This week, the NRPA partnered with the Coca-Cola Company to award the Taos Land Trust a $575,000 grant to support local water restoration along a portion of the Rio Grande. The grant will fund a project that will restore wetlands, as well as create a new park for the people of Taos.

Specifically, the funding will restore a portion of wetlands, that will help improve water quality, water quantity, help mitigate the effects of climate change, and enhance the habitat of migratory and residential species. The park, which will be named Rio Fernando Park, will include walking trails, biking paths, and a dedicated conservation education area.

Kristina Ortez de Jones, the Taos Land Trust executive director, stated that, "This funding is not only timely, but it is transformative," as 13 acres of now fallow land will be reconstructed into a public community park.

This grant is part of an on–going process by the NRPA to work with communities across the country in order to implement replicable restoration projects that will improve overall water quality and quantity. This project will serve as a case study for future projects and become a model for how restoration projects, such as this one, can unite local residents with environmental protection.