$10 million designated for projects that benefit natural resources, farming, outdoor recreation

FARMINGTON — Today, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and New Mexico Natural Resources Trustee Maggie Hart Stebbins opened the application process for projects that may be funded with $10 million received from the federal government as part of the Gold King Mine Settlement that was reached in June 2022.  

“The Gold King Mine spill caused extreme harm to the region’s environment, its economy, and its people. When I came into office, I was determined to do whatever it took to help northwest New Mexico heal – and be made whole by the federal government and mine owners,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “This hard-fought funding is now going benefit the communities along the San Juan and Animas Rivers who were affected by the traumatizing incident in 2015. We’re committed to continuing to make sure that northwest New Mexico communities thrive.”  

The settlement funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided to the Office of the Natural Resources Trustee (ONRT) is available for projects that restore or replace injured natural resources or the services they provide, including river, land, habitat, and watershed restoration and conservation, or projects that compensate the public for the loss of use of natural resources following the Gold King Mine release. Project proposals will be accepted online from now until Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. 

Local public bodies and state agencies are encouraged to submit proposals that utilize this funding for the benefit and restoration of natural resources, outdoor recreation, and farming across the San Juan and Animas Watersheds in northwest New Mexico. ONRT encourages non-governmental entities seeking restoration project funding to partner with local or state public entities. ONRT will prioritize project proposals that are shovel ready, can begin within a year and completed within 3 years.  

“Regular monitoring of the San Juan and Animas Rivers in New Mexico shows that the water is safe for agricultural and recreational uses, but the ongoing stigma associated with the Gold King Mine remains,” said New Mexico Natural Resources Trustee Maggie Hart Stebbins. “We encourage creative ideas that restore or replace natural and cultural resources and rebuild the region’s economic sectors that depend on clean and healthy rivers and watersheds.”

Information about the project solicitation process, eligibility and evaluation criteria is available here.

To answer questions and assist potential applicants with the proposal process, ONRT is hosting a webinar from 3-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 24. Interested applicants can register to participate in the webinar here. 

On Aug. 5, 2015, the EPA and contractors caused the release of millions of gallons of acid mine drainage and tons of toxic metals from the Gold King Mine in Colorado. The plume of contaminated water ran down the Animas and San Juan Rivers through Colorado, New Mexico, the Navajo Nation and Utah. Although the rivers are now safe for farming and other uses, the stigma associated with the event has had lasting effects on the region’s agricultural and recreational economies. 

Since taking office in 2019, the administration of Michelle Lujan Grisham, along the New Mexico Attorney General, the New Mexico Environment Department, and the ONRT coordinated closely to hold EPA, its contractors, and the mine owners accountable and bring closure and restoration to residents. In addition to the $32 million settlement with the federal government announced by the governor in June, an $11 million settlement was reached with the mining defendants last year.  

Aside from the litigation, the state of New Mexico has supported the region through more than $6.3 million in direct and leveraged funding, including:

• $1.9 million from the Job Training Assistance Program to train 180 new PESCO employees in Farmington.
• $1.8 million to San Juan County for the extension of a natural gas pipeline 11 miles to the San Juan County Industrial Park.
• $1 million for restoration projects to compensate the public in the San Juan and Animas region for injuries caused by the 2015 release.  
• $434,509 from the New Mexico Tourism Department to fund local tourism advertising initiatives, amplify local signature tourism events, and support local clean-up and litter reduction projects.
• $186,200 from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to develop the Northwest New Mexico New Farmer Network. The project aims to identify available farm sites in San Juan County, connect new farmers to available land, and provide technical and lease facilitation assistance to further support the agriculture industry in the Four Corners region.
• $182,038 from the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant to San Juan College to assist the Northwest New Mexico Growers Market Alliance with bringing efficiency and organization to the regional markets.
• $135,000 from New Mexico MainStreet to renovate the Totah Theater in downtown Farmington.
• $122,180 in annual funding from the NMDA Agricultural Programs and Resources Division to support the San Juan County and the San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District in an ongoing collaboration remove of nonnative plant species from infested areas. The total annual funds received by San Juan County since 2019 is $488,720.
• $113,721 from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to the Growing Forward Farm Project to develop vacant land into a hands-on agricultural training center for farmers, ranchers, youth and local gardeners.
• $50,000 from Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act funding to the San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District for the Know Your Farmer Campaign to create a marketing campaign that improves the perception of agricultural products in NWNM after the Gold King Mine Spill.
• $37,000 in Local Economic Assistance & Development Support Program funding to the City of Farmington to purchase modular units to house local businesses selling their products and to construct a covered pavilion in a nearby parking lot.
• $13,000 from the Economic Development Department’s Outdoor Recreation Division to Global Opportunities Unlimited to teach fishing and wildlife conservation to children with mobility and access challenges.

To hear this announcement in Diné, please click here.