OPINION: $300M for Legacy Fund largest conservation investment in NM history

As the dust settles from this year’s legislative session, we’re proud to share a historic, bipartisan achievement that will benefit New Mexicans for generations to come.

After years of negotiations, we marshaled together a broad coalition in the 2023 session to pass Senate Bill 9. This created the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund — the state’s first-ever recurring funding source for land and water conservation, agriculture and outdoor recreation projects. While initial seed money was invested, it was not enough to meet the growing demand from New Mexico communities.