Natural Resource Projects
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Address:
310 Old Santa Fe Trail,
Santa Fe NM 87501
Phone:
505-827-5760
Natural Resource Projects
The Land Office, through the Restoration and Remediation Fund and a contractual services budget, participates in dozens of projects on a yearly basis to assure the health of landscapes. Commissioner Garcia Richard has publicly committed to considering the health of the entire landscape (our land, air, water, and wildlife) in every decision she makes.
Fiscal Year 2019 Total Projects
Forestry/Prescribed Burn: 1 project, 1 county, 20,000 acres
Forestry/Mechanical: 7 projects, 7 counties, 3,332 acres
Habitat: Noxious weeds/invasive: 5 counties, 22,416 acres
Illegal Dump Cleanup: 1 project, 1 county, 1.77 acres
Riparian Restoration: 1 project, 1 county, 9.2 acres
Archaeological Services: 5 projects, 5 counties, 2,852 acres
Total acreage treated: 48,610
Total amount spent per fund: Contractual Service $1,411,252.43
Restoration/Remediation Fund $360,574.42
Total amount spent: $1,771,826.85
2018-2019 Watershed Health Projects
Carrizozo Creek Watershed Health Project
Total Area: 710 Acres
Completion Date: October 18, 2018
Final Cost: $152,868.00
Before
After
The goal of this project was to greatly reduce the density of Piñon/Juniper brush on mesa tops and create a flowing mosaic of brush leading into the canyons. The masticated material left on the ground will provide a mulch layer for native grasses and forbs to grow within and will provide a lasting cushion of moisture.
2019 Illegal Dump Cleanup Projects
Logan Dump, Quay County
Total Area: 1.46 Acres
Completion Date: June 14, 2019
Final Cost: $9,730.99
Before
After
This site was used to mine sand and gravel in the distant past and large pits and depressions remained. Since then these pits have been subject to illegal dumping. A portion of this site is private land owned by Gene Cox and he cleaned both his land and the state land of the trash. This project removed and re-contoured the pits revegetate the site so as to discourage future dumping.
2019 Erosion Control Projects
Stanfield Playa, Curry County:
Total Area: 9.2 Acres
Completion Date: February, 22, 2019
Final Cost: $8,596.25
Before
After
This site was subject to water erosion caused by concentrated water flow from a county road. The erosion was causing severe loss of soil that would soon impact a county road. The sediment from this erosion was also negatively impacting a playa lake.
This project was designed to accept the existing concentrated flow of water generated by the county road and divert it from its eroding water course. The water will now be converted from a concentrated flow to wider, slower flow across existing, tight vegetation that can better accept the flow without eroding. The structures required to accomplish this have been constructed and all disturbed areas have been reseeded per specifications.
2019 Prescribed Burn Projects
North Luera Prescribed Burn, Catron County
Total Area: 20,000 Acres
Final Cost: $42,825.00
Start Date: April 15, 2019
Completion Date: June 30, 2019
Before
During
The North Luera Collaborative Prescribed Burn was a landscape scale project that includeed multiple partner agencies and organizations including the New Mexico State Land Office (NMSLO), New Mexico State Forestry, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, New Mexico Prescribed Fire Council, The Forest Stewards Guild, New Mexico Highlands University, and The Nature Conservancy. Funding from the project will be provided through a Collaborative Forest Restoration Project (CFRP) grant from the U.S. Forest Service that was received by the South Central Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council (SCMRCD). CFRP and partner funding provided the burn boss, a 5 person fire crew, UTV rentals, a fire effects monitoring crew, and supplies. The NMSLO provided funding to support the project with development of a unit-specific burn plan, engine support, and fire line construction/unit preparation.