Gila Conservation Coalition

04/02/2026

Meeting tomorrow night in Cliff on the NMDOT Stream Restoration and Resilience Study for US Highway 180 bridge crossing over the Gila. More info at: https://www.dot.nm.gov/event/us180-gila/

11/18/2025

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is mapping aquifers this week in the Mimbres and Gila basins. This effort will help collect important data to help us manage our groundwater resources.

08/22/2025

The FAA is asking for public input on the aviation and public safety impacts of the Air Force proposal to expand its military training airspace over southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico including the Gila Wilderness. If you're a pilot or aviation professional, we need you to weigh in! Visit the link below to find out more.

Email from Federal Aviation Administration Accepting Public Comments on Impacts to Aviation and Public Safety from the Air Force Military Airspace Expansion Proposal The United States Air Force is pro

08/14/2025

The U.S. Air Force has delayed the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for expansion of airspace across southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico to the spring of 2026, with the Record of Decision to follow in the summer of 2026. The government proposes to modify ten existing Military Operations Areas (MOAs) that stretch across southern Arizona into southwest New Mexico as part of their Special Use Optimization Strategy to expand low-elevation combat training. The plan will authorize thousands of additional low-elevation fighter jet maneuvers and low-elevation supersonic flights that cause sonic booms and impact dozens of rural communities, affect 30 tribes and pueblos with traditional ties to the area, and subject millions of acres of federal public lands to increased noise, pollution, and risk of fire. We'll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

08/05/2025

The Gila River Festival has always been about bringing our community together to celebrate New Mexico’s last wild river. That’s why the decision to place the festival on hiatus for the foreseeable future was made with great care. We’re exploring new ways to engage, connect, and celebrate with you in the months and years ahead. Your voice and participation have shaped this event over the past two decades, and we hope to carry that forward in new and meaningful ways. We're committed to finding new paths to gather and celebrate the Gila River in the future. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey that has provided a diversity of opportunities for our community to experience and learn about the natural and cultural history of the Gila through the arts, humanities and natural sciences.

06/18/2025

06/13/2025

The ISC is back in town next week to give an update on the progress to disburse $110 million in NM Unit Funding and take input on the next application round for construction funds. If you can't make an in-person meeting, you can join the Zoom call on June 24 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm.

The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) will host a second round of public listening sessions next week to update southwest New Mexico communities on the progress to fund water projects from $110 million in the NM Unit Fund. The agency will also gather input from community members and water leaders to help shape the next project pilot cycle. If you can't make it in person, there is a Zoom option available on June 24. More info is on the ISC website at: https://tinyurl.com/cvanrht2

06/07/2025

Take action today to let President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Doug Burgum know that millions of people support monuments, NOT monuments for millionaires: https://bit.ly/MonumentAction
These are OUR public lands. Places like Bears Ears, Chuckwalla, and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument belong to all of us—not corporate interests.

05/01/2025

We want to thank the New Mexico Delegation for reintroducing legislation to permanently protect 450 miles of the Gila River and tributaries under the M. H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act. Head to our website, www.gilaconservationcoalition.org to learn more and to stay updated as this legislation advances through the House and Senate!

04/18/2025

Exciting news! A diverse coalition of New Mexico residents, local businesses, organizations, and elected officials is celebrating today the reintroduction of the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act in the Senate (S.1476) and the House (H.R. 2903) by Senator Martin Heinrich and Rep. Gabe Vasquez! Thank you to our Gila River champions!

01/30/2025

GOOD NEWS: In an incredible display of bipartisanship, Rep. Vasquez has partnered with Rep. Zinke of Montana to introduce legislation that would ban the sale or transfer of most public lands!! The announcement comes as some House Republican staffers float the idea of selling public lands to fund the government and the state of Utah pushes for legal authority to "dispose" of public lands. Thank you, Rep. Gabe Vasquez, for fighting to keep our beloved public lands in public hands!!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On January 28, 2024, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Public Lands in Public Hands Actwhich would protect hunting and fishing access by requiring congressional approval for the sale or transfer of public land.