State Awards Outdoor Equity Funding
Funding of $3.7M to get youth outdoors
Media Contact: Donna Stumpf
Donna.Stumpf@edd.nm.gov
505-819-1495
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 20, 2024
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
Acting Cabinet Secretary Mark Roper
Director Karina Armijo
New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division’s FY24 Outdoor Equity Funding Reaches $3.7 million
Outdoor Equity Fund has supported 115 organizations with outdoor youth programming in the current fiscal year
SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) of the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) has announced funding of $975,142 in new Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) awards to 33 organizations.
These awards will be distributed to 16 rural, 13 urban, one land grant, and five Tribal communities. Of those awarded, 28 are first-time recipients of OEF funding.
The first-of-its-kind Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) was created in 2019 to enable all New Mexican youth equitable access to the outdoors. The grant supports programming that provides outdoor experiences that foster stewardship and respect for New Mexico’s land, water, and cultural heritage.
Since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Outdoor Equity Fund into legislation, the program has granted over $5.7 million to nearly 250 organizations throughout the state, actively introducing over 72,000 young New Mexicans to the outdoors through hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, horsemanship clinics, and rich lessons in wilderness safety and water conservation.
“The Outdoor Equity Fund is a powerful engine that benefits our outdoor recreation economy by creating jobs in recreational activities throughout New Mexico,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “This funding source also introduces New Mexico youth to the great outdoors, often for the first time. Through this program, more children are discovering our state’s rich outdoor beauty and becoming the next generation of protectors of our unique lands, waters, and cultures.”
“This cornerstone program of the Outdoor Recreation Division continues to have a major impact on the state’s outdoor recreation industry,” Acting EDD Cabinet Secretary Mark Roper said. “It not only increases equitable outdoor access for youth, but it also supports outdoor recreation businesses through equipment purchases and guide contracts, creates jobs, and diversifies the economy, especially in rural communities.”
For the third round of the FY24 Outdoor Equity Fund grant cycle, recipients were awarded $975,142 with grants averaging $30,000. Awardees bring an additional total match of $698,401 and serve 14 counties across New Mexico benefiting 8,879 youth through their combined efforts.
“ORD’s programming is helping raise the next generation of stewards of our natural environment,” ORD Director Karina Armijo said. “Through strategic investments in transformative outdoor experiences, New Mexico’s youth are developing a deep connection with the outdoor industry, which may pave the way for their future success within it. With the financial support of OEF funding, these programs are creating equitable opportunities that will positively impact the lives of nearly 9,000 young individuals in this funding cycle alone. We are honored to be part of these efforts.”
Total FY24 OEF awards have reached an impressive level with $3,730,528 in grant awards — a level nearly 4.7 times greater than funding the prior fiscal year — with 115 organizations generating $2.8 million in matching funds and reaching over 36,000 youth.
“The Mountain Movers program isn't just about outdoor activities; it's about empowering our youth in Santo Domingo Pueblo,” Santo Domingo Pueblo Rosemary Reano said. “Through mentorship, education, and access to the outdoors, we hope to ignite a passion that transforms lives. We are grateful for the Outdoor Equity Fund's support in helping us create opportunities for our children to connect with nature, their heritage, and ultimately, themselves.”
“Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Hiking Clubs promote environmental awareness, healthy living, and cultural reconnection for local Indigenous youth from the Navajo Nation and Pueblos of Acoma and Isleta,” Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Director Chas Robles said. “The award from the Outdoor Equity Fund will facilitate building deeper community connections with elders and knowledge keepers to create expanded and more impactful opportunities for Indigenous youth to engage with their ancestral homelands while sparking a life-long love of and desire to protect the environment.”
Outdoor Equity Fund awards were made possible through both state and federal funding this year, including junior bill and special appropriations funds and over two million in American Rescue Plan Act money. Funding for the Outdoor Equity fund for fiscal year 2025 will be provided by the state’s Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, a bipartisan land and water conservation initiative.
The grant applications were reviewed and scored by a six-member panel that included: ORD Director Karina Armijo, The Wilderness Society New Mexico State Senior Manager Kay Bounkeua, ORD Deputy Director AJ Jones, Outdoorist Oath Executive Director Gabaccia Moreno, Disability Advocate and Social Impact Consultant Kyle Stepp, and New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps Commission Executive Director Sarah Wood.
2024 Round Three (FY24) Outdoor Equity Fund Award Recipients:
Alameda Elementary Schools ($40,000, Bernalillo County): The Alameda Elementary School Woodland Learning Initiative connects students ages 4-8 and their families to the unique bosque habitat. Programming grows their sense of connection and belonging to a place, as well as their understanding of forest ecosystems through regular Forest School lessons, walking field trips, the creation of a rustic “Alameda Grove” outdoor classroom, and participation in local tree planting initiatives.
Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. ($40,000, Bernalillo County): The Hiking Club program of Ancestral Lands Conservation…