VIDEO: Future of our Outdoor Economy

Dear Friend,

Our landscapes and outdoor places are part of what make New Mexico such an incredible place to call home. They truly set us apart as the Land of Enchantment. Earlier this month, I was pleased to be joined by New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division Director Axie Navas in hosting a virtual forum on how we can grow outdoor recreation opportunities throughout our state. We had a dynamic group of panelists, including New Mexico State Representative Angelica Rubio and CEO and Founder of Outdoor Afro Rue Mapp. The discussion was moderated by Elizabeth Hightower Allen, a contributing editor at Outside Magazine.

I encourage you to watch and share our full discussion here.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division Director Axie Navas host a virtual forum on the future of New Mexico's outdoor economy, July 16, 2020.

I have been proud to help steer the Great American Outdoors Act through Congress, which passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. This historic legislation will be the greatest investment in our parks and public lands in nearly half a century. We will finally fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund--or LWCF--and address the long backlog of infrastructure projects on our public lands.

The Great America Outdoors Act will put Americans back to work, restore our parks and public lands, and increase access to the outdoors for everyone. All of the federal funding and resources in the Great American Outdoors Act will provide us with a real opportunity to make growing New Mexico's outdoor economy a centerpiece of our overall economic recovery from the pandemic. All of this work on our outdoor places will reignite local economies, create new jobs, help small businesses get back on their feet, and provide urgently needed stimulus to the outdoor recreation industry in New Mexico. 

As we plan ahead for our long-term public health and economic recovery, our parks and public lands can play a leading role. In the midst of a real national reckoning on race, I also strongly believe we should be thinking through how we can rebuild our country in a way that includes all of us. That's why the work New Mexico is undertaking to make our outdoor places more welcoming to all--including our groundbreaking Outdoor Equity Fund--is so important. As I announced during our discussion, I am in the early stages of developing federal Outdoor Equity legislation to support and scale up this work.

We need to make sure outdoor opportunities are truly available to all of us--regardless of our race, where we live in New Mexico, or the thickness of our wallets. We should use all of the new resources in the Great American Outdoors Act to build new neighborhood parks, sports fields, and natural areas in communities that need them most. We need to plan strategically and establish new opportunities to get outdoors on our public lands and waters in every corner of our state. I would like to hear from you about how you think we should grow outdoor opportunities and rebuild our overall economy in New Mexico.

I am committed to working with you to make New Mexico the best place in the entire country for local families and visitors from around the world to get outdoors.