Laura: REPRESENTATIVE STANSBURY THANK YOU SO MUCH  FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

Stansbury: IT IS WONDERFUL  TO BE HERE WITH YOU.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

Laura: IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

IN DECEMBER, YOU INTRODUCED WATER ACCESS FOR TRIBES ACT.

IF THIS WERE PASSED, WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR NEW MEXICO'S  TRIBES?

Stansbury: THE REASON WHY  WE INTRODUCED THIS BILL IS THERE IS SO MANY PROGRAMS OUT  THERE THAT HELP TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES IN BUILDING OUT  WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND  THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT ONE OF THE MAJOR BARRIERS IS THEY  OFTEN REQUIRE FEDERAL COST SHARE.

SO THE COMMUNITY HAS TO BRING MONEY TO THE TABLE AS WELL.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT OVER HISTORY, ESPECIALLY WITH  THIS PROGRAM, MANY TRIBAL COMMUNITIES HAVE REALLY FOUND  THAT AS A BARRIER TO ACCESS.

SO THIS BILL WOULD HELP TO  WAIVE THAT COST SHARE SO THAT MORE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES CAN  ACCESS THESE GRANTS.

Laura: ARE THESE GRANTS FOR  WATER QUALITY OR WATER QUANTITY OR BOTH?

Stansbury: THESE ARE MOSTLY PROGRAMS THROUGH THE BUREAU OF  RECLAMATION WATER SMART PROGRAM AND SO THAT PROGRAM  HELPS SUPPORT ESPECIALLY WATER CONSERVATION INITIATIVES FOR  ADDRESSING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, REDUCING  WATER USE, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THESE WOULD BE GRANTS FOR  WHATEVER KIND OF PROGRAM TRIBAL COMMUNITIES WOULD WANT  TO UNDERTAKE TO HELP IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT LOCALLY  WITHIN A TRIBAL COMMUNITY.

Laura: THERE ARE TWO OTHER  BILLS TO MENTION THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THE  BUILD BACK BETTER ACT.

WHAT COULD THOSE MEAN FOR NEW  MEXICO'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE?

Stansbury: THE BIGGEST  SINGLE THING THAT HAPPENED IN WATER AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL  OVER THE LAST YEAR IS PASSING OF THE BIPARTISAN  INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WHICH HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER WHICH I  WAS PROUD TO SUPPORT AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF.

AND THAT BILL MAKES A 1.2 TRILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENT  IN AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING BILLIONS AND  BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENTS IN DRINKING WATER  AND WESTERN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND SO THAT BILL PASSED AND SIGNED INTO LAW.

OUR  PRESIDENT IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR AGENCY TO ADMINISTER  THOSE PROGRAMS AND OUR STATE HAS ACTUALLY SET UP ALSO A  PROCESS BY WHICH TO GET THOSE DOLLARS ON THE GROUND.

SO, WE ANTICIPATE THAT BECAUSE OF THAT BILL, NEW MEXICO IS  GOING TO SEE ABOUT 350 MILLION-DOLLARS OF FORMULA  FUNDING FOR DRINKING WATER PROJECTS AS WELL AS POSSIBLY  MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR ALL KINDS OF  DROUGHT AND OTHER WATER RESILIENCE PROJECTS.

SO, WE ARE WORKING HARD WITH THE STATE AND AS YOU KNOW OUR  GOVERNOR HAS APPOINTED MIKE HAMMOND TO HELP SUPPORT  GETTING THOSE DOLLARS ON THE GROUND AND WE ARE WORKING VERY  CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNITIES TO INVENTORY WHAT KIND OF  PROJECTS NEED FUNDING.

I'LL TELL YOU, ABOUT A  WEEK-AND-A-HALF AGO I JOINED THE GOVERNOR AND OTHER MEMBERS  OF THE DELEGATION AND MAYOR'S AND LOCAL OFFICIALS FROM  ACROSS THE STATE AND WATER AND BROADBAND REALLY ARE THE TWO  TOP MOST CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES FOR OUR  STATE RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WE KNOW THAT THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE  DOLLARS ARE GOING TO BE SPENT WELL.

BUT THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT IS STILL IN FRONT OF CONGRESS.

AS MANY VIEWERS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING, WE PASSED IT IN THE  HOUSE IN NOVEMBER BUT IT STILL REMAINS TO BE PASSED IN THE  SENATE AND RIGHT NOW THEY ARE BACK AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE  TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A PASS FORWARD FOR THAT BILL.

