Range Management for New Mexico

Natural resource management issues tend to dominate the day to day actives. Most of Catron County is public land managed by the US Forest Service or the Bureau of land management.
Drought and fire dominated most of the year. A very dry fall, winter spring and early summer led to record wildfires. These wildfires contributed to questions about the land management agencies management of our rangeland resources.
A combined effort of the Catron County Commission and the counties natural resource coordinator and the extension office led to the reorganization of the Carton County Land use planning committee. I have been appointed chairman of the committee and I am in the process of reorganizing the committees make up. The purpose of the committee is t get grass roots input from County residents on issues that affect the natural resources of Catron County. The current committee is made up of an overall committee and sub committees such as range, livestock, water, wildlife and mining.
The Catron County Acequias Association was formed this year. Owners of water rights associated with acequias came together to form the association. Under New Mexico law this group is recognized as a governing entity. The short term focus of this group is to apply of funding to do ditch improvements from the Arizona water settlements act.
Wolves continue to be a problem for county ranchers. Not only do ranches suffer from wolf impacts that are difficult to manage. But the wolves suffer as well. Wolf populations are not growing and many of the environmental groups are requesting that they be given more protections. Any increase in protections for the wolf could further put ranchers at risk financially. Work is ongoing to look at alternative management strategies to deal with wolf livestock conflicts.
Do to the drought bears were also a problem this year. Residents were educated about bear behavior and reasons that bears come to homes. Several bears ended up being trapped and relocated by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Most of Catron County is public land. Most ranchers must work with public land management and other governmental natural resources management agencies. Above average precipitation tends to lessen agency rancher conflicts. However the Mexican Grey wolf continues to be a problem for Catron County Ranchers. Changes in policy have reduced the rancher’s available options to deal with depredating wolves. Several Ranches have removed all of their cattle in the past year as a result of wolf depredation.
I continue to work with producers and the County government to develop policies and management practices to lessen the impact of the wolf. Work was done with the County and the Range improvement task force to draft comments regarding the full endangered listing of the Mexican Grey Wolf.
I am working with a group of producers and resource management agencies and the county natural resource coordinator to develop a whole watershed management plan and apply for funding to implement it.
The County Natural resource coordinator and I are organizing the community Acequias in Catron County into a countywide group on order to provide them with better opportunities to apply for Arizona water settlement funds to enhance the efficiencies of their irrigation systems.

Grant County Extension Agent recorded 188 contacts for the past year in regards to noxious and invasive plant management. Contacts came from workshops, CWMA meetings and one-on-one service that we provide to all clientele including land managers, noxious weed coordinator, state weed specialists, plant society members, garden clubs, and general public that have or think they have state listed noxious plants on their lands. Inquiries come from office visits, e-mail, phone calls, field visits and meetings. Questions include identification of questionable plants, management recommendations’ including chemical, biological and cultural methods, and CEU's for their pesticide licenses. Significant strides have been made in the treatment of some 1400 acres of Yellow Starthistle in the Gila River Basin, in the Cliff/Gila area and some 60 acres of African Rue in both Grant and Hidalgo counties. This is a result of the Southwest New Mexico Cooperative Weed Management Area being formed in 2006, and four grants funded for mapping, treatment and monitoring of these noxious plants. In addition the Project Coordinator and Agent have secured additional funding thru the County Commission. The agriculture agent served in a significant role in guiding the committee, assistance with writing grants. Chemical recommendations came from extension weed and brush specialist. In 2006 there it was estimated at 800 acres of Yellow Starthistle, but after mapping there is in excess of 1,800 acres infested. With our grants we have been able to hire a part-time coordinator, purchase chemicals and put them into the hands of licensed land managers to treat in excess of 70% of these lands. The County Extension Office is unique in offering the general public a place they can walk in or call without an appointment and receive research based information in a timely fashion.

50% of area land managers and owners became very aware of the benefits of the adoption of monitoring systems. This was stimulated by the continuation of the drought in the area and producers were in fact forced into critical decision making and drought plan implementation. The inclusion of carbon credit programs made available in the area took backseat to the need to survive and maintain a forage base. Detailed monitoring is gaining strength with the fact that they are faced with a situation of having to be able to base their bottom line on the rangeland conditions, health, and improvement. An improvement in the acceptance of range management associations and programs has been exhibited by 20% of the area producers.
Drought in the majority of the County forced another reduction in stocking rates, and started new communication with Fish and Game on the influence of wildlife on the grazing lands.

I have also worked with the Catron County Range Committee to develop watershed management strategies to reduce pinon and juniper populations. Work is underway to identify funding sources, project areas and treatment methods to improve the hydrologic functions of watersheds.