New Mexico Environment Department Files Agency Priority Legislation For 2021 Session NMED News: From Fiscal Year 2010 to Fiscal Year 2019, the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) general fund was cut by 42 percent, resulting in a loss of environmental and public health protections across New Mexico. The administration of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is making restoring those protections – deserved by all New Mexicans – a priority by recommending $16.8 million in general fund for NMED, a 28.1 percent increase over last year. Meanwhile, the Legislative Finance Committee recommended no increase to the Department’s budget. Without a 28 percent increase, NMED will continue to struggle to fulfill its mission of protecting and preserving the environment for present and future generations, threatening the safety of public drinking water systems, the ability for NMED to hold polluters accountable, and the safety of New Mexico’s workers during a global pandemic.