N.M. council takes on equality in resources, environment
AG Balderas says Hispanic communities have been prevented from playing role in forest-thinning regulations
ALBUQUERQUE — Attorney General Hector Balderas on Tuesday announced the creation of a new council dedicated to finding ways to include minority communities in decisions about access to natural resources and environmental protections.
The Democrat said in an interview the state has abundant natural resources but that there have been missed opportunities to create prosperity for all residents and that communities of color have been typically been left out of the conversation.
He said those communities rarely benefit from government policies and usually bear the brunt of negative effects on their health and safety.
Balderas cited forest thinning regulations, saying Hispanic communities in Northern New Mexico have been prevented from playing a bigger role in caring for the forests that their families have relied on for generations amid escalating threats of climate change and wildfire.
He also pointed to hunting and fishing rules that don’t take into consideration some communities’ traditional ties to the land as well as the challenges of balancing oil and gas development with cultural and environmental preservation.
Balderas, who is midway through his second term as the state’s top prosecutor, said he’s not picking sides with rural residents or any political party.
“I want to be clear that I’m going to try to bring people on the left and the right together and depoliticize the process because I think both sides are fighting for turf and at the same time are alienating the real communities that have a real stake in these challenges,” Balderas told the Associated Press.
The Equity Advisory Council includes three Democratic state lawmakers and advocates who work on water, land and livestock issues. Balderas is open to adding more members, saying the goal is to have more diverse perspectives.
The council’s first meeting is expected in the coming weeks but no schedule has been set.
The agenda will be expansive because New Mexico has had a number of environmental justice cases in recent years — from discriminatory zoning policies in Albuquerque that have led to industrial pollution in minority neighborhoods to contamination of Native American lands from past uranium mining.
Council members will look for opportunities where they can make a difference, especially where conservation and economic empowerment intersect. Officials said the council’s work will include reviewing existing state and federal policies and procedures and making recommendations to the Attorney General’s Office.