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Santa Fe New Mexican: Conservation group honors Sen. Heinrich

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., is one of three recipients of awards given this year by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the group announced Thursday.

The organization operates under Roosevelt’s belief that conservation should be at the forefront of American interests, and it aims to ensure the country has access to “quality places to hunt and fish.” Its award program seeks to unite advocates, policymakers and environmental industry leaders.

Heinrich was selected for his congressional efforts toward clean water, access to public lands and conservation funding, according to a news release from the partnership.

In March 2015, the senator backed bipartisan legislation to broaden access to recreation, hunting and fishing on federal lands. And in May, alongside U.S. Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, he sponsored a bill requiring utilities to generate 30 percent of their energy from renewable sources within the next 15 years.

“Hunting and fishing are an integral part of our American heritage and contribute to our growing outdoor recreation economy,” Heinrich said in an email Thursday.

“It’s a true honor to be recognized by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.”

He said the organization will ensure future generations have the opportunity to fish and hunt on public lands.

Heinrich will be honored alongside U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and philanthropist Louis Bacon, founder of the Moore Charitable Foundation, who will receive a Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award.