By Regional Forester Calvin Joyner
Federal, state, tribal and private managers of forests and grasslands face a range of urgent challenges - degraded watersheds, invasive species, and epidemics of insects and disease. Longer fire seasons and the rising size and severity of wildfires are of concern, along with increasing risk to communities, firefighters and natural resources, notably our water supplies. Water is the lifeblood of the arid Southwest, one of the most important natural resources flowing from our national forests, which are the primary source of water for the communities in New Mexico.
The challenges transcend boundaries and impact people beyond the jurisdiction of any single agency or organization. Tackling these challenges requires us to work together to find new ways of doing business at a greater pace and scale for the greatest benefits to resources and people. Significant work has already been done with partners to implement projects across boundaries with integrated and long-term outcomes for restoration of our forests in New Mexico. Relationships have been built with tribes, land grants, communities and multiple partners through the forest planning process, supporting work on defining priorities together.
We have more acres where actions to improve forest conditions are needed than we have funds or personnel to implement. The state has boldly stepped in to help with that backlog. Since 2014, the New Mexico Forestry Division and Department of Game and Fish have contributed more than $14 million to support watershed and habitat restoration or fire risk reduction treatments on National Forest System lands. They have funded 27 projects on all five national forests in New Mexico accomplishing more than 20,000 acres of additional on-the-ground work, and so increasing the pace and scale of restoration.
On November 14, 2019, the federal government and state of New Mexico signed an agreement that will help strengthen these efforts and help us all work more effectively in Shared Stewardship, working across boundaries with partners. Shared Stewardship represents a natural evolution of the already-strong partnership between USDA Forest Service and the state of New Mexico. We are working together to narrow the gap on how to share resources and priorities to ensure the health and resiliency of the lands of New Mexico. In early 2019, the New Mexico Legislature authorized $2 million of annual recurring funding to support watershed restoration efforts across all lands. Many of New Mexico’s critical headwaters fall within the national forests. The call from the state is clearly to accelerate restoration to protect water resources.
A hydrologist by training, I again reflect on the importance of our green infrastructure for ensuring life in the Southwest and how together we are addressing the issue of water. Most of New Mexico’s water sources originate in high elevation forests on private, tribal and public lands that are vulnerable to uncharacteristically large and catastrophic wildfire. Gifford Pinchot, first Chief of the Forest Service, said at the beginning of the 20th Century, “The connection between forests and rivers is like that between father and son. No forests, no rivers.” Management of water is of utmost importance here in New Mexico. The livelihoods and well-being of our residents depend more on scarce, and precious, surface and groundwater supplies than on almost anything else.
This Shared Stewardship agreement is a significant step as we work together over the long term to move to the next level of collaboration. It also supports our priorities here in the Southwestern Region, what we call our 3Rs - Relationships, Recreation and Restoration - while helping us achieve the mission of USDA Forest Service - sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of our nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
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