Haaland: Trump cuts threaten New Mexico progress on climate

Yahoo

4 days ago

Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland poses at the Roundhouse Thursday, June 5, 2025. Haaland, who is running as a Democratic candidate for governor, told attendees at a water summit 'the future of our communities depends on us using water wisely.' (Danielle Prokop / Source NM)
While New Mexico faces threats from climate change, the Trump administration poses a much greater threat to the state's water supplies, former U.S. Interior Secretary and 2025 Democratic primary gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland said Thursday.
'Right now we face a much larger challenge,' she said during her keynote speech at a Santa Fe water conference. 'The Trump administration is putting our progress at risk. Haaland listed the White House firings of federal staff; cancellations of grants to federal projects; and proposed budget reductions for water, public lands and tribal communities, as examples.
'Cuts, cuts, cuts — that's all they do,' Haaland said. 'When drought conditions strike, we need these systems to be resilient enough for us to rely on. Our future will count on us holding the line and leaders who can fight back.'
Haaland, in her signature white sneakers and a cornflower blue suit, addressed the crowd of about 100 attendees seated inside a committee room at the Roundhouse for a two-day water summit hosted by the City of Santa Fe.
Most of Haaland's speech focused on the need for collaboration, conservation and working closer with tribal governments on water issues, as climate change has rapidly stressed the Colorado River and Rio Grande.
Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, opened her speech with memories of hauling buckets for cooking and washing at her grandmother's house in Mesita, saying the experience instilled a deep respect for water.
'We must manage the water resources with every community in mind collaboratively and above all, respect one another,' she said.
But further conservation will be needed, she said, such as additional watershed restoration, infrastructure needs and better metering and sustainability processes for aquifers.
'We need to modernize and expand groundwater management, our basins are long overdrawn, and we must be dedicated to managing this,' she said. 'We must think in terms of generations and not budget years.'
Haaland said Pueblo and tribal involvement needs to be a priority, saying that her experience in negotiations on the Colorado River offered creative solutions such as the Gila River Tribe's idea to float solar panels on canals to prevent water loss.
'I will say that bringing the tribes to the table was the best thing that we could have ever done, because they brought ideas. They brought generations of experience in water stewardship with them to the table,' she said.
Haaland took two questions from the audience. One asked about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to refuse to hear the Apache Stronghold's case to stop a copper mine from destroying Oak Flat, a sacred site.
She encouraged nonprofits to ask the tribal governments involved in the case for direction, and said it wasn't under her power during her time in the U.S. Department of the Interior.
'I wasn't able to do anything to stop that, and it's regrettable that this has happened, but more of these things are going to happen during this administration,' she said. 'I think it's on all of us to be as strong as we can and fight back where and when we can.'
A second question from the audience asked about the 'elephant in the room' of how she might approach water-intensive crops as governor.
She said the state needs to encourage research and development into technologies such as underground irrigation (often called deep-root irrigation).
'I feel very strongly that in order to save our agricultural tradition here in New Mexico that we really need to look at the ways that we can help move those things forward and assist farmers in implementing some of these techniques, buying equipment,' she said.
In February, Haaland announced her 2026 bid for governor. If elected, she would be the first Native American person to head the state government in its 113-year history. She is facing challengers including 2nd Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman and Ken Miyagashima, the former mayor of Las Cruces, running as Democrats and Rio Rancho Mayor Greggory Hull running as a Republican.
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