Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.

Range Management for New Mexico (Hidalgo County)

Plan Goal

Land managers, with agency involvement, will be able to monitor ranges and understand why changes in the range condition occur and take approopriate management actions if needed. Land managers will have the skills to identify invasive weeds and poisonous

Situation Statement

A large portion of the 2,040,000 acres in Hidalgo county is rangeland used by ranchers for cattle production. In addition to the daily issues that are faced by land managers of these lands, an increasing amount of conflicts have presented themselves between ranchers, environmentalist groups and land management agencies in determining the best possible use for the land. This is becoming more true on federal and state trust lands. With agencies less intensively monitoring public lands ranchers should implement a monitoring program on their rangelands to have a data base of range inventory and trend. Monitoring programs will allow for more informed management decisions from land managers. Recreational land use continues to pose more threats to the land managers using rangelands for cattle production. Toxic plants have a major impact on Hidalgo county's livestock industry and losses are occuring both directly and indirectly. Producers and land management personnel must communicate more effectively in order for all parties to manage the land in a manner that is best for both the land and livestock producers using it.

Target Audience and Actions

Ranchers and beef producers that are stewards of rangelands in Hidalgo county. State and federal agencies involved with the decisions regarding these lands that will affect the land managers. People involved in recreational activities utilizing rangelands in Hidalgo county.

Short-Term Objectives

Try to involve land managers in Hidalgo county in workshops and educational seminars to help them understand why changes in range condition occur and what management actions if any, can be taken to improve range conditions. Land managers will have the skills to identify and understand basic control options for poisionous plants. Educational information from specialists and researchers will be made available to land managers interested.

Medium-Term Objectives

Help in increasing rangland programs availability to interested land managers in Hidalgo county. Try to help land managers understand more advanced concepts in rangland management to help improve the productivity of their lands. Help land managers to have skills to identify and understand basic control options for both poisonous and non-poisonous weeds decreasing forage productivity of rangelands.

Long-Term Objectives

Create some demonstration plots and use them to help land managers understand the importance of managing plants that decrease the abundance of forage plants. Provide and help land managers understand educational materials provided through research and specialists on advanced range monitoring techniques such as riparian areas, soil erosion, water quality and wildlife population inventory and monitoring techniques as they become available.

Evaluation Plan

Track the number of individuals from Hidalgo county that participate in rangeland seminars available in the area. Visit with individuals that attend these seminars and find out what their perception on the seminars are. Make on site visits to poll land managers about what range management techniques are effective and which are not? Pass on information recieved to state specialists to help inform them on the concerns of land managers in Hidalgo county.