New Mexico Organizations Stand United to Defend National Monuments
New Mexico Wild · July 15, 2026
FRGDN joined New Mexico Wild, Friends of Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks, Tribal Nations, and New Mexico's congressional delegation in calling for the restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The coalition warned that weakening protections for these landscapes threatens all national monuments, including Rio Grande del Norte, and reaffirmed its commitment to defending public lands through legal action, congressional advocacy, and public engagement.
Protecting the Monument's Dark Skies
Taos News · April 22, 2026
Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte joined community partners in celebrating the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument's designation as an International Dark Sky Park. The recognition highlights ongoing efforts to protect the Monument's exceptional night skies while promoting education, recreation, and conservation.
Trout Rebounding in Red River
Taos News · April 16, 2024
Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte partnered with Amigos Bravos, Trout Unlimited, and local volunteers to monitor trout populations in the Red River following restoration efforts. Surveys found encouraging signs of recovery, highlighting the value of long-term watershed restoration and collaborative conservation.
Taos County Ranchers Learn About GPS Collars, a 'Virtual' Alternative to Traditional Fencing
Taos News · March 29, 2026
Ranchers, agency staff, and conservation partners gathered at Rio Grande del Norte to learn about a new virtual fencing pilot. Rancher Ezequiel Rael is the first to test the GPS-collar system, developed with FORGN, the BLM Taos Field Office, Alianza Agricultura de Taos, and Working Lands Conservation to ease grazing management while preserving the monument's traditional agricultural uses.
Uplifting Youth Across Taos County
Taos News · December 12, 2025
A feature on Taos Ski Valley's Uplift Youth Fund highlighted how FRGDN's Outdoor Academy engages Vista Grande and Taos High School students in conservation, fly-fishing, and outdoor industry career pathways.
Sports Sidelines: National Public Lands Day Events
Taos News · September 11, 2025
As part of National Public Lands Day weekend, FRGDN partnered with the BLM Taos Field Office on a habitat reseeding project and teamed with Far Flung Adventures for a free beginner river skills class in Pilar.
In One of the Country's Poorest States, Crippling Budget Cuts Loom
The New York Times · August 6, 2025
The Times examined how deep federal budget cuts are threatening essential services and programs across New Mexico, one of the nation's poorest states.
Business Owners Say Sale of Public Lands Could Close Their Doors
Albuquerque Journal · June 29, 2025
Nick Streit and other Taos business owners explained how their livelihoods depend on continued public access to BLM lands, as Congress debated a proposal to sell off millions of acres of public land across the West.
Taos News · June 12, 2025
Outdoor Academy students completed a week-long rafting guide school, building the skills needed to pursue river-guiding careers on New Mexico's waterways.
Sen. Heinrich: Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Under Attack
Taos News · June 9, 2025
At a rally of 150–200 people at the Slide Trailhead, Sen. Martin Heinrich and Nick Streit warned that a congressional budget bill could open millions of acres of public land — including Rio Grande del Norte — to sale or development.
Outdoor Academy Gets Future Fishers Hooked
Taos News · June 1, 2025
High schoolers and college students in FRGDN's Outdoor Academy program spent the spring tying flies before heading out to fish Eagle Nest Lake and the Cimarron River under the guidance of Outreach Coordinator Ben Mortensen.
Tackling Trash Below the Slide Trail
Taos News · May 5, 2025
Volunteers, Taos Ski Valley's fire and ski patrol crews, and Friends of Rio Grande del Norte teamed up — with funding from the LOR Foundation — to haul decades of dumped trash and debris out of the Rio Pueblo de Taos Gorge below the Slide Trail.
Concern in New Mexico as Trump Admin Review of National Monuments Continues
Santa Fe New Mexican · March 10, 2025
As the Interior Department reviewed public land withdrawals, including national monuments, FRGDN Executive Director Nick Streit spoke about the broad community support behind Rio Grande del Norte's designation and the importance of protecting it.
Santa Fe New Mexican · March 7, 2025
Hundreds of hunters, anglers, hikers, and other public lands supporters rallied at the New Mexico Capitol to protest federal workforce cuts and warn against efforts to privatize public lands.
Former GNP Superintendent: NPS, USFS Personnel Cuts Not Sustainable
Missoula Current · March 6, 2025
Former federal land managers warned that mass layoffs across the National Park Service and Forest Service were already straining short-staffed public lands nationwide, with worse impacts expected as reductions continue.
BLM Expands Rio Grande del Norte National Monument South of Taos
Taos News · May 30, 2024
The Bureau of Land Management added roughly 3,700 acres to the monument, acquiring land once owned by the Klauer family south of Taos with support from Sen. Heinrich, the Trust for Public Land, and Friends of Rio Grande del Norte.
* FRGDN - Friends of Rio Grande del Norte