Navajo Nation Lawmakers Firming Up Meeting With Donald Trump—Associated Press
Lawmakers on the country's largest American Indian reservation are trying to firm up a meeting with Donald Trump.
Navajo Nation Council spokesman Jared Touchin says Trump's campaign reached out to the office and said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is open to visiting with tribal lawmakers. Touchin says the tentative date is June 18 off the reservation.
Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Navajo lawmakers also extended an invitation to Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Touchin says lawmakers want to hear Trump's stance on coal and other economic development issues. The tribal government relies heavily on coal and coal-fired power plants for revenue but has been under pressure from environmental groups to transition to renewable energy.
About half the workforce on the reservation is unemployed.
Judge Calls For Temporary Halt To Mexican Gray Wolf Releases—Associated Press
Federal wildlife managers will not be allowed to release any Mexican gray wolves into the wild unless they get permission from the state of New Mexico.
A U.S. district judge ruled Friday in favor of the state's request to stop the releases as New Mexico and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service battle over permits and the revamping of a recovery plan for the troubled species.
The state took legal action after federal officials released a pair of captive-born pups into a wild wolf den in southwestern New Mexico despite being denied permits.
State Game and Fish Director Alexandra Sandoval says she's pleased with the ruling and that the federal agency had disregarded the state's sovereignty.
Environmentalists decried the decision, but it wasn't immediately clear if the Fish and Wildlife Service planned to appeal.
Senators Push For Wilderness Within New Mexico Monument —Susan Montoya Bryan of the Associated Press
Almost a half-million acres in southern New Mexico were designed as a national monument two years ago, and now members of the state's congressional delegation are pushing for portions of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks area to be set aside as wilderness.
While praised by environmentalists, the effort is reigniting the concerns of local law enforcement about their ability to access the area.
The legislation introduced by Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both Democrats, would set aside more than 376 square miles — or nearly half of the monument — as wilderness.
The senators say the legislation strikes "the right balance" between border security and conservation.
An association that represents border sheriffs from Texas to California is reviewing the proposal. The group has been concerned about the ability to ensure public safety and investigate matters under local jurisdiction.
New Mexico To Invest $1.8M For Water Infrastructure—Associated Press
The New Mexico Economic Development Department is investing $1.8 million to build a drinking water well that will serve the area around the booming border community of Santa Teresa.
The governor's office announced the funding Thursday and listed a number of business ventures that stand to benefit, from FedEx Ground's new logistics facility to MCS Frames' distribution center.
The funding will be distributed through the Local Economic Development Act, which serves as a closing fund to help recruit new businesses to the state and help those already here to grow.
Officials say the fund has grown to $56 million in the last few years.
Gov. Susana Martinez says Santa Teresa is a strong example of the power that comes from investing in infrastructure to help communities harness their potential.