Ecological Restoration
Soil Erosion Control After Wildfire -Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of Arizona
The potential for severe soil erosion exists after a wildfire because as a fire burns it destroys plant material and the litter layer. Shrubs, forbs, grasses, trees, and the litter layer break up the intensity of severe rainstorms. Plant roots stabilize the soil, and stems and leaves slow the water to give it time to percolate into the soil profile. Fire can destroy this soil protection. There are several steps to take to reduce the amount of soil erosion. A landowner, using common household tools and materials, can accomplish most of these methods in the aftermath of a wildfire.
USDA Seeks Proposals for Market-Based Wetland Protection Systems
USDA to Provide $9 Million, Leveraging Further Public and Private Resources to Create New Mitigation Opportunities for Farmers and Ranchers WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the establishment of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Mitigation Banking Program, made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. Through the program, NRCS will provide $9 million to help states, local governments or other qualified partners develop wetland mitigation banks that restore, create, or enhance wetland ecosystems, broadening the conservation options available to farmers and ranchers so they can maintain eligibility for other USDA programs. "Over the past seven years, USDA has worked with private landowners to enroll a record number of acres in conservation practices, and we are seeing significant reductions in nutrient runoff and greenhouse gas emissions. Wetland Mitigation Banks will give farmers and ranchers more conservation options so they can find the best solution for their land and circumstances, and produce even more results," Vilsack said. Wetland mitigation banking is a market-based approach that involves restoring, creating, or enhancing wetlands in one place to compensate for unavoidable impacts to wetlands at another location. Wetland mitigation banking is commonly used to compensate for wetland impacts from development, but can also be used to offset impacts from agriculture. A small number of banks have been developed in the U.S. specifically to assist agriculture, and the mitigation banks established under this program will be used to help agricultural producers who need to mitigate wetland losses to maintain eligibility for USDA programs. NRCS is seeking applications from eligible third-parties to develop wetland mitigation banks, or modify existing banks to better serve agricultural producers. These third-parties include federally recognized Indian tribes; state and local units of government; for-profit entities; and nongovernmental organizations. The maximum award provided through this announcement is up to $1 million. This funding may be used to cover the administrative and technical costs associated with the development of a wetland mitigation bank or banking program. Funding may not be used to purchase an easement or any other interest in land. Partners will develop, operate, and manage the wetlands mitigation banks with technical oversight from NRCS, and will market mitigation credits to farmers and ranchers. Credits must be made available to producers within two years after the agreement is signed. NRCS is prioritizing funding to locations that have a significant known wetland compliance workload. These locations include the Prairie Pothole Region, California Vernal Pool Region, Nebraska Rainwater Basin Region, and other areas that have significant numbers of wetlands compliance requests. Priority will also be given to applications based on the speed with which mitigation credits can be made available to agriculture producers. USDA is now accepting project proposals for this program. Proposals are due to NRCS before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 28, 2016. The announcement and associated forms for this funding opportunity can be found at www.grants.gov.
Climate Change and Ecological Restoration - Edition Jan 2010
Why Climate Change Makes Riparian Restoration More Important than Ever: Recommendations for Practice and Research
WildEarth Guardians Hiring 18-25 year old's at Valles Caldera
The WildEarth Guardians, in partnership with the Forest Stewards Guild, is hiring 18-25 year old's for their Valles Caldera National Preserve restoration crew. The job runs from April 25 - October 25 2016. The crew will work planting native trees, removing or building fences, felling trees for erosion control in burned areas, and noxious weed removal. This work is part of a comprehensive education and training program.
Open File Report 2016-1016 - Estimating the economic impacts of ecosystem restoration—Methods and case studies
Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program and Office of Policy Analysis and the Bureau of Land Management Socioeconomics Program
The NM State Land Office has extended its Invitation to Bid on the Natural Resource Management Price Agreement until 9/27/16 at 2:00 p.m.
For those not familiar with the SLO Price Agreement for Natural Resource Management Services, here are the basics: • Price Agreements are standing contracts to provide certain services for a set price. • Price Agreements are not for specific projects. They are for various natural resource management activities. • They are divided into the following categories: 1. Vegetation Management (includes mechanical and hand thinning, chemical treatments, and slash treatments) 2. Prescribed Fire Services 3. Revegetation 4. Erosion Control, Road Management, and Post-Fire Treatments 5. Fencing 6. Project Management • A contractor can bid on any of the categories, but is not required to bid on all of them. • Bids are per acre, per hour, and daily rates depending on a particular category. Please pay close attention to the bidding requirement for each category. • Being selected for the Price Agreement does not automatically guarantee work. Contractors will be chosen for project work based on their capabilities, cost and time table, and past work experiences with the State Land Office and other land management agencies • Multiple contractors will be accepted for services. • Other state agencies, such as State Forestry and Department of Game & Fish, may utilize the Price Agreement for their project work. If you have any questions about the Invitation to Bid, please contact Sandra Lujan at State Purchasing Division at 505-827-0242. Contacts for questions about natural resource management projects are Mark Meyers at 505-827-4453 or Will Barnes at 505-827-5856.
