Legislative Success for Forestry Bills

Two bills with significant impacts on New Mexico’s forest and watershed health were passed with bi-partisan support during the 2016 legislative session. The Revenue for Forest and Watershed Projects (SB 110) and Interstate Compact for Forest Fires (SB 128) Bills target different stages of wildfire mitigation; the former expands the scope of preventative measures, and the latter speeds up access to suppression resources during a fire emergency.
The first achievement, the Revenue for Forest and Watershed Projects Bill, enables New Mexico to accept additional funds to offset the cost of managing forest thinning projects. It was sponsored by Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, and received public support from many of our statewide partners, including The Nature Conservancy. The bill amends the restrictions of the Forest Land Protection Revolving Fund. Originally, use of that fund was limited to covering costs associated with forestry law enforcement.
With our state’s declining watershed health and increased migration to the wildland urban interface, restoration efforts are vital to protect these vulnerable areas. New Mexico has over 10 million acres of federal forested lands, producing a great need for targeted treatments. This bill will increase public lands restoration projects throughout the state, potentially mitigating wildfires around communities at risk and in critical watersheds. This growth will also support job creation for forest industry and the Returning Heroes Wildland Firefighter Program. Notably, the bill also bolsters collaborations between New Mexico State Forestry and our valuable partners. We will accelerate the progress of our interagency projects, including those championed by the organizers of the Rio Grande Water Fund.
The other accomplishment was the Interstate Compact for Forest Fires Bill, sponsored by Sen. Benny Shendo, Jr., D-Jemez Pueblo. It allows New Mexico to join the Great Plains Compact with Colorado, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. Compact members are able to directly provide one another with additional firefighting personnel and equipment during an urgent wildfire emergency.
Previously, requests for out-of-state support had to be filtered through a federal process that allocated resources nationally, resulting in delays. In an emergency situation, each minute is precious. Saving time reduces the spread of wildfire and damage to our lands and communities. The Great Plains Compact offers a net of security for New Mexico, potentially reducing the amount of time it could take to control an escalating wildfire.
As State Forester, it was a privilege to lead these efforts throughout the legislative process, and it was gratifying to finally have the bills passed. Gov. Martinez signed them into law on March 8, 2016. Now known as the “Interstate Compact for Forest Fires Act” and the “Revenue for Forest and Watershed Projects Act”, their establishment made this year’s legislative session a success for our state’s forested lands and connected communities.
By: Eddie Tudor; State Forester–New Mexico State Forestry (Water Fund News)
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THE RIO GRANDE WATER FUND GOAL IS TO GENERATE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS TO PROACTIVELY INCREASE THE PACE AND SCALE OF FOREST RESTORATION, INCLUDING THE MOST HIGH-RISK AREAS IN THE RIO GRANDE WATERSHED.
The Edgewood Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) received a Collaborative Forest Restoration Project (CRFP) Grant to treat 414 acres in the Isleta Project on the Cibola Nation Forest and 441 acres on the Pueblo of Isleta.
The project is in the first phase in accomplishing a larger restoration vision. The Cibola has made restoration in this area a Forest Service priority and will continue to implement treatments on a landscape scale while collaborating with partners and communities to design mutually beneficial projects. The emphasis of these projects are cross-jurisdictional efforts that will provide for the protection of communities, cultural resources, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and improving overall watershed health while creating and sustaining local jobs. These treatments will directly protect water quality and supply in primary water source areas for the Pueblo of Isleta, Chilili Land Grant, and the Tajique Land Grant as well as private homeowners living adjacent to the area. In addition, it will protect upland forest areas that have direct impacts on water quality and supply for a larger area within the Rio Grande Basin Watershed (as delineated by the Army Corps of Engineers) the Estancia Basin and the cattle and agricultural producers within the Basin.
Funding of approximately $4.7 million is needed in Fiscal Years 2015- 2019 to accelerate the pace of treatments on the Isleta Project.