The objective of this project is to restore and rehabilitate rangeland in southern new mexico in order to restore habitat for native and domestic species restoration and rehabilitation of rangelands…

The objective of this project is to restore and rehabilitate rangeland in southern new mexico in order to restore habitat for native and domestic species restoration and rehabilitation of rangelands will accomplish many things such as healthier habitats for native and domestic species, reduction of habitat fragmentation, watershed restoration which will increase water infiltration that will help prevent flooding, stabilization and rehabilitation of disturbed areas, erosion control due to disturbed areas etc rangeland restoration begins with treatment of invasive and noxious weeds which have choked out native grasslands much of the landscape will rebound with healthy grassland upon the removal of weeds, some areas will require enhancement of habitats through introduction of native plants and seed another important component of rangeland rehabilitation is educating the public regarding invasive and noxious plant management this project will include development and dissemination of materials such as brochures and calendars identifying weed species and the need for controlling them, maintenance and updating of the comprehensive plant inventory of the cooperative weed management area to include extent of infestations, keeping the interactive mapping page of the otero swcd website updated with photos and acreages as treatments are being completed also included in this agreement will be inventorying and surveying infested areas, including discovery of archaeological sites which would require clearances or special treatments, monitoring treated areas to assess efficacy of treatments and coordination of multi jurisdictional and other stakeholders, response plans to infestations this project benefits the public through providing habitat improvement on public lands used for hunting, camping, and hiking by reducing the competition for native grasses and other forage for grazing the BLM will benefit through assistance with their rangeland management program on public lands, increased habitat and watershed health, and fuel load reduction through control and management of invasive species and noxious weeds annual milestones for proposed infestation treatments will include approximately 2,000 acres of ground treatment and monitoring monthly partner stakeholder meetings, attended by partner organizations such as BLM, natural resources conservation service, united states forest service, new mexico state land office, new mexico department of agriculture, new mexico department of game and fish and new mexico association of conservation districts approximately 25 landowner cost share agreements