Sen. Henrich presses governor on protecting public lands while supporting outdoor recreation and energy uses

During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources: Senate Committee hearing, Senator Henrich asked the Governor whether proposals and legal challenges this year risked ‘‘wholesale’’ divestment of public lands and how the federal government could balance conservation with economic and recreational uses.

The question came after a year of litigation, Henrich said, and focused on whether the department would ‘‘divest of our public lands’’ and how to ‘‘stay true to our conservation history’’ while supporting local economies that rely on outdoor recreation.

The Governor answered that New Mexico provides an example…