• Home
  • How We Work
  • Where We Work
  • News Room
  • About Us
  • My Nature Page

The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

The Nature Conservancy in Asia Pacific - Conservation in Asia-Pacific

The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Conservation Spotlights 2007: An unprecedented year for New Mexico in scale and scope

 

Lesser prairie chicken

Sign up to receive our montly e-newsletter!

Your call-to-action button goes here: 180px wide by 31px tall and linked to a donation, GPN sign-up, or other action-oriented page.

Join our Great Places Network and  receive monthly updates about the Conservancy's work in New Mexico and around the world.

"The smell of the dew on sand sagebrush, the rise and fall of the sun and the moon on our horizontal plain, and the grassland birds displaying for their intended mates—all of these are aspects of the shortgrass prairie that I try to convey to people. If they can see, feel and understand the prairie's importance and the need to keep it intact, then I have done my job."

Tish McDaniel, Project Manager, Southern Shortgrass Prairie Program

A Legislative Win for Landowners

The Conservancy played a key role in securing the passage of a major
enhancement of the New Mexico Land Conservation Incentives Act.
House Bill 990, sponsored by State Rep. Peter Wirth, expanded the tax
credits available to the donors of conservation land or easements. The legislation also increased the tax credit available from $100,000 to $250,000 based upon 50 percent of the value of the donated land or conservation easement.

Diamond A Ranch

 

For more than 30 years, The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico has been working to preserve the landscapes and waterways of New Mexico. We've protected more than 1.3 million acres across the state. Here are some of our recent acheivements:

Climate Change

The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico is making progress on a statewide climate change program which will serve as a blueprint for other states and regions. The primary goals of the program are to provide specific, science-based information on the current and projected impacts of climate change on wildlife habitats, and to work with key land managers and conservation practitioners to collaboratively design and implement adaptive management strategies and actions. In October 2007, the Conservancy collaborated with the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) and University of Arizona’s Institute for the Study of Planet Earth (ISPE) to host a climate change adaptation workshop for New Mexico natural resource managers. Titled “Helping Nature Cope with Climate Change,” the workshop was designed to identify the most important needs of key wildlife policymakers, managers and practitioners.

Forest Restoration

As part of the Conservancy's Collaborative Forest Restoration Project, we completed forest thinning projects on 96 acres of  the Valles Caldera Preserve, and completed preparation for thinning on an additional 100 acres in the Jemez Mountains. This project included surveys for the northern goshawk, marking several thousand trees for retention, and writing thinning contract specifications. With partners, we have hosted more than 100 visitors to the site including congressional staffers, scientists, federal agency public affairs officers, and school children participating in an outdoor forestry camp. In partnership with the Conservancy’s Arizona Program, we completed the first phase of our Southwest Forest Assessment Project. Currently, we are working to help integrate this information into national forest management plans, and provide additional information on Southwest streamside communities.

Grasslands Preservation

The 18,500-acre Milnesand Prairie Preserve remains the centerpiece of the Conservancy's grassland conservation work in New Mexico. The preserve is the epicenter for the highly threatened lesser prairie chicken, and also contains robust populations of other important grassland species such as pronghorn, burrowing owls and black-tailed prairie dogs. The greatly imperiled status of grasslands and its associated plants and animals has led us to focus on educating others about the importance of this ecosystem. As such, the "Playarama," a large traveling exhibit featuring information about grasslands and playa lakes toured eastern New Mexico throughout 2007.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Robert Findling/TNC (Diamond A Ranch); Photo © Alan W. Eckert (Lesser prairie chicken).