Land Conservation and Wildlife -- The importance of Restoration and Connectivity by NMLandConservancy

Fall/Winter Magazine 2020

Land Conservation and Wildlife The importance of connectivity and restoration

NEW MEXICO LAND CONSERVANCY

Advisory Board Anthony L. Benson, PhD Cerros de Taos Beef | Taos, NM Sid Goodloe Carrizo Valley Ranch | Capitan, NM Elizabeth H. Richardson Los Angeles, CA Jack Wright NM State University | Las Cruces, NM

Staff Scott Wilber Executive Director Ron Troy Southern New Mexico Program Manager Alex Etkind Northern New Mexico Project Manager Milu Velardi Stewardship Coordinator Sandra Halpin Communications & Marketing Manager Megan Keller Accounting & Office Manager NMLC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

505.986.3801 (Santa Fe HQ) Magazine edited by Sandra Halpin Cover photo: A lone elk runs across the Plains of San Agustin. Photo by Nick Jacobson.

2 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine

FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Land Conservation

Our Annual Appeal

—Now more relevant than ever! Dear Friends,

ue to unforeseen challenges caused by the pandemic, this year we decided to incorporate our annual appeal directly into the Fall/Winter issue of our magazine. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity now to make our once a year appeal for your financial support. Never has a year brought to light how critical our land conservation work is to not only the health of our state’s remarkable diversity of plants and animals, but to our own human health. We are hopeful that during these unusual times, as you socially distance and choose the healthy option of seeking out natural spaces with clean air and water, or consider the importance of food security, that you will recognize the relevance of our work, now more than ever, and support our commitment on your behalf as we continue on our path to protect a million acres by 2030. Among the many affects the pandemic has had on our collective culture as a state, nation and world, is a deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors – its wildlife, scenic beauty, recreational opportunities and its ability to calm our minds and renew our spirits. Our intrinsic need for connections to nature, agriculture and open space have been amplified for so many of us during these unprecedented times. As you travel New Mexico and gaze across the vast expanses our state is known for, chances are the New Mexico Land Conservancy (NMLC) has had a hand in protecting at least some small part of that landscape in perpetuity. From the high country of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountains to the high mesas and canyon lands of central New Mexico, from the vast grassland plains of northeastern New Mexico to the Chihuahuan Desert and the Gila Wilderness in the southwest; from the San Juan, Chama and Pecos rivers to the Rio Grande, NMLC has worked tirelessly to conserve and protect parcels great and small for all the important conservation values that contribute to New Mexico’s natural and cultural heritage. Our small but effective staff, along with our many partners, have facilitated the protection of more than 300,000 acres across New Mexico and southeastern Arizona to date, with the hope of doubling this land conservation over the next few years. The challenges

Left: NMLC Executive Director, Scott Wilber, at the Bioresearch Ranch property in southwest New Mexico.

presented by the pandemic have only made us more passionate about the work we perform at NMLC. We are currently busier than ever working to conserve tens of thousands of additional acres across the region. Our conservation work goes well beyond restricting subdivision and development on valuable conservation properties. From protecting our precious water resources, wildlife habitats and corridors, agricultural communities and local economies, irreplaceable historical and cultural artifacts, to scenic open spaces and viewsheds and inholdings within and buffers around public lands – all of these kinds of land benefit from and are enhanced by our work to help keep New Mexico the natural, beautiful and diverse place that it is. The nature of our work is based on the premise of perpetuity – protecting these conserved lands forever. As a land trust, our clients and supporters are people who love these lands and count on us to protect and conserve New Mexico’s unique landscapes and heritage, and to monitor and ensure these lands we hold in trust under our conservation easements are safeguarded into perpetuity. As we work to sustain the conservation we are able to put in place with each easement or acquisition that we facilitate, it is with your financial support that we, in turn, are sustained by you as an organization during this coming year and well into the future. So, as you consider your year-end giving this year, we hope that you will keep us in mind. We will be extremely grateful for whatever support you are willing and able to provide, especially in this difficult year, as we proceed uninterrupted in the delivery of our mission to “help people conserve the places they love.” On behalf of the Board and staff of the New Mexico Land Conservancy, we thank you and wish you and yours a heartfelt and healthy holiday,

