Protected lands and waters are a driving force behind New Mexico’s economy, generating $3.2 billion in economic activity annually and supporting nearly 30,000 jobs statewide. From snowcapped peaks and expansive forests to placid lakes and cascading rivers, the state’s natural treasures attract visitors from around the world—visitors whose spending supports small rural businesses, outdoor guides and outfitters, local grocery stores, and the broader hospitality industry. For many rural communities, this economic activity means long-term jobs.

That’s one major reason The Pew Charitable Trusts works alongside locals—from Tribal nations, hunters, and anglers to business owners and community leaders—to protect habitats and wildlife that are essential to the state’s ecological and economic health.

Freshwater protections

New Mexico has designated some rivers and wetlands as Outstanding National Resource Waters based on their extraordinary characteristics or contributions. These include the Pecos River, a source of clean drinking water for numerous communities. New Mexicans are also working on securing federal “wild and scenic” status for portions of rivers—such as the Gila and San Francisco in southwestern New Mexico—which would keep these waters clean, preserve public access to them, and protect economically valuable outdoor recreation activities.

Wildlife crossings and habitat connectivity

By allocating funding for wildlife crossings, the New Mexico government will help to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on state roads and save lives and money. Throughout the West, such crossings have kept habitat connected, which in turn contributes to healthy, resilient ecosystems that allow flora, fauna, and people to flourish.

Landscape conservation

New Mexico is reaping the benefits—economic, ecological, and cultural—of federal and state conservation. In the Land of Enchantment, protected areas range from national monuments to wilderness areas and other critical landscapes managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. These include Otero Mesa, home to myriad wildlife, including pronghorn and the endangered Aplomado falcon; the Greater Chaco Landscape, a living, breathing, cultural landscape that is sacred to many Indigenous people and Tribes; and the Gila National Forest, an expansive and mountainous woodland bisected by the eponymous river that is an outdoor recreation haven for locals and visitors alike. By continuing and expanding this legacy of conservation, New Mexico policymakers can help people, nature, and communities thrive far into the future.