Conservation

Preserving access to all our natural resources does not only enrich New Mexico’s rich outdoor traditions, but it also spurs our economy. Outdoor recreation activities in New Mexico generate $6.1 billion annually in consumer spending and is also directly responsible for 68,000 New Mexico jobs.

To ensure our public lands remain an economic engine, we must continue to protect our air from pollution, conserve our precious water resources, and work to reverse the devastating effects of climate change. 

I am deeply committed to protecting and conserving New Mexico’s treasured public lands, water, and wildlife for all to enjoy.

Latest

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Provisions Making Acequias and Land Grants Eligible for Grants and Technical Assistance

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they secured a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13, to make acequias and land grant-mercedes eligible for grants and technical assistance from conservation and environmental programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase agricultural water efficiency and further conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Announce Over $35 Million to Improve Rural Water Infrastructure in New Mexico

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced $35.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to build and improve rural water and wastewater systems in New Mexico. The awards were funded through the USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, and will help ensure clean water for Tribal lands, colonias, and rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents in New Mexico. The funding, which includes over $25 million in low-cost loans and more than $10 million in grants, will support water infrastructure projects benefitting businesses and residents of four New Mexico communities: Shiprock in San Juan County, Garfield in Doña Ana County, East Pecos in San Miguel County, and the City of Socorro. Read More

  • Heinrich Secures Forest Health And Water Conservation Measures In Farm Bill

    Dec. 12, 2018) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced the passage of several conservation measures that he has championed to improve the health and resiliency of New Mexico's forests and watersheds. The measures were included in the 2018 Farm Bill conference report-the final agreement between the House and Senate—which passed the Senate with an 87 to 13 vote. The bill must now be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and be signed into law by the president. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Major Wins for NM Farmers, Ranchers, Dairies, and Tribes in Farm Bill

    WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined their colleagues in the Senate to pass the final 2018 Farm Bill – major legislation that will send needed assistance to New Mexico farmers and ranchers, and support every county in the state by protecting the farm safety net and basic social services, while also making strategic investments in broadband access, clean drinking water, rural development, telemedicine, and more. The Farm Bill, which serves as the federal government's primary tool to provide agricultural funding and set food policy for the next five years, passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13. The bill must now be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and be signed into law by the president.  Read More

  • Our Most Important Conservation Program

    The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is America's most successful conservation program. LWCF expands opportunities for outdoor traditions like hunting, camping, and fishing that are among the pillars of Western culture. In New Mexico, LWCF has helped preserve many treasured places-including the Valles Caldera, Ute Mountain, and Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge-that power our thriving outdoor recreation economy. … 

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  • Udall, Heinrich, Luján, Lujan Grisham Announce an Additional $10.48 Million for NM Water Infrastructure Projects from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham, announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated over $10,478,478 in additional money for water resources projects across New Mexico, including funding to rehabilitate the Turley Acequia in San Juan County, reimburse counties and cities for major water and wastewater infrastructure projects in the Albuquerque region, complete a feasibility study to improve flood control along the Rio Grande, and fully fund the Tribal Partnership Program. The funding comes at the request of Udall, Heinrich, Luján, and Lujan Grisham, who fought to advance New Mexico water infrastructure priorities in the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus appropriations bill. Read More

  • Heinrich Joins Bipartisan Group Demanding Action To Save America’s Most Important Conservation Program

    Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined a bipartisan group of Senators, conservation leaders, and outdoor recreation advocates in a press conference to call for permanently funding and reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) before the end of the year. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is one of the nation's oldest and most successful conservation programs, which operates with no taxpayer funding. Senator Heinrich has long advocated for the permanent reauthorization and full funding of LWCF. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Vital Drought Provisions for NM in Water Infrastructure Bill

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined the full Senate in voting 99-1 to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a bill that authorizes Army Corps of Engineers water projects nationwide and includes core provisions of Udall and Heinrich's New Mexico Drought Preparedness Act, among other New Mexico benefits.  Last month, the House voted to unanimously approve the water infrastructure bill. The bill now goes to the president’s desk to be signed into law.  Read More