U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is preparing to reintroduce legislation to designate portions of the Gila River, its watershed and other rivers in the Gila National Forest as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Senator Heinrich acknowledged the growing support for the Wild & Scenic designation as part of the Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers of Opportunity […]
By Geoffrey Plant | Silver City Daily PressOctober 12, 2021A two-day conference “to reengage the communities of Grant County around reintroduction of the Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation” took place on the campus of Western New Mexico University on Friday — and, on Saturday, along several of the 23 segments of waterways that are proposed […]
By Kat Jacaruso | Las Cruces Sun-NewsSeptember 19, 2021On a hot, stagnant day in May 2016, our team set off on a trip that had been two years in the making. The 16- day expedition would string us along the last free flowing watershed in New Mexico, the Gila River. Our packrafts — inflatable boats designed […]
By Zorine Bhappu Shirley | Washington TimesJanuary 18, 2021The movement to preserve the Gila River is more than merely conservation. It is the protection of the rich history of our great nation. I was lucky to grow up in New Mexico and experience the beauty of the unique natural lands and rivers throughout the state.My late […]
March 1 | Silver City Daily Press Dear editor, I have been proud to support a community-driven effort to permanently protect our beloved Gila River through federal legislation for the past few years, along with my fellow county commissioners, Harry Browne, Alicia Edwards and Javier Salas. The M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River […]
By New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia RichardSilver City Daily Press | November 24, 2020In 2019, I visited Silver City for the annual Outdoor Economics Conference, where I announced my support for federal legislation to preserve the Gila River, New Mexico’s last free-flowing river. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Tom Udall […]
By Geoffrey Plant | Silver City Daily PressNovember 27, 2020According to a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report released a couple of weeks ago, New Mexico’s $2.4 billion outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2 percent of the state’s gross domestic product in 2019, and supported 35,000 jobs. In a separate report, also released this month, market […]
By Geoffrey Plant | Silver City Daily PressNovember 24, 2020Water-related outdoor recreation in New Mexico’s Gila River and San Francisco River watersheds stimulates economic activity that supports at least 3,900 jobs in New Mexico, providing $92.4 million of income, according to a new study conducted by Southwick and Associates and commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts.These […]
November 6, 2020Dear editor, I grew up in Las Cruces, and spent quite a bit of time in the Gila hiking, fishing and hunting. The Gila is a special space, and should be protected by the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This bill has wide grassroots support from traditional users, […]
