The is project will address two concerns in dona ANA county weeds and watersheds

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) awarded a 5-year $300,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Dona Ana Soil & Water Conservation District under the Rangeland Resource Management program (CFDA 15.237) to address two key issues in Dona Ana County, New Mexico: noxious invasive plants and watershed management. The project will focus on invasive plant control to reduce impacts on natural resources and agricultural operations, as well as inventory and assess existing watershed structures like dams and diversions to support future restoration plans. The Dona Ana Soil & Water Conservation District will collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to monitor and document vegetation, precipitation, and utilization patterns to evaluate project outcomes. This award builds upon the district's recent natural resource conservation work funded through $1 million in Urban & Community Forestry grants from the U.S. Forest Service and additional BLM cooperative agreements for invasive plant management and outreach to small and beginning farmers.

Noxious invasive plants pose a serious threat to natural resources in dona ANA county by increased production costs for ranchers and farmers through direct competition with native plants for water, space, and nutrients. Efforts would continue to DE-fragment habitat areas. The best management of rangelands is to recognize potential problems early, control infestations before they spread, and monitor regularly for adequate follow-up control due to the tenacity of some of these invasive species. Additionally, our project goal is too inventory and assess the existing watershed structures in dona ANA county, including DAM dikes, water diversions, etc. This will assist the future plans for additional watershed restoration projects, by identifying which existing structures are working, need work, need to be restored replaced. Representatives from 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 regularly attend dona anas swcds monthly board meetings as well as landowners from within the district.project success would be evaluated by both the dona ANA swcd and the BLM LAS cruces district office. The district monitors and documents brush density, vegetative cover, species diversity, trends, vegetative production, precipitation, and utilization patterns as needed.