The New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) has disclosed that the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) is set to disburse $1 million in new Outdoor Equity Fund grants. The second round of distribution will benefit 30 organizations, school districts, and local governments across 12 counties and five Tribal communities, with a total of $1,052,347 being awarded.
In addition to the grants, recipients are providing an additional total match of $722,301.50. The awardee programs cater to 12 counties and five Tribal communities. The grants range from $5,000 to $40,000 each and are part of the groundbreaking Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF), which was established in 2019 to ensure equal outdoor access for all New Mexican youth. Since its inception, the OEF has allocated nearly $5 million to 211 organizations statewide, according to a press release by EDD.
"The organizations and communities receiving funding for their youth programs are not only fostering the next generation of outdoor leaders by introducing new experiences but also planting the seed of the possibility of a career in outdoor recreation. These 30 programs actively introduce 6,498 young New Mexicans to the outdoors through day hikes, hunting and tanning, bike rides, ecosystem monitoring, adaptive equine camps, fly fishing, acequia cultural preservation, and more," said Acting EDD Cabinet Secretary Jon Clark in a press release by EDD.
ORD Director Karina Armijo expressed her department's commitment: "At ORD, we are committed to championing a vision where all New Mexicans have equal access to the transformative power of nature," she said in another press release by EDD.
According to information provided on its About webpage by ORD itself: "ORD strives to make meaningful contributions to economic development, conservation, equity, education, and public health." Success hinges on close collaboration with businesses, nonprofits as well as state and federal partners in New Mexico. The division is committed to ensuring that the entire New Mexican population benefits from sustainable outdoor recreation.