New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department…

THIS FUNDING WILL IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: FOREST STEWARDSHIP, FOREST HEALTH PROTECTION, URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY, STATE FIRE ASSISTANCE AND VOLUNTEER FIRE ASSISTANCE. THE FOREST HEALTH PROGRAM INCLUDES BASE FUNDING FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, BASE FUNDING FOR FOREST HEALTH MONITORING, FUNDING FOR THE WESTERN BARK BEETLE INITIATIVE, AND FUNDING FOR THE INVASIVE PLANT PROGRAM. THE DIVISION WILL PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF THE OCCURRENCE AND TRENDS OF INFESTATIONS AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY FOREST INSECTS, DISEASES, AND INVASIVE PLANTS OUTSIDE THE NORMAL GEOGRAPHIC RANGE OF THE PESTS; CHANGES IN THE BIOLOGY OF PESTS; AND OTHER SHORT-TERM CHANGES IN PEST ACTIVITY LIKELY CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY CHANGES IN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. FOR WESTERN BARK BEETLE, THE PRIMARY TREATMENT WILL BE THE THINNING AND RELATED SLASH TREATMENTS OF STANDS TO PREVENT FUTURE INFESTATION, WHILE LEVERAGING FEDERAL FUNDS WITH STATE AND LOCAL LANDOWNER CONTRIBUTIONS TO TREAT AN ESTIMATED 300 ACRES. FOREST STEWARDSHIP FUNDS WILL BE USED TO ENCOURAGE THE LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP OF IMPORTANT STATE AND PRIVATE FOREST LANDSCAPES, BY ASSISTING LANDOWNERS TO MORE ACTIVELY MANAGE THEIR FORESTS AND RELATED RESOURCES. NEW MEXICO'S FOREST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ENCOURAGE LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP OF NON-INDUSTRIAL PRIVATE FOREST LAND WITH THE PRIMARY FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS. FUNDING MAY ALSO BE USED TO DEVELOP RELIABLE SOURCES OF GENETICALLY SUPERIOR SEED AND PLANTING STOCK FOR USE ON STATE AND PRIVATE LAND. URBAN AND COMMUNITY FOREST FUNDING WILL DEVELOP, USE AND UPDATE ACTIVE COMMUNITY TREE AND FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS BASED ON RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES; ASSIST COMMUNITIES IN EMPLOYING CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL STAFF IN THE FIELDS OF URBAN FORESTRY, ARBORICULTURE, FORESTRY, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, OR HORTICULTURE; ASSIST COMMUNITIES WITH ADOPTING LOCAL ORDINANCES OR POLICIES AIMED AT THE PROPER CARE, ESTABLISHMENT, AND PROTECTION OF COMMUNITY TREES AND FORESTS; AND ESTABLISH AND WORK WITH ACTIVE TREE BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, OR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ESTABLISHED TO ADVISE AND ADVOCATE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOUND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAMS AT A LOCAL LEVEL. STATE FIRE FUNDS WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR FIRE PLANNING AND FUELS REDUCTIONS TO SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY MANAGE FIRE WHILE PROMOTING NATURAL RESOURCE BENEFIT. THE DIVISION WILL CONTINUE SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING, AND EQUIPPING OF RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO ENHANCE WILDLAND FIRE PROTECTION. FUNDS WILL ADDRESS CRITICAL PREPAREDNESS NEEDS FOR FIREFIGHTER SAFETY, INCREASED INITIAL ATTACK CAPABILITY, AND TRAINING. VOLUNTEER FIRE FUNDING WILL BE USED TO OFFER APPROXIMATELY 75 WILD LAND FIRE TRAININGS TO APPROXIMATELY 1,500 VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS.