New Mexico Wild
“To protect New Mexico’s wild places through citizen action.”
13 comments to the agencies, 83 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Protecting New Mexico’s wild places, wildlife, and water through citizen action.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “Environmental organization whose focus is on wilderness protection and wilderness outreach programs.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Wilderness Protection
$936K, 26% of spendingUpgrading the status of public lands. Activities directly related to increasing legislative or administrative protection designations; place-based campaign activities, including grassroots organizing, mobilization…
Read it as they filed it
WILDERNESS PROTECTION: UPGRADING THE STATUS OF PUBLIC LANDS. ACTIVITIES DIRECTLY RELATED TO INCREASING LEGISLATIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROTECTION DESIGNATIONS; PLACE-BASED CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING, MOBILIZATION, ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Outreach and Education
$797K, 22% of spendingPublic outreach, education, and engagement. Activities conducted to foster better understanding and appreciation for the value of Federal public lands in general, not associated with a specific place-based campaign.
Read it as they filed it
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION: PUBLIC OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND ENGAGEMENT. ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED TO FOSTER BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION FOR THE VALUE OF FEDERAL PUBLIC LANDS IN GENERAL, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A SPECIFIC PLACE-BASED CAMPAIGN.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Wilderness Defense
$760K, 21% of spendingEfforts to improve the management of public lands. Activities include a range of oversight and watchdog activities designed to hold agencies accountable for managing lands consistent with relevant statutes, regulations…
Including $77,403 granted onward, all of it to Friends of Rio Grande Del Norte.
Read it as they filed it
WILDERNESS DEFENSE: EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC LANDS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE A RANGE OF OVERSIGHT AND WATCHDOG ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO HOLD AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR MANAGING LANDS CONSISTENT WITH RELEVANT STATUTES, REGULATIONS, RULES, AND MANAGEMENT PLANS AND PROPOSALS. NATIVE LANDS INSTITUTE: TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC SECURITY OUTCOMES FOR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN NEW MEXICO THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, COALITION-BUILDING, ADVOCACY, AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT. RIO GRANDE DEL NORTE: FORMED TO ENSURE CONTINUED PROTECTION OF THE NATIONAL MONUMENT. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE OUTREACH, CONSERVATION, AND ACCESS PROJECTS TO ENHANCE THE MONUMENT AND THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN THE RIO GRANDE DEL NORTE. RIO CHAMA WILDERNESS RUN: SUPPORTING NM WILDS MISSION AND TO CONDUCT CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Wilderness Ranger
$453K, 13% of spendingThe New Mexico Wild wilderness ranger program is a partnership with the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management designed to increase stewardship in wilderness areas across New Mexico.
Read it as they filed it
WILDERNESS RANGER: THE NEW MEXICO WILD WILDERNESS RANGER PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US FOREST SERVICE AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT DESIGNED TO INCREASE STEWARDSHIP IN WILDERNESS AREAS ACROSS NEW MEXICO. RANGERS PROVIDE IMPORTANT SERVICES INCLUDING WILDERNESS CHARACTER MONITORING, TRAILS ASSESSMENT, TRAIL CLEARING, CAMPSITE REHABILITATION, PUBLIC OUTREACH AND WILDERNESS EDUCATION. THEIR WORK PROVIDES VALUABLE INFORMATION ON CURRENT WILDERNESS CONDITIONS WHILE ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY AND CONTRIBUTING TO POSITIVE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES FOR WILDERNESS VISITORS. SINCE 2017, WE HAVE HOSTED SEASONAL RANGERS IN THE CARSON, SANTA FE, CIBOLA, LINCOLN, AND GILA NATIONAL FORESTS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
83 cents of every dollar goes to the work
A good sign, not a scorecard: what matters is the extremes, and this is nowhere near one.
$2,945,312 programs, $348,052 management, $253,657 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The backers
Backed on the record by Wilderness Society, Pew Charitable Trusts, Resources Legacy Fund and Western Conservation Foundation, latest filing FY25.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at New Mexico Wild? Claim this page.
Those 324 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If New Mexico Wild is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,127,446 |
| 2012 | $944,502 |
| 2013 | $966,898 |
| 2014 | $1,129,870 |
| 2015 | $1,009,823 |
| 2016 | $1,221,246 |
| 2017 | $1,209,091 |
| 2018 | $1,592,673 |
| 2019 | $1,962,574 |
| 2020 | $1,978,997 |
| 2021 | $2,264,316 |
| 2022 | $3,146,399 |
| 2023 | $2,792,338 |
| 2025 | $4,149,741 |
From $1.1M in 2011 to $4.1M in FY25, across 14 public filings (none on record for 2024). FY25 is the highest year on file.
The record
On the record with the agencies
13 comments on federal decisions since 2023, each filed under the group’s own name on regulations.gov. The latest on decisions we track:
Year by year
The record, in order
- 1997New Mexico Wild is formed.the return, formation year
- 2022First appears in the grants of Wilderness Society, Resources Legacy Fund and Western Conservation Foundation.the funders’ returns
- 2023First appears in Pew Charitable Trusts’ grants.the funder’s return
- 20251 comment to the Fish and Wildlife Service, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- 202612 comments, most to the Bureau of Land Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
Green, a funder’s return. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 13 comments filed under its own name, 4 funders whose returns name it. Nothing here is written from memory.
Their ground
The places they defend
Worked for permanent protection of the area since 2007 and in October 2024 filed a formal protest of the BLM plan amendment for protecting only 5,120 of 12,236 acres identified with wilderness characteristics.
Who’s defending it On the ground · On watchOrgan Mountains-Desert Peaks National MonumentLed the community campaign for the 2014 designation and executive director Mark Allison spoke at the June 2025 Las Cruces rally against monument reductions and the Senate public land sell-off provisions.
Who’s defending itMost urgent first: open comment windows, then live federal cases, then the threat level. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
New Mexico Wild files one related organization on its return: New Mexico Wild Action Fund (501C4). A related organization shares people or purpose; it does not share the books.
The New Mexico congressional delegation averages 92 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Help complete this profile. If you work here, claim it and send us your current campaigns and the best way for supporters to get involved. An editor checks what you send before it goes up.
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with New Mexico Wild
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.