We advocate for a free-flowing Gila River and support the effort to federally designate the Gila as a Wild and Scenic River. We work with local environmental coalitions to maintain healthy water levels in the Gila River for the maintenance of natural flood processes and endangered species protection.
Peaceful Gila Skies: The skies over the Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas are currently threatened by an Air Force proposal to drastically expand F-16 fighter pilot training over the Gila National Forest. Holloman Air Force base, in New Mexico, has proposed a plan to create a Military Operations Area over the nation’s first wilderness that would provide a training ground for 10,000 F-16 flights per year, many at low altitudes and at supersonic speeds. As part of the Peaceful Gila Skies Coalition, we strongly oppose this plan.
“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” (the Lorax)
Ella Jaz Kirk, 14, was a passionate advocate for wild places. We lost Ella and her two friends, Michael Sebastian Mahl 16 and Ella Sala Myers, 16 in May 2014. The three students worked together as eco-monitors, studying the natural systems of the Gila and striving to enhance and protect our environment.
Ella Kirk’s passion was working to save the Gila River from a diversion project. She created a petition and delivered it with 6,470 signatures from around New Mexico and the world to NM Governor Susana Martinez to stop the diversion. She testified at the NM state legislature in February 2014 on behalf of a bill that would have funded alternatives to a diversion and keep the Gila wild and free. We continue her work every day in our advocacy of the wilderness of the southwest and the protection of free-flowing rivers