Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard

CVNM News:

• • • • • “Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard has been a guiding light in bringing New Mexico’s trust lands into the 21st century.” –CVNM CEO Demis Foster

SANTA FE – On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM) will present  New Mexico’s Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richards with its Luminaria Award. The annual award recognizes pro-conservation champions in New Mexico who lead the way to a better New Mexico for air, land, water, wildlife and communities.

In announcing the Award, CVNM CEO Demis Foster shared the following statement:

“Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard has been a guiding light in bringing New Mexico’s trust lands into the 21st century. A partial list of her accomplishments includes: A ban on oil and gas drilling on state lands near the Greater Chaco Region followed up with the Cultural Properties Protection Act; One-mile setbacks to protect school children from the effects of oil and gas drilling on air quality; The Accountability & Enforcement program to hold companies and lessees accountable for activities on state lands and the Environmental Compliance Office to develop remediation and reclamation strategies; An executive order that bans large transmission lines and other large developments on state lands on the Caja del Rio plateau; and The Office of Renewable Energy that has led to a six-fold increase in the amount of renewable energy under lease on state lands.

“It is clear that Commissioner Garcia Richard will prove to be one of the most consequential State Land Commissioners in New Mexico’s history. We are honored to have worked with her and the State Land Office on this journey and to present her tonight with the Luminaria Award.”

In accepting the award, Commissioner Garcia Richard said, “Since becoming the first Latina and educator to be elected Commissioner of Public Lands, my focus has been on earning as much money as possible for New Mexico’s school kids, but never at the cost of our natural resources or our rich and diverse history. At the State Land Office, we have generated record revenue year after year while holding oil and gas companies accountable and implementing a rule to protect cultural resources. Since I took office, we have also seen a six-fold increase in the amount of renewable energy under lease on state lands, diversifying our revenue streams and paving a path toward a cleaner energy future. I am deeply humbled to be recognized by CVNM as its latest Luminaria Award recipient and look forward to the work that is still ahead.”

The award will be presented to Commissioner Garcia Richard Tuesday, Feb. 4 during CVNM’s legislative reception at the Drury Hotel in Santa Fe.

About CVNM:

CVNM is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization connecting the people of New Mexico to their political power to protect our air, land, water, wildlife and communities for a healthy Land of Enchantment. CVNM does this by mobilizing voters, winning elections, holding elected officials accountable and advancing responsible public policies.