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.
Heart of the Gila is aco-producer of Journey Down the Gila, a full full-length documentary that tells the story of three New Mexico teens who died in service to the wild places they loved, their mothers’ journey down the wild river they sought to protect, and the struggle to keep the Gila free forever. Join us for our first 2025 screening. Details here!
In 2024, the United States Air Force published its Draft Environmental Impact Statement to lower the level osupersonic flight over the Gila to 5,000 feet. As a foudning member of Peaceful Gila Skies , Heart of the Gila helped bring out hundreds of people in opposition to the proposal, collected 6,000 petition signatures, recruited 89 businesses for a sign-on letter, and submitted hundreds of pages of technical and legal comments. We promise to keep the pressure on.
For the last 7 years, Heart of the Gila has been helping document and report illegal cattle grazing in riparain areas throughout the Gila, leading to a historic legal settlement with the Gila National Forest to more rigoursly monitor grazing throughout the Gila. In addition, we helped pressure the Gila National Forest to remove feral cows from the Gila Wilderness river corridor.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” (the Lorax)l
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 a small aircraft accident 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. Join us in this effort.