Implementation, compliance, and monitoring of conserved groundwater through water right lease agreements and conservation easements with participating landowners in eastern new mexico.

The state of New Mexico, specifically through the Central Curry Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) in Curry County, is seeking to establish a specialized land trust capable of negotiating groundwater conservation easements to secure a supplemental water supply for Clovis and Curry County. This sole source procurement is a strategic initiative tied to Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grants, with a primary objective of creating a new land trust focused on groundwater conservation. The project involves extensive research and outreach to existing land trusts, which have been determined to lack specific expertise in groundwater conservation easements. Key deliverables include establishing a local land trust with mentorship from an experienced organization, developing a framework for negotiating conservation easements with participating landowners, and creating a mechanism to protect groundwater resources for community use. The contract opportunity was posted on October 2, 2025, with proposals due by November 2, 2025, indicating a one-month window for response and submission.

While specific set-aside designations are not explicitly detailed in the provided documentation, the procurement appears to prioritize specialized organizational capabilities in land and water conservation. The project involves multiple stakeholders, including Cannon Air Force Base, the City of Clovis, and various land conservation organizations, suggesting a collaborative approach to solution development. Previous outreach efforts contacted organizations such as the Taos Land Trust, New Mexico Land Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, Texas Agricultural Land Trust, and Palmer Land Conservancy, all of whom were deemed unsuitable for the specific requirements. The procurement seems to require a unique combination of legal, environmental, and water resource management expertise, with a focus on creating a new organizational entity specifically tailored to groundwater conservation easement negotiation. Although no specific budget range is provided in the documentation, the involvement of multiple governmental and conservation entities implies significant potential funding through REPI and RCPP grant mechanisms.