Ten years after its designation, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is at a critical stage.

Increased use during the COVID-19 pandemic led to the loss of some access points and strained infrastructure. Impacts of climate change have affected wildlife and habitat. And, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office is completing its Resource Management Plan to outline guiding policies for the monument going forward.

Now more than ever, it is imperative that the conservation and local communities engage with the BLM to ensure that the management of the monument and the vision of the people who helped to designate it are aligned. Cracks in the relationships between the BLM and the stakeholders that use the land result in negative impacts for all communities and the land itself. Furthermore, it makes the task of protecting additional land in the future much more difficult.

That is why New Mexico Wild has enlisted the help of lifelong Taoseño Nick Streit to create a friends group for the RGDN. Streit has begun to engage with stakeholders and will be working closely with the BLM to help it complete a management plan that takes into consideration the needs of the environment and the local communities, while preserving traditional uses and culture. 

While the RGDN Friends group is currently a project of New Mexico Wild, the goal is to cultivate sufficient community and funder support to create and sustain an independent Friends organization. 

Please use this donation form to make sure your gift is allocated to the Friends Group.

If you'd prefer, you can mail a check to New Mexico Wilderness Alliance at PO Box 25464, Albuquerque, NM 87125. Please indicate that your gift is intended for the Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

Thank you for helping this vital new organization get off the ground.