Southwest New Mexico Community Forestry Network
Are you interested in expanding the tree canopy and the benefits of trees in southwest New Mexico? Then we'd love to hear from you!
The Southwest New Mexico Community Forestry Network is gathering public input on Community Forestry Plans for Silver City, Santa Clara, Hurley, Bayard, Deming and Lordsburg that will help guide tree planting and tree care for the future.
Fill out the online survey by November 1st at https://swnmforestry.org/ and get your voice heard!
The Southwest New Mexico Community Forestry Network Project aims to plant trees and provide technical support to community partners in southwest New Mexico to ensure that our trees are cared for like the valuable resources we know them to be.
Trees provide so many benefits that should be available to everyone, including beautification, natural cooling, increased walkability, increased economic value in shopping districts, improved air and water quality, increased property values, physical and mental wellbeing, habitat for birds, pollinators and other wildlife, heat mitigation, stormwater collection, and so much more.
We want to help you gain the benefits of trees in your community in southwest New Mexico.
We are working in Silver City, Santa Clara, Hurley, Bayard, Deming and Lordsburg over the next five years to grow each community's tree canopy by providing planning, logistics, and planting assistance to improve the health of our community trees.
Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP) and Integrated Biological Solutions (IBIS) are working within each community to provide planning and planting of 1,000 trees in six communities in southwest New Mexico. We are compiling relevant data needed to create a road map on where stewardship is needed for existing trees and where to plant the shade for future generations. We serve as the technical support for each community to develop a unique plan that is just right for them.
We have also established a network to provide ongoing support to partner communities. The group provides guidance every step of the way to overcome the barriers to tree care that are specific to small, rural communities. Based on the needs that are identified by partner communities we are helping them with grant writing, planting logistics, shared educational materials, graphic resources, or whatever else is needed to steward community forests.
Project partner Western New Mexico University (WNMU) is developing a certificate program aimed at providing green jobs training and continuing education in the field of Arboriculture and Urban Forestry. This addresses workforce needs and economic development in the growing industry of tree care within New Mexico and beyond. Building upon its Tree Campus USA designation, WNMU is creating an arboretum and teaching garden to provide hands-on training for students and for community members wanting to care for the trees in their own yards.
This project is funded by a grant from the USDA Forest Service in partnership with Western New Mexico University, Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP), Integrated Biological Solutions (IBIS) and many others.
More information is available at https://swnmforestry.org/
