HISTORY AND MISSION
In 1998, Phelps Dodge needed to get permits for its three Grant County copper mines under the new state Mining Act. At that time, public involvement in community environmental issues was challenging, often unwelcome, and sometimes threatening.
Some of us were concerned that without a strong community voice, the powerful Phelps Dodge would be able to walk away from its responsibility to clean up its Chino, Cobre and Tyrone mines, leaving our community with contaminated water, a degraded environment and no financial resources to clean up the mess.
A small group of citizens – Sally Smith, Harry Browne, CarolBeth Elliott and Michael Berman – stepped up to organize our community as a counter to Phelps Dodge in the permitting process. GRIP was ultimately successful in pushing the state to require $500 million in protective reclamation at the Chino, Cobre and Tyrone mines than the $100 million plan proposed by Phelps Dodge.
In addition to its Responsible Mining Program, GRIP advocates for sustainable management of our water resources, healthy rivers, protection of the Gila region from military training, community resilience and action on climate change.
Recognizing that human and environmental systems are inseparable and interdependent, GRIP pursues two goals: 1. To protect and nurture human communities by safeguarding the natural resources that sustain us all; 2. To safeguard natural resources by facilitating informed public participation in resource use decisions.
We work in communities, in the courts, and in the state legislature to protect community health, our environment and natural resources.
GRIP COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
As an organization dedicated to promoting community health through protection of our environment and natural resources, GRIP is committed to achieving our mission in a just, equitable, fair and transparent manner. We strive to make our commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion evident in our board, staff, programs and coalition work. We pledge to continue to increase access to all underserved communities in our organization and work. We commit to continuous improvement in the implementation of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion principles in our organization and work in order to protect our environment, address the climate crisis, and create healthy communities for everyone.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sally Smith
Co-founder and board president, Sally has devoted her adult life to building community with those whom she lives with and protecting watersheds she lives within.
Now retired, Sally is appreciating restoring her gardens and rock terraces after years of parenting and activism.
Harry Browne
Harry Browne – Co-founder and first executive director of GRIP, Harry is the Business Manager and one of the founders of Aldo Leopold Charter School. Harry serves as GRIP’s treasurer and secretary.
Michael Berman
Landscape photographer Michael Berman was born in New York City, studied biology at Colorado College where he began his love and wanderings through the desert southwest. A long-time resident of Grant County, Michael is a co-founder and board member of GRIP.
David Rose
David retired from the National Park Service and is a life-long supporter of conservation and progressive causes. Because every ecosystem needs a watch dog, David joined the GRIP board to ensure that southwest New Mexico’s environment is protected.
Eduardo Arguello
I’m retired from Chino Mine, and I joined GRIP to help the organization in their quest to keep and preserve the integrity of our environment and our essential ground water. Grant County is a special place to live and our mining communities’ residents deserve clean water and environment. Many of these residents have for many years worked hard in helping the mining companies realize vast profits. In the late 1990s, I helped organize the Save the Kneeling Nun campaign to protect this sacred site from imminent destruction due to expansion of the Chino Mine.
CarolBeth Elliott
STAFF
Allyson Siwik
, Executive Director
Since 2003, Allyson has served as the executive director of the Gila Resources Information Project. She is also the director of the Gila Conservation Coalition that works to protect the free flow of the Gila River. Allyson graduated with a BA in biology from Colby College and a Master of Environmental Management in Resource Economics and Policy from Duke University School of the Environment. She has nearly 30 years of experience in environmental protection, conservation, and advocacy, including 12 years with the US Environmental Protection Agency in North Carolina and El Paso, TX. She has worked extensively with local communities in the borderlands to resolve environmental problems, including binational air quality management, mining environmental impacts, water quality and water supply concerns, and community-wide initiatives on climate change and sustainability. She has served on several local, state and federal boards including, the Good Neighbor Environmental Board that advises the President and Congress on U.S.-Mexico Border environmental and infrastructure issues.
Mariah Runnels
, Tree Stewardship Coordinator
Growing up in Silver City, Mariah spent much of her free time immersed in the stunning Gila wilderness. This formative experience profoundly shaped her academic path, leading her to study Landscape Architecture and deepening her passion for the natural world. With this background, Mariah aspires to contribute positively to the preservation of our natural resources and enhance the well-being of our community.
Alesia Hallmark
, Silver City Watershed Keepers Project Coordinator / Pick It Up-Toss No Mas Coordinator
Alesia grew up in the forests of eastern Oklahoma. There, she felt the joy of playing in creeks, climbing oak trees, and living with wildlife and farm animals alike. Her curiosity about the natural world led her to B.S. degrees in Botany and Zoology from Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. in Aridland Ecology from the University of New Mexico. As a researcher with the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research program, Alesia studied the relationship between long-term patterns of climate, plant growth, and animal population dynamics across the Southwestern U.S. Alesia is passionate about sharing her ecological knowledge, often working with students to access the outdoors, conducting collaborative research, and communicating findings with local stakeholders. Alesia has come to appreciate the increasingly rare privilege she enjoyed as a child; many people don’t have a positive relationship with nature and the earth that sustains them. As the coordinator of the Silver City Watershed Keepers and Pick It Up-Toss No Mas programs, Alesia hopes to protect natural spaces and waterways of the greater Gila bioregion and encourage people to connect with their local ecosystems.
Corina Castillo
, Development and Communications Associate
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As a Development and Communications Associate, Corina manages donor relations for GRIP and the Gila Conservation Coalition and spearheads social media and promotions for the Gila River Festival. Born and raised in the Mining District, Corina has a special connection to the Gila and the surrounding area. She went to school in Arizona and graduated with a degree in Health Sciences from Arizona State University. She hopes the work she does with GRIP will encourage local representation from Hispanics and those from the Mining District in matters of conservation.
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Scott Zager
, GIS Specialist
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A professional botanist and plant ecologist for over twenty-five years, Scott has surveyed vegetation across large, wild landscapes and has constructed ecological maps using a combination of techniques including GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software, remote sensing (air photo interpretation), and field investigation. As a GIS specialist for GRIP, Scott is providing GIS mapping and conducting biological surveys for GRIP’s Silver City Watershed restoration work. He is also creating interactive, online maps where local citizens can monitor sensitive environmental sites and record their observations in real time. Such mapping applications can potentially coordinate the activities of several volunteer, citizen-scientists, in efforts to protect our environment.
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