NM announces priorities for State Leg. Session

ALLIANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ANNOUNCE LEGISLATIVE

PRIORITIES FOR 2010 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

(Santa Fe, NM) – Representatives of over a dozen New Mexico environmental organizations announced three conservation priorities for the 2010 legislative session early Tuesday morning. The announcement was spearheaded by the Environmental Alliance of New Mexico (EANM), an informal coalition of environmental organizations facilitated by Conservation Voters New Mexico. The EANM coalition represents over 42,000 New Mexicans. The announcement was made together with members of the Legislature sponsoring the bills and the NM Department of Game and Fish.

“The Environmental Alliance has prioritized policies that help protect our land, water, air, and pocketbooks,” said Sandy Buffett, Executive Director of Conservation Voters New Mexico. “With these proposed measures, New Mexico has a golden opportunity to simultaneously protect the environment while protecting taxpayers.”

The 2010 Legislature that convenes next week will be a short, 30-day session focusing on state budget matters. Each of the Alliance’s priority bills are germane to the state budget or are anticipated to be on the Governor’s call. The bills include:

• Depredation Reform, a bill that will stop the wasteful slaughter of big game grazing animals, such as elk, antelope and deer, that has taken place since the “Jennings Amendment” was passed in 1997.

• Smart Investments in Public Buildings, a bill that will ensure energy efficient design and operation of public buildings, through EPA's Energy Star Certification. Energy saving throughout the life of new and retrofitted public buildings, through a 1-2% investment premium, is recovered in 2 years and gives a 10-fold return on investment in 20 years. In addition to the two proactive priorities, the Environmental Alliance of New Mexico will work to defeat any “environmental rollbacks” of existing safeguards and protections of the environment.

Organizations involved in the Environmental Alliance of New Mexico include:

Amigos Bravos, Audubon

New Mexico, Conservation Voters New Mexico, Gila Resources Information Project, The Nature 

Conservancy, New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, New Mexico Environmental Law 

Center, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Oil and Gas Accountability Project, and Sierra Club.

Contact: Molly Brook, Conservation Voters New Mexico, (651) 357-0773