J. Scott Wilber Executive Director

www.nmlandconservancy.org

Beyond Boundaries: The Expanded Benefits of Land Conservation

s Arizona, Colorado, Utah and other parts of the Southwest continue to be subdivided and developed at alarming rates, we remain fortunate here in New Mexico that we still enjoy much of our natural land heritage. It is our myriad of unique cultures, wide-open landscapes and ever-changing display of light, shadows, clouds and skies that continue to attract world renown artists and the film industry. Our reputation as the Land of Enchantment prevails. At New Mexico Land Conservancy we see development coming to New Mexico in all corners of the state, be it the Rio Grande Valley, the San Juans, the Hondo Valley, etc. Development in all forms, from residential, commercial to industrial. Traditional oil and gas development still persist in the northwest and southeast corners of the state, while renewable energy in the form of wind and solar farms and the associated transmission lines seems to be rapidly expanding across the state. Our staff is working furiously to protect our remaining open lands. We know that as our farms and ranches get split up into increasing smaller units, we stand to lose our agricultural

4 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Newsletter

land base which negatively impacts and destabilizes our rural markets and economies. This holds true for numerous historical and current markets across New Mexico, be it apples in the Hondo and Mimbres Valleys, chili in the Rio Grande Valley, cotton and sweet potatoes in the southeast part of the state, pecans and pistachios in the southern part of the state, or grazing lands across the state. When we lose our land, we lose our culture and potentially everything that makes New Mexico unique. At NMLC, we understand that just as these dynamics affect the viability and sustainability of our unique New Mexico agriculture, from a biological perspective, this “critical mass” of protected lands also becomes critically important for the preservation of fish and wildlife. “Patch size” in biological terms is so important as we consider the life histories of our unique suite of fish and wildlife species across region. For some species, this area can be extremely small, but for most species, a large, unfragmented land area, free from human disturbance is critical for breeding success and survival.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

― Chief Seattle

Our ears perk up at the New Mexico Land Conservancy when opportunities arise in which we can directly capitalize or piggyback on other conservation efforts to protect critical land masses, be it expanding large blocks of unfragmented land such as White Sands Missile Range, a corridor of irrigated farmland along the Rio Grande or one of our many, unique New Mexico river valley floors, an inholding in a national forest, or a property adjacent to national monument, wildlife refuge or state wildlife management area. In this publication, we highlight not only our land protection efforts, but the management, restoration and research efforts of our many landowners as well as those of neighboring land managers as these combined efforts culminate into important restoration and protection of wildlife, their habitat and migratory corridors. Our work as a land trust helps protect a myriad of cultural and natural conservation values – including wildlife – and when we have an opportunity to protect properties adjacent to other already-protected lands, we recognize this as an additional conservation value benefit due to

the importance of protecting large contiguous, unfragmented habitats. We hope you enjoy this series of articles and glean the importance of scale, and how “patch size” pertains to connectivity, migratory corridors and breeding success; and the facilitation of natural processes to play out such as fire, resiliency in the wake of short-term drought and long-term changing climate dynamics, sustainability of our local and statewide agricultural economies, human and wildlife conflict resolution, and in general, the preservation of our extraordinary land heritage here in New Mexico. We are extremely proud of 18 years of work that now includes over 100 land conservation and restoration projects encompassing more than 300,000 acres of total land protection across New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, and how the impacts and benefits of our land conservation work go well beyond the boundaries of our individual projects. #

Elk herd near Berrenda Creek Ranch in the foothills of the Black Range, near Hillsboro, NM. Photo by Nick Jacobson. www.nmlandconservancy.org

White Sands Missile Range . . .

Wildlife Habitats Great & Small

Golden Eagle, photo by Rick Harness, courtesy of U.S. Army, White Sands Missile Range

amed for its crown of gold feathers, