Wilderness Alliance receives $20K grant
Wells Fargo & Co. has announced that the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance has been awarded a $20,000 Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant.
The organization is one of 61 environmental nonprofit organizations in 22 states to receive nearly $2.6 million from the 2016 Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program, which supports projects focused on land and water conservation, energy efficiency, infrastructure and educational outreach in communities across America.
The Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program represents a five-year, $15 million partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Launched in 2012, the program awards grants to local organizations to promote environmental stewardship and strengthen communities across the United States. It is part of Wells Fargo’s commitment to provide $100 million in grant funding by 2020 to nonprofit organizations and university programs focused on environmental sustainability.
“We have long believed that there is a strong connection between economic development, community well-being, and the stewardship and health of the environment,” said Lisa Riley, regional president of Wells Fargo’s New Mexico/Western Border region. “We are proud to support local organizations that engage their neighbors and other members of the community in addressing local environmental challenges, and we are thrilled to support the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance with this grant.”
The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance will use the grant for a range of monitoring, restoration and stewardship activities based within the Santa Fe National Forest. These stewardship activities will support and inform the Forest Service planning process by engaging the community in the public process to guide forest management decisions toward the goal of better managing and protecting the Santa Fe National Forest and, in particular, sensitive roadless areas and critical watersheds.
“Both the stewardship activities and community involvement in the Forest Service planning process will align and support our efforts to permanently conserve 120,000 acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas adjacent to the existing Pecos Wilderness,” said Mark Allison, executive director of New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. “Preserving and restoring these sensitive areas will protect wildlife habitat, enhance water quality, and will safeguard our natural and cultural heritage for future generations. We are excited about this partnership, and look forward to a number of fun and important service projects with Wells Fargo employees and anyone else who is interested.”
Details of the Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program and a link to the 2016 list of grantee organizations can be found at the NFWF program website at www. nfwf.org/environmentalsolutions.