Defend ABQ: Mayor Keller Signs Executive Order to Protect Open Space as Trump Threatens Federal Lands

During Albuquerque’s Earth Day Festival today, Mayor Tim Keller took action to defend open space and natural resources amid the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on environmental protections and climate progress. Mayor Keller has signed an executive order reaffirming the City’s commitment to protecting public lands and promoting environmental justice (executive order attached).

“Trump is trying to steal our public lands and sell them off to the highest bidders, but we know these sacred spaces are irreplaceable, not meant for drilling, mining, logging, or exploiting,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “We’re issuing this executive order because public lands don’t belong to any politician.”

Trump’s recent efforts to cut funding for land management in our national parks and forests, allow private enterprise on public lands, roll back the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act, and end restrictions on drilling and mining on culturally significant lands.

In direct opposition, Mayor Keller’s executive order outlines a comprehensive plan to conserve precious resources, ensure access to public lands, and continue environmental stewardship. 

 Key actions in Mayor Keller’s executive order include:

• Tree planting to mitigate heat, absorb carbon, and buffer against flood risk.
• Preservation and restoration of open spaces, including the Rio Grande bosque, Sandia Foothills, West Mesa, and others as vital community assets.
• Steward the health, flow, and ecological integrity of the Rio Grande and surrounding bosque.
• Nature-based stormwater management and sustainable practices to protect the aquifer.
• Safeguarding the Bosque through habitat restoration and native species protection.
• Promoting food justice with community gardens, urban farms, and locally grown foods.
• Remediation of brownfields and contaminated lands, giving priority to city-owned sites in frontline communities.

“It’s crucial we act to protect Albuquerque’s one-of-a-kind lands, native species, and sacred spaces for future generations to enjoy,” said Mayor Keller. “We won’t let federal pressures threaten our conservation efforts.”

The City of Albuquerque manages approximately 30,597 acres of Major Public Open Space, encompassing diverse landscapes such as the West Mesa, Foothills, Bosque/Valley, Tijeras Arroyo, and East Mountains. 

To learn how Trump’s policies are threatening our environment and what the City is doing in response, visit the Defend ABQ dashboard.