On May 10, 2006, the Wilderness Society hosted a reception in Albuquerque, New Mexico to honor four individuals who have dedicated their time and expertise to campaigns to protect New Mexico's wild places. The Wilderness Society also thanked and recognized the efforts of their staff, Council Members, and partners including the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, the Sierra Club, the Coalition for New Mexico's Wilderness, the Valle Vidal Coalition, and many others. While the Wilderness Report usually features only the news and progress of wilderness campaigns, we felt that the great work of these individuals should be shared with you as we thank them for their hard work and continued commitment to protecting this special place.
Environmental Hero Award
The Wilderness Society recognizes as Environmental Heroes individuals who are making a difference around the country, defending wild places and ensuring that America manages its natural resources responsibly. Wesley Leonard from El Paso, Texas received the Environmental Hero award for his exceptional efforts over the past three decades to protect wilderness in New Mexico and the Southwest. His ability to articulate the values of wilderness and his first-hand knowledge of the land earned from countless hours spent in wild country have been the hallmarks of his environmental career, which has seen the passage of several hard-won wilderness bills.
After a stint as a sales and marketing professional in New York City, Leonard moved to El Paso in 1973 and began working to protect the Otero Mesa region of New Mexico. In 1977, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management hired him to inventory wilderness, and in the mid-1990s Leonard and three other activists founded the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA) to protect New Mexico's special places. Leonard has been on the NMWA board since its inception and currently chairs it. With hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest land in New Mexico not yet part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, Leonard is determined to do whatever it takes to protect it.
Voices for the Land Awards
The Voices for the Land Award, new this year, recognizes individuals who courageously speak out for public land protection. Recipients of this award included Ernie Atencio from Taos, Peter Pino from Pueblo Zia, and Las Cruces Mayor Pro-Tem Dolores Connor for their commitment to the protection of New Mexico's public lands.
Ernie Atencio, a native of northern New Mexico, has worked throughout the West as an educator, wilderness instructor, park ranger, social justice advocate, and environmental organizer. He has written authoritatively about Navajo forestry, sustainable development, mining issues, cowboy culture, and rural Hispano resource-use traditions. Ernie serves as executive director of the Taos Land Trust. Previously, he was coordinator of the Valles Caldera Coalition, a diverse organization created to search for workable solutions in the management of Valles Caldera National Preserve. Ernie's energy, dedication, and understanding of the role of people in fragile landscapes enable him to tackle the challenges posed by land conservation campaigns in that region.
Peter Pino hails from the Zia Pueblo near Albuquerque and has worked for the tribe since 1973. Currently the administrator and treasurer for the Pueblo of Zia, he also served as its governor in 2004. He is on the New Mexico State Game Commission and the boards of the Mesa Verde Foundation and Crow Canyon Archeological Center, among others. Pino is also a traditional spiritual leader for his tribe and a traditional craftsman who tans deer hides and makes tools using the same techniques his ancestors used. Peter worked tirelessly to help pass the Ojito wilderness bill, signed into law in November 2005, that protected 11,000 acres.
A third generation Las Crucen, Dolores Connor serves as mayor pro-tem. She began her career with the public schools and later changed course, working for 18 years with Mutual Building and Loan and completing her tenure in the company as the vice president of operations. Her leadership and commitment to wild lands and open space was evident in recent months as she courageously promoted wilderness designation for the Organ Mountains, Robledo Mountain, and other areas in Dona Ana County to protect them in perpetuity. Mayor Pro-Tem Connor is a true public servant and stalwart voice for public land protection.
