands Integrity Act would help ensure that doesn't happen again by closing the loophole that allows public lands to be sold through the budget reconciliation process. This legislation ensures that any decision to sell or dispose of federal public lands has to go through the full, transparent legislative process. Thank you to Senator Martin Heinrich and the bill’s other sponsors for introducing this important legislation to protect America’s public lands.

05/29/2026

Keep an eye out for New Mexico’s adorable critters next time you’re exploring public lands!

05/28/2026

Join New Mexico Wild, the City of Albuquerque Open Space, and the John B. Robert Neighborhood Association for a community tumbleweed cleanup at Bear Canyon Open Space. Volunteers will work together to remove these invasive plants and help care for this important local landscape.

Please come prepared with water, sun protection, and layers for unpredictable weather conditions. Please note that there are no restroom facilities on site.

When: May 30 | 8:45 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Where: Bear Canyon Open Space (More details and the exact meeting point will be distributed to registrants via email)

RSVP is required to attend! https://ow.ly/qJH750Z5cjW