On the recordFebruary 26, 2019
Mr. Speaker, as a 35th-generation New Mexican, I rise today in support of S. 47. This bill represents a major victory for conservation, and I want to congratulate the chairman and his co- drafters on its success. In my home State of New Mexico, new protections in the Organ Mountains, the Cerros del Norte, and San Juan County will add over 250,000 acres of new wilderness, the highest conservation protection this Congress can bestow. These lands will preserve our ecosystems, protect access to clean, consistent water flows, and help our State to begin to adapt to the realities of climate change. By permanently authorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, S. 47 will help my home State and every State in this Nation, and I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
