About the New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council

NMRPTC Overview

The New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council (NMRPTC) is composed entirely of volunteer botanists who donate their time and expertise on rare plants. The Council's primary goal is to develop an internet version of a rare plant inventory with information on the basic biology and conservation status of New Mexico's approximately 190 rare plants. Photographs, line drawings, and distribution maps accompany the written reports. The reports are edited to preclude inclusion of sensitive information, such as detailed location data, which might further endanger rare species.

Council members work with various private, state and Federal agencies to gather and share information on rare plants. The Internet is used to communicate between members and web pages are set up on the Council's server at the University of New Mexico Herbarium. The Council meets annually to review progress on web site development and discuss matters of mutual interest to the group.

Brief History of the Council

The NMRPTC is in part a reconstruction of the former "New Mexico Native Plant Protection Advisory Committee," formed in the early 1970's in response to needs generated by the Endangered Species Act, and which produced the book "A Handbook of Rare and Endemic Plants of New Mexico (1984)." As it became understood that there was continuing need for up-to-date information by land managers, agencies, and the general public the new Council was formed. Some members of the earlier Committee remained active in the newly formed Council; other botanists newly trained or new to the state also joined the committee. The need for the Council, and its development, was particularly promoted by Bob Sivinski of the New Mexico Forestry Department, and Charlie McDonald, then of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and later of the U.S. Forest Service.

1998

First organizational meeting- Bob Sivinski, first Chair of the Council

Patricia Barlow-Irick, first Secretary of the Council

Meeting at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) to discuss rare plant list and assign reports

1999

Meeting at the SNWR to discuss website construction for field guide

Server and slide scanner purchased with funding from the Native Plant Society of New Mexico and the State Land Office

Council members write taxon reports

2000

Selection of slides for inclusion on the website

Ongoing request for permission to use illustrations, scanning proceeds, illustrations drawn

Distribution maps created

Ongoing reports written, checked by editorial team

2001

Charlie McDonald, Chair of the Council

Nancy Kastning, Co-Chair of the Council

New website goes online

2002-2003

Ongoing completion of reports, editing, photos, illustrations, and mapping for website

2004

Fourth Southwestern Rare and Endangered Plant Conference (March 22-25, 2004) New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico- Organized by Charlie McDonald and Patricia Barlow-Irick

2005

Natural Heritage New Mexico develops database for website that improves site maintenance. The Institute of Natural Resource Analysis and Management (INRAM) funds the project.

2007

The New Mexico rare plant list is reviewed. Six taxa are dropped and eleven are added. Members volunteer to write reports for new taxa.

2008

Twenty-two taxa were reviewed. Five taxa will be added to the list of New Mexico rare plants. Five taxa were considered and rejected as not meeting Council criteria for designation as rare. Two new species were discussed. They will be added to the rare plant list once named. Decisions on ten taxa were deferred pending further research and field study. Members volunteered to write reports for new taxa, write justifications for rejected taxa, and do research on the deferred taxa.

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Group Photos of NMRPTC Members at Council Meetings

7 November 2008

Back Row (L-R): Donovon Bailey, Ken Heil, Kelly Allred, Tim Lowrey, David Bleakly, Bob Sivinski, Mike Howard, Tyler Johnson, Steve Shoup, Phil Tonne
Front Row (L-R): David Ferguson, Daniela Roth, Wendy Weckesser, Dana Price, Yvonne Chauvin, Sheila Williams, Charlie McDonald, Patrick Alexander, Jane Mygatt

30 March 2007

Back Row (L-R): Bob Sivinski, Tim Lowrey, Mike Howard, Ken Heil, David Jamieson, Jim Nellessen, Les Lundquist, Jim McGrath, David Bleakly, Jon Stewart, Yvonne Chauvin, Jane Mygatt
Front Row (L-R): Patrick Alexander, John Anderson, Ron Hartman, Gene Jercinovic, Dave Ferguson, Rich Spellenberg, Steve Shoup, Nancy Kastning, Phil Tonne, Charlie McDonald

4 March 2005

Back Row: Jim Nellessen, Donovan Bailey, Julie McIntyre, ?, Yvonne Chauvin, Jane Mygatt, Ron Hartman, Tim Lowrey, David Bleakly, Bob Sivinski, Kelly Allred, Jim McGrath, Patrick Alexander
Front Row: Charlie McDonald, Nancy Kastning, David Ferguson, Phil Tonne, Jon Stewart, Rich Spellenberg