ALBUQUERQUE, NM, May 9, 2006 -- The Wilderness Society will present its Environmental Hero award Thursday night to Wesley Leonard (El Paso, TX) for his exceptional efforts to protect wilderness in New Mexico and the Southwest.
The Wilderness Society will also present Voices for the Land awards to Ernie Atencio (Taos), Peter Pino (Pueblo Zia), and Las Cruces Mayor Pro-Tem Dolores Connor for their commitment to the protection of New Mexico’s public lands. All the awards will be bestowed at the National Hispanic Cultural Center during the spring meeting of the organization’s Governing Council.
“For more than three decades Leonard has helped inspire and lead the movement to protect wilderness in the Southwest,” said Neri Holguin, who directs The Wilderness Society’s work in New Mexico. “His ability to articulate the values of wilderness and his first-hand knowledge of the land earned from countless hours spent in wild country have been the hallmarks of his environmental career, which has seen the passage of several hard-won wilderness bills.”
After a stint as a sales and marketing professional in New York City, Leonard moved to El Paso in 1973 and began working to protect the Otero Mesa region of New Mexico. In 1977 the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hired him to inventory wilderness, and in the mid-1990s Leonard and three other activists founded the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA) to protect New Mexico’s special places. Leonard has been on the NMWA board since its inception and currently chairs it. With hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest land in New Mexico not yet part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, Leonard is determined to do whatever it takes to protect it.
Atencio, a native of northern New Mexico, has worked throughout the West as an educator, wilderness instructor, park ranger, social justice advocate, and environmental organizer. He has written authoritatively about Navajo forestry, sustainable development, mining issues, cowboy culture, and rural Hispano resource-use traditions. Atencio serves as executive director of the Taos Land Trust. Previously, he was coordinator of the Valles Caldera Coalition, a diverse organization created to search for workable solutions in the management of Valles Caldera National Preserve. “Ernie’s energy, dedication, and understanding of the role of people in fragile landscapes enable him to tackle the challenges posed by land conservation campaigns in that region,” said Holguin.
Pino hails from the Zia Pueblo near Albuquerque and has worked for the tribe since 1973. Currently the administrator and treasurer for the Pueblo of Zia, he also served as its governor in 2004. He is on the New Mexico State Game Commission and the boards of the Mesa Verde Foundation and Crow Canyon Archeological Center, among others. Pino is also a traditional spiritual leader for his tribe and a traditional craftsman who tans deer hides and makes tools using the same techniques his ancestors used. “Peter worked tirelessly to help pass the Ojito wilderness bill,” Holguin said. Signed into law in November, that measure protected 11,000 acres.
A third generation Las Crucen, Connor serves as mayor pro-tem. She began her career with the public schools and later changed course, working for 18 years with Mutual Building and Loan and completing her tenure in the company as the vice president of operations. “Her leadership and commitment to wild lands and open space was evident in recent months as she courageously promoted wilderness designation for the Organ Mountains, Robledo Mountain, and other areas in Dona Ana County—to protect them in perpetuity,” Holguin remarked. ”Mayor Pro-Tem Connor is a true public servant and stalwart voice for public land protection.”
The Wilderness Society recognizes as Environmental Heroes individuals who are making a difference around the country, defending wild places and ensuring that America manages its natural resources responsibly. The Voice for the Land award, new this year, recognizes individuals who courageously speak out for the protection of wild and special lands.
”Wes’ work and the work of the of all the awardees demonstrates that New Mexicans from all corners of the state have a strong commitment to protecting the land they love, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their work,” said Holguin.
The Wilderness Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving American wilderness. Its mission is to ensure that future generations will enjoy the clean air and water, wildlife, beauty, and opportunity for recreation and renewal provided by pristine forests, rivers, deserts, and mountains. The organization has more than 300,000 members and supporters, including 2,500 in New Mexico.
