Range Management for New Mexico

Much of the day to day activity in the Catron County office is spent dealing with natural resource issues. Topics include endangered species, water, wildlife and land management agency regulations. The past few years have seen excellent forage production in most of Catron County. This has been a welcome change to six or so drought years that preceded them. Despite the abundance of forage many ranchers are still facing livestock reductions on their allotments. Regulatory issues along with the Mexican grey wolf reintroduction program continue to put pressure on ranchers who depend on forage from public lands. Work has been done to assist ranchers in developing management plans to deal with the impacts of the Mexican grey wolf. To date no changes in management have resulted in significant changes in wolf depredation. The problems associated with the Mexican grey wolf program will continue to increase as the wolf numbers increase. The possibility is very real that ranchers will be forced out of business. More time and research needs to be spent on this issue to be able to provide ranchers with the information need to make informed management and business decisions As a result of these efforts a program was organized to bring affected producers and the Range Improvement Task Force together to address the impacts of the wolves on livestock. Producers provided input on the development of data collection system. Two trainings were conducted to teach producers and others affected by the wolves how to complete and submit data to The Range Improvement Task Force. Hopefully over time this data can be used to develop management systems to reduce livestock depredations.

Grant County has numerous noxious plants established in the County with Yellow Starthistle having colonized some 700 acres. Noxious plants are found in every county in the state and are a serious problem on New Mexico Rangelands. In Grant County, there are numerous noxious plants that contribute to the loss of forage production, soil erosion, reduced water use efficiency and increased animal handling costs. These, in turn, lower animal production and cause loss of income to the ranching community. Land managers need to know the most efficacious and economic means of managing noxious brush and weeds. Chemical, mechanical, and biological tools can be used to help reduce the detrimental effects of noxious brush and weeds. Environmentalists have traditionally been an obstacle to chemically treating roadsides managed by NMDOT. A need for an organized Cooperative Weed Management Association is recognized and was formed in 2007.
Quay County, like Grant County, has many different noxious plants established colonies with Salt Cedar having colonized thousands of acres.

The target audiences are owners/manage of hundreds of acres of yellow starthistle infected acres of ranch land Grant County, government officials, and allied industry employees that service livestock producers. In order to service the educational needs of Grant County producers, county programs are planned and facilitated with direction of the Agriculture/Natural Resources committee of the Advisory Board. Land managers/hunters become better educated on management of deer to increase quality and increase price of hunts. In addition to approximately 60 beef cattle producers and 80 wildlife managers/hunters that attended extension programs, another approximately 120 made contact with the Grant County Extension Service through, office or field visits, telephone calls or e-mails. Questions and contacts were logged and shared with extension specialists, these contacts are used to develop programming needs for upcoming years.

The major programming goals are to conduct field demonstrations utilizing appropriate range improvement techniques established across the state according to clientele requests and land management agency needs. Also, to increase awareness of noxious plant species and their management those are specific to Southwestern New Mexico, specifically Grant County. Furthermore to increase the knowledge of noxious plant management to private landowners, land management agency personnel through educational programs and direct communications.
Different audiences need help in identification, management options, mapping and education. County Commissioners Court, Public Schools, NMDOT, and the general public.
The formation of the Southwest New Mexico Cooperative Weed Management Association is critical in having a significant impact of the existing colonies of Noxious Plants and the timely control of new colonies that will form in the future.
Major programming efforts in Grant County have included a number of workshops and public programming including numerous field days, for both adult and youth, programs for organizations, extension programs, county commissioners, city government offices, public school boards, steering committees, USDA officials, on the identification, management options including chemical, biological and mechanical methods, importance of control, monitoring and plans to help manage these populations, with some 170adult contacts and 370 youth contacts for both Grant county. Speakers for program events have been numerous from university specialists, extension county faculty and local county agent. Because of the size of the counties, providing a variety of speakers helps to keep the programs fresh.

Though formal program evaluations were collected from several programs, most of the evaluation to evaluate effectiveness of agents delivery methods and efforts came in forms such as repeat requests to deliver talks, individual requests on technical advice. Appointment of agent on committees and advisory boards to assist with technical expertise in the noxious plant area.

80% of area land managers and owners became very aware of and adopted monitoring systems. This was stimulated by the inclusion of carbon credit programs made available in the area. 5 workshops along with numerous one-on-one consultations were conducted with 90% participation. 50% of the participants are either signed up or in the process of signing up for consideration in the carbon credit program with either NCOC or Agri-gate. Detailed monitoring is gaining strength with the fact that they are faced with a situation of having to be able to "prove" rangeland conditions, health, and improbement. An improvement in the acceptance of range management associations and programs has been exhibited by 10% of the area producers.

Ranchers were able to monitor ranges and understand why changes in the range condition occur and take appropriate management actions if needed. Ranchers were able to take preemptive measures in reducing poisonous plant losses.

Range monitoring manuals that cover range , riparian,soil erosion,water quality and wildlife population inventory and monitoring techniques have been published and will be revised in 2010.

Ranchers were able to monitor ranges and understand why changes in the range condition occur and take appropriate management actions if needed. Ranchers were able to take preemptive measures in reducing poisonous plant losses.

Range monitoring manuals that cover range , riparian,soil erosion,water quality and wildlife population inventory and monitoring techniques have been published and will be revised in 2010.