At an Earth Day event on Sunday, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller signed an executive order aimed at defending open spaces and natural resources in the city.
Keller says the move, the second executive order in less than a week, is aimed at protecting Albuquerque from the executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
“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,” Keller said. “We’re issuing this executive order because public lands don’t belong to any politician.”
Keller has increasingly positioned himself as defending the city against the Trump administration.
This particular executive order references the more than 30,000 acres of major public open space managed by the City of Albuquerque.
It orders open space and tree planting to help mitigate heat and buffer against flood risks, vows to “not yield to federal efforts that weaken conservation laws or open space protections that threaten federal, state and local lands” and says the city “shall continue to prioritize the preservation and restoration of its open spaces.”
Open spaces in Albuquerque include the Rio Grande bosque, the Sandia Mountains foothills and many other areas.
“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,” Keller said. “We’re issuing this executive order because public lands don’t belong to any politician.”