Steve Bassett
Director of Conservation, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Steve Bassett Steve Bassett is the Director of Conservation for TNC New Mexico. © TNC
Areas of Expertise
Structured decision making, maximizing ROI, ecosystem services
Contact
Email: sbassett@tnc.orgBiography
As the Director of Conservation Programs, Steve Bassett leads TNC New Mexico’s programs in Freshwater, Forests, Lands and Indigenous Right Relations. Steve has a master’s degree in applied geospatial sciences from Northern Arizona University and has worked at TNC since 2012. Steve’s current focus is maximizing TNC New Mexico’s contributions to TNC’s 2030 goals and ensuring tangible conservation outcomes that benefit New Mexico’s local communities and biodiversity.
Publications
Bassett, S. (2015). San Juan River Historical Ecology Assessment: Changes in Channel Characteristics and Riparian Vegetation. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2471.3208
Bassett, S. (2018). Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Wildfire Risk Assessment.
Bodner, G. S., Warren, P., Gori, D., Sartor, K., & Bassett, S. (2013). Sustaining the grassland sea: Regional perspectives on identifying, protecting and restoring the Sky Island region’s most intact grassland valley landscapes. In: Gottfried, Gerald J.; Ffolliott, Peter F.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew, Lane G.; Collins, Loa C. Merging Science and Management in a Rapidly Changing World: Biodiversity and Management of the Madrean Archipelago III and 7th Conference on Research and Resource Management in the Southwestern Deserts; 2012 May 1-5; Tucson, AZ. Proceedings. RMRS-P-67. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 399-409., 67, 399–409.
Day, M. A., Houtman, R. M., Belavenutti, P., Ringo, C., Ager, A. A., & Bassett, S. (2021). An assessment of forest and woodland restoration priorities to address wildfire risk in New Mexico. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-423. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 70 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-423
Fargione, J., Bassett, S., Boucher, T., Bridgam, S., Conant, R., Cook-Paton, S., Ellis, P., Falcucci, A., Fourqurean, J., & Gopalakrishna, T. (2018). Natural climate solutions for the United States. Science Advance. 4 (11): 114.
Gori, D., Cooper, M., Soles, E., Stone, M., Morrison, R., Turner, T., Propst, D., Garfin, G., Switanek, M., Chang, H., & others. (2014). Gila River flow needs assessment. The Nature Conservancy, Santa Fe, NM.
Huber, C., Thomas, C. C., Meldrum, J., Meier, R., & Bassett, S. (2019). Economic effects of wildfire risk reduction and source water protection projects in the Rio Grande River Basin in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado [Techreport]. US Geological Survey.
Lopez, M., Margolis, E., Tillery, A., Bassett, S., & Hook, A. (2024). Pre-fire assessment of post-fire debris-flow hazards in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 33(9), WF23065.
Miller, B. J., McKinstry, M. C., Wilcock, P. R., Macfarlane, W. W., Bassett, S., Budy, P., & Pennock, C. A. (2025). Shrinking channels, growing threats: Habitat degradation from channel narrowing and invasive vegetation in three dryland rivers. Journal of Environmental Management, 392, 126714.
Miller, L. W., & Bassett, S. (2013). Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout wildfire risk assessment. In The Nature Conservancy, Santa Fe, NM.
Peeler, J. L., McCauley, L., Metlen, K. L., Woolley, T., Davis, K. T., Robles, M. D., Haugo, R. D., Riley, K. L., Higuera, P. E., Fargione, J. E., & others. (2023). Identifying opportunity hot spots for reducing the risk of wildfire-caused carbon loss in western US conifer forests. Environmental Research Letters, 18(9), 094040.