Action Needed: NMACD Opposes SB 18 – Contact Your Legislators Today

Dear NMACD Members,

We are writing to ask you to take action on an important piece of legislation.

After careful review, NMACD believes SB 18 would undermine the locally driven, collaborative conservation framework that New Mexico’s conservation districts rely on to effectively serve landowners, communities, and natural resources. The bill threatens to reduce local input and flexibility, which are essential to addressing New Mexico’s diverse conservation challenges.

Conservation districts are built on voluntary cooperation, local knowledge, and partnerships with landowners. SB 18 moves away from these principles and risks creating unintended consequences that could hinder on-the-ground conservation efforts across the state.

We need your voice. Legislators need to hear directly from conservation district leaders, supervisors, and partners about why this bill is concerning and how it could impact conservation work in your community.

Please contact your legislator and oppose SB18.

NMACD will continue to monitor SB 18 closely and advocate for policies that support locally led conservation, strong partnerships, and practical solutions for New Mexico’s land and water resources.

Dear [Lawmaker],

On behalf of the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts (NMACD), which represents local conservation districts working with landowners and communities across the state, we write to share concerns with Senate Bill 18 and to encourage you to vote NO on SB18.

Conservation districts support policies that protect natural resources while sustaining the economic foundation of rural New Mexico. SB18 risks creating uncertainty for industries and land users that contribute to local jobs and to the revenues that help fund conservation work statewide. When investment slows or moves elsewhere, the impacts extend beyond a single sector and are felt by working families, communities, and conservation programs.

New Mexico has shown that meaningful environmental progress can be achieved through collaboration, innovation, and practical implementation. Flexible, locally informed policies have enabled emissions reductions while supporting working landscapes and economic stability.

We respectfully ask you to reconsider SB18 and support approaches that advance environmental stewardship while preserving jobs, local economies, and the partnerships that make conservation successful in New Mexico.

Thank you,
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