WHAT  IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT IS THAT IT  ALSO INCLUDES BILLIONS FOR DROUGHT AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE  PROJECTS ESPECIALLY FOCUSED ON WATER.

IN PARTICULAR I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR NEW MEXICO WITH  SO MANY OF OUR RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IS WE  HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES IN NEW MEXICO THAT REALLY NEED  INVESTMENTS IN DRINKING AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS.

SO THE BILL BUILD BACK BETTER ACT INCLUDES A TREMENDOUS  AMOUNT OF FUNDING ALSO FOR THOSE REALLY IMPORTANT LOCAL  COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS AND RESILIENCE PROJECTS AS WELL.

Laura: IN TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE  IN NEW MEXICO OUR AUDIENCE IS FAMILIAR WITH CLIMATE CHANGE  AND WATER CHALLENGES.

I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE ARE  TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT  INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY TO MID 20TH  CENTURY THAT ARE MEETING MOST OF OUR CHALLENGES BUT NOT  MEETING CHALLENGES INTO THE FUTURE.

WHAT KIND OF INVESTMENTS AND CHANGES IN INFRASTRUCTURE  MIGHT WE BE THINKING ABOUT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT KIND  OF MEET THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE COMING?

Stansbury: YEAH.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE  SAY HERE IN NEW MEXICO, WATER IS LIFE.

WE KNOW THAT WATER IS AT THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND  WE HAVE ANCIENT WATER SYSTEMS ACROSS OUR STATE.

INDIGENOUS  COMMUNITIES HAVE BUILT AMAZING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND  PRACTICES THAT CONTINUE TODAY.

OUR ACEQUIAS ARE STILL A VITAL  PART OF THE CULTURE AND WAY OF MANAGING WATER IN THE STATE.

AMONG OUR TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS AND HISTORIC SYSTEMS WE ARE  STARTING TO SEE A LOT OF CHANGES BECAUSE OF CLIMATE  CHANGE.

WE ARE SEEING A REDUCTION IN  SNOWPACK, MORE INTENSE STORMS, AND CHANGES IN HOW WATER IS  COMING.

IN ORDER TO ADAPT TO THOSE  CHANGES, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE MANAGE  WATER AS WELL AS UPGRADE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT IT CAN  RESPOND TO MORE EXTREME EVENTS AND CHANGES IN OUR SNOWPACK.

SO THAT IS ONE ASPECT OF IT.

SECONDLY, AND I THINK YOU  TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT WITH YOUR COMMENTS, IS A LOT  OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 19TH AND 20TH  CENTURY IS COMING TO THE END OF ITS LIFE.

I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF SIMILAR TO OUR  ELECTRIC GRID.

WE BUILT IT AT A CERTAIN TIME.

IT SERVED ITS PURPOSE AND NOW IT IS KIND OF COMING TO THE  END OF ITS LIFE AND AS WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF  CLIMATE CHANGE AND DROUGHT AND OUR NEW NEEDS AROUND WATER AND  WATER SECURITY, WE ARE GOING TO REALLY NEED INFRASTRUCTURE  THAT CAN BE MANAGED IN REALTIME, THAT USES THE BEST  SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND DATA TO DO SO AND THAT IS  INTEGRATED WITH OUR TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS AND  RESTORES OUR ECOSYSTEMS AND PROTECTED RIVERS WHICH ARE SO  VITAL TO THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES AS  WELL.

SO, AS WE ARE KIND OF THINKING  ABOUT REBOOTING ON INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE 21ST  CENTURY, WE HAVE TO REALLY RETHINK THE WAY THAT WE  ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS ON THE GROUND AND THAT INCLUDES  INVESTING IN OUR TRADITIONAL COMMUNITIES AND THE WAY IN  WHICH THEY MANAGE WATER, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF  FUNDING THAT WE SPEND ON DATA AND SCIENCE AND REALTIME  MANAGEMENT AND INVESTING IN MUCH MORE RESILIENT  INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MIMICS THE ECOLOGICAL AND TRADITIONAL  WAYS THAT WE MANAGE WATER FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR RIVERS AND  OUR ECOSYSTEMS.

Laura: WHEN IT COMES TO  CLIMATE CHANGE, I FEEL LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE IN NEW MEXICO, YOU  KNOW, SCIENCE IS CLEAR, WE SEE THE IMPACT.

WE KNOW WHAT IS COMING.

BUT PEOPLE OFTEN FEEL KIND OF  HELPLESS BECAUSE SO MUCH ACTION DEPENDS ON POLICY  CHANGES THAT COME FROM CONGRESS OR EVEN THE STATE  LEGISLATURE.

YOU WORKED ON CAPITOL HILL AND  BE A STATE CONGRESS WOMAN, NOW A MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL  DELEGATION, AND YOU HAVE BEEN SUCH AN EXPERT AND ADVOCATE ON  WATER ISSUES, BUT I HAVE TO ASK, YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU  THINK THAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER PLANNING SO OFTEN DON'T  RISE TO THE TOP OF, YOU KNOW, ACTION AND ISSUES FOR ELECTED  OFFICIALS?

Stansbury: YOU KNOW, I  THINK IT ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS OF OUR TIME THAT  CLIMATE CHANGE IS SUCH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE AND, YOU  KNOW, AS I TALK TO PEOPLE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY I KNOW  THAT CLIMATE CHANGES IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF SO MANY PEOPLE'S  MINDS.

I GET ASKED ABOUT IT EVERYDAY.

HOW DO WE ADDRESS IT?

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE CRISIS IN  FRONT OF US?

IS THERE STILL TIME?

ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE  TO ADDRESS THE CRISIS?

AND I THINK THAT WATER, IN  PARTICULAR, IS SO INTEGRAL TO EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIFE, OUR  CULTURE, OUR IDENTITY, OUR SURVIVAL BUT THE CHALLENGES  AROUND ADDRESSING OUR WATER NEEDS ARE SO COMPLEX AND SO  INTERTWINED WITH LAW AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SOMETIMES  THEY CAN FEEL ALMOST TOO COMPLICATED TO TRY TO UNPACK  IT ALL.

PART OF WHY I SPEND MY ENTIRE  CAREER WORKING ON WATER POLICY AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE  QUESTIONS IS BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE WHO CAN GET INTO  THE SCIENCE AND THE POLICY AND UNDERSTAND HOW ALL OF THOSE  THINGS ARE INTERCONNECTED.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT  THE POLICY SPACE AND WHAT IS IN FRONT OF US IN TERMS OF  ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE, I THINK IT IS REALLY HELPFUL TO  BREAK IT DOWN INTO SORT OF THREE ASPECTS.

WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS.

WE HAVE TO ADDRESS OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT.

WE KNOW THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE  CRISIS ITSELF.

THAT MEANS REDUCING EMISSIONS  AND DOING ALL THE THINGS WE CAN TO FIGHT IT AT A GLOBAL  LEVEL AND AT A LOCAL LEVEL.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO ADDRESS  THE RESILIENCE OF OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE CLIMATE  CHANGE IS ALREADY HERE, AND, OF COURSE, AS YOU REPORTED WE  ARE ALREADY SEEING SIGNATURES OF CLIMATE CHANGES ESPECIALLY  IN OUR WATER SYSTEMS IN NEW MEXICO.

WE ARE ALREADY SEEING REDUCED SNOWPACK AND IMPACTS TO OUR  RIVERS, AND SO WE CAN'T IGNORE THE REALITY THAT CLIMATE  CHANGE IS ALREADY IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES.

SO WE HAVE TO FOCUS ATTENTION ALSO ON HELPING OUR  COMMUNITIES GET THROUGH THE CHANGES ALREADY HERE.

AND THE THIRD ASPECT OF ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE,  WHICH WE, I THINK, IN MANY WAYS HAVE NOT REALLY BEGUN TO  TACKLE IN A CONCERTED WAY IS THE ECONOMIC CHALLENGE AROUND  CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND HERE IN NEW MEXICO AS A  STATE THAT HAS LONG BEEN DEPENDENT ON EXTRACTIVE  INDUSTRIES, REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE CHART A COURSE  TOWARDS A MORE DIVERSIFIED ECONOMY LOOKING FORWARD THAT  IS MORE SUSTAINABLE FOR COMMUNITIES.

I THINK SOMETIMES THE CHARGE OF ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE  AND ITS CONNECTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITIES IS SO HUGE, IT IS  HARD TO WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND IT BUT WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN  INTO THESE DIFFERENT PIECES IT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE  MANAGEABLE AND WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP DOING THE WORK ON ALL  THREE FRONTS.

Laura: THANK YOU SO MUCH  FOR YOUR WORK ON ALL THREE FRONTS AND IT WAS GREAT  TALKING WITH YOU.

Stansbury: THANKS SO MUCH.

WONDERFUL TO BE WITH YOU HERE TODAY.