Restore New Mexico partners are essential to its success. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has provided $3.75 million over the past three years from its federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help restore public lands.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is promoting Cooperative Conservation Agreements with private landowners to protect habitat for the lesser prairie chicken and sand dune lizard in southeastern New Mexico.
Quail Unlimited, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are also contributing to the program, as is the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish via the Habitat Stamp Program.
In late 2007, NFWF provided $250,000 as a match to more than $400,000 in state, private and federal funding to restore over 6,000 acres of grasslands in a watershed directly north of Carlsbad.
Ranchers are also participating: a rancher near Eunice contributed over $50,000 toward restoration efforts on 1,660 acres in two federal grazing allotments. The work included brush control, new fencing and installation of a water pipeline system to improve habitat for wildlife.
Other partners include the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, local communities and irrigation districts, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the New Mexico State Land Office.
The BLM has matched these funds with almost $10 million over the last four years to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
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