Mission: The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is dedicated to the protection, restoration, and rewilding of New Mexico''s Wilderness areas. We focus on forward-looking measures to develop an active and educated Wilderness constituency throughout the state. We build upon New Mexico''s long history of Wilderness protection in developing a new Wilderness movement here in the Land of Enchantment. To do this, we incorporate grassroots organizing, media outreach, public relations, and scientific research strategies to carry out a comprehensive Wilderness advocacy campaign. Our dedicated volunteers are the force behind our work.
Programs: The primary goal of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is to ensure the protection and restoration of all remaining wild lands in New Mexico through administrative designations, federal Wilderness designation, and on-going advocacy. To do this, we employ the following programs: Grassroots Organizing, Wilderness Awareness, Coalition Building, Wilderness Inventory, Wilderness Protection, and Membership Development. Each program has its own objective, but jointly our programs are designed to help accomplish the overall long-term goal of Wilderness protection.
I joined the NM Wilderness Alliance because it is the most active conservation group in New Mexico, with about 5000 members state-wide, and has the most focused effort at protecting wild lands. It is the only local organization that consistently works to promote legislative implementation of the Wilderness Act to add Wilderness to our federal lands inventory. They also sponsor great service projects that introduce members and the public to important places like Otero Mesa and the forested lands of the Gila and northern New Mexico. I find the Wilderness Alliance to be the best voice in support of the conservation values I find important.
After several decades of doing volunteer environmental work with many groups I became involved with New Mexico Wilderness Alliance from its beginning. It has the finest publications (brochures, newsletter, wild guide) you find anywhere. It does an excellent job of grassroots organizing and participation (ie. regular local field trips, work projects, social gatherings). It galvanized this diverse community around wilderness in a way I have never seen (600 wilderness supporters at a public hearing on wilderness). It reaches out to the less populated areas of the state in a way I have not seen in the many decades with 4 paid employees in three locations in the southern part of the state.
I've been a donor, member, staff member and now board member of this group. I love the dedication and focus of everyone involved. I give generously and I'm very happy with how my money is spent.
NMWA scored a huge victory the other day by protecting nearly 20,000 acreas of wilderness! New Mexico has only had 2 wilderness designations since 1987 and NMWA did both of them!