New Mexico Opportunity Mapping Project
Handout about an accessible tool under development for planning, mapping and tracking forest and watershed restoration projects in New Mexico
Job Opportunity - TNC Sangre de Cristo Program Manager
The Nature Conservancy is seeking a Program Director to work on all facets of land and water conservation within the Sangre de Cristo mountains of New Mexico. This is a new position that combines work in forest restoration and fire management at a landscape scale with freshwater conservation, economic development and community conservation. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical skills and a track record of accomplishing collaborative conservation in diverse settings with scientists, contractors, agencies, elected officials, Native American tribes, Land Grants and other stakeholders. The Sangre de Cristo Program Director will be responsible for Rio Grande Water Fund implementation in northern New Mexico and will have the opportunity to evaluate programs for the cross-border NM-CO region. This is an exciting new job as part of the small and dynamic New Mexico team. The position description is attached and the closing date is December 30, 2016. Applicants should apply online at nature.org/jobs for position #44879.
Restoring the West Conference: Climate, Disturbance and Restoration in the Intermountain West
Video presentations from the conference held October 18-19, 2016 at Utah State University. As climate changes, forests are being impacted by severe drought, longer fire seasons, and impressive insect epidemics. New approaches to landscape restoration are needed to cope with these disturbances. The 2016 Restoring the West Conference offered presentations by experts in climate science, landscape restoration, and forest ecology on techniques for this uncertain future, and gave examples where these techniques are working.
The Influence of Restoration Treatments on Hydrologic Output in Fire-Adapted Forests of the Southwest
O'Donnell, Frances C., 2016. ERI Working Paper No. 37. Ecological Restoration Institute and the Southwest Fire Science Consortium, Northern Arizona University, November 2016
2016 Wildfire Season: An Overview, Southwestern U.S.
Evans, A., 2017. Technical Report. Ecological Restoration Institute and the Southwest fire Science Consortium, Northern Arizona University, May 2017
Rio Grande Water Fund - 2018 Request for Proposals
The Rio Grande Water Fund is announcing the 2018 RGWF Request for Proposals (RFP). The Rio Grande Water Fund is seeking proposal for three, potentially overlapping, categories: 1. Forest Restoration Treatments 2. Stream, Wetland, and Aquatic Restoration Projects 3. Capacity Building (New for 2018) The RFP is open to both public and private lands. There is no match required, but leveraged or matched funding is encouraged. With this RFP, we aim to build on the vast experience the RGWF partners have in planning and implementing restoration treatments in the focal areas of the RGWF, and we encourage all to apply. We also hope to attract new partners, including groups looking to develop new collaboratives, stand up fire and fuels crews, or build innovative tools to tackle tough problems. Deadline for submission is January 22, 2018. Applicants should use the online form available at riograndewaterfund.org to submit their proposal. If you have any questions, please email RioGrandeWF@tnc.org or call Collin Haffey at 505-946-2637.
Request for Bids - Cerro del Aire Collaborative Forest Restoration Project
The Forest Stewards Guild seeks applicants to bid on a 75-acre forest restoration project located on state trust lands in the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument near Tres Piedras, NM. Field visit February 21, 2018. Application deadline March 19th. Click on link for information and instructions.
Third Annual Rio Chama Congreso - Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM
You are Invited to Participate with students and other citizens, agencies (Forest Service, Game and Fish, State Engineer) and non-governmental organizations (Rio Grande Water Fund, NM Association of Conservation Districts, Chama Peak Land Alliance, Rio Grande Restoration, others) and help to decide how to best address our water and land management challenges in the Chama Basin. Questions? Contact Steve Harris at home/office: 575-751-1269; 575-770-2502 cell or: steve.harris39@gmail.com.
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Ecological Educator, Institute for Applied Ecology
The Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve native species and habitats through restoration, research and education. Our Southwest Program works in New Mexico and Arizona. We cultivate partnerships to facilitate large-scale, regional conservation projects, develop ecologically appropriate sources of native seed, provide native species education opportunities and materials, and conduct on-the-ground habitat restoration and applied research. IAE Southwest Program seeks to hire an Albuquerque-based Ecological Educator that will work with our Santa Fe office education staff to deliver the 2018 Forest Bound summer program (https://appliedeco.org/forest-bound-launches/ ). The Forest Bound program utilizes place-based, interdisciplinary lessons from the native plant curriculum “From Ponderosa to Prickly Pear, Exploring the Native Plants of New Mexico” (https://appliedeco.org/programs/education/about-projectbotany/project-botany-new-mexico/). The goal of Forest Bound is to provide an opportunity for Santa Fe and Albuquerque high school students to learn about careers in natural resources and gain skills in native plant ecology in an experiential learning setting.
Final RPEA: Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Chevron Mining Inc. Questa Mine
The New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee (ONRT), the United States Department of Agriculture (represented by the Forest Service), and the United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management (collectively, the “Trustees”) released the final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (“final RP/EA”) for the Chevron Mining Inc. Questa Mine (“Site”).
New Mexico State Forestry Priority Landscapes 2016
Map depicting priority landscapes for restoration. Developed in 2016 by the NM Forestry Division in concert with the state Forest and Watershed Management Coordinating Group.
Also in this section
- Riparian Restoration and Monitoring
- Documents related to restoration in the Bosque and other riparian environments.
