Board Co-Chair Testifies Before Senate Conservation Panel

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Madam Chair and Senators, thank you for this opportunity to speak. My name is Ruth Striegel. I’m on the board of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light. Our organization and many people of faith around the state support Senate Bill 86.

Water is sacred in all religious and spiritual traditions. Without water, there is no life. We are draining the aquifer under SE NM at an alarming rate. Once the water is gone, it will take hundreds of years to replace it. I have visited the Carlsbad area and spoken to farmers who see their water being drained away for use in fracking.

Tracking produced water and creating enforceable consequences for spills are important steps in keeping local communities healthy, now and in the future. We must work to protect the most vulnerable among us. SE NM is a beautiful place and must not become a sacrifice zone.

Thank You

AN ACT

RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES; PROHIBITING CERTAIN USES OF FRESH WATER IN OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS; PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE SPILL OR RELEASE OF OIL, GAS OR PRODUCED WATER; CREATING THE OIL CONSERVATION DIVISION DATA COMPILATION FUND; DIRECTING THE OIL CONSERVATION DIVISION OF THE ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO ADOPT RULES RELATING TO PRODUCED WATER AND NONDOMESTIC WASTES THAT ARE PROTECTIVE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WORKER SAFETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES; REQUIRING THE TRACKING OF PRODUCED WATER; ALPHABETIZING DEFINITIONS AND ADDING DEFINITIONS FOR “FRESH WATER”, “WATER POLLUTION”, “RECYCLED WATER” AND “TREATED WATER” TO THE OIL AND GAS ACT; AMENDING THE PRODUCED WATER ACT TO CONFORM TO CHANGES IN THE OIL AND GAS ACT; CLARIFYING REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER QUALITY CONTROL COMMISSION RULEMAKING RELATED TO THE USE OF PRODUCED WATER OUTSIDE OF THE OIL FIELD.

More than 100 Trees Planted via Interfaith Forest of Bliss Campaign

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By Ann McCartney

Trees are getting planted!

In a broad interfaith effort, up to a 100 trees have been planted by faith organizations and individuals in support of the Sikh Gudwara’s plan to plant 550 trees in honor of the birth of their founder 550 years ago.

The original planting for this Interfaith Forest of Bliss campaign took place in Alvarado Park in Albuquerque in spring 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down our efforts but we are back to getting some trees planted.

A few trees were planted last fall as part of the Front Yard Garden program run by Bernalillo County. And our Forest of Bliss group also participated in the AbqCiqlovia event in October 2020 to promote planting of trees in the International District of Albuquerque.

New plantings

Currently, we are planning to plant a few trees in Albuquerque on February 23, 2021 to honor the 400,000 Americans who have passed from COVID- 19. We also have an opportunity to plant a group of fruit trees in the Tiny Homes Village Garden in the International District.

Forest of Bliss is also exploring other opportunities to continue planting fruit trees in front yards and trees in Albuquerque city parks. There are plans to help with wetland restoration projects with Rio Grande Return, a non-profit which specializes in wetland restoration and has projects in Bernardo, the Canadian River up north and the sacred spring on Kirtland Air Force Base.

Meanwhile, the Sikh Gudwara has the possibility of a large planting in Bosque wetland on state trust land adjacent to Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

We are always in need of donations for trees and often can use help with planting as our plans develop and come to fruition – and we love the participation of people from all faiths and walks as we pray and gather to bless and support the trees being planted.  Donate here via PayPal or send a check to New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light, PO Box 27162 Albuquerque, NM 87125-7162

We are keeping track of trees planted by individuals and congregations as part of the Forest of Bliss campaign.  Here is a list.

Watch for upcoming Forest of Bliss events and projects via our online calendar.

Virtual Town Hall Examines Oil & Gas Issues in SE New Mexico

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Community members from Citizens Caring for the Future (CCFF) in Southeast New Mexico shared their experiences on bringing their voices to statewide policy discussions on oil and gas – addressing air emissions, waste issues and lack of publicly accessible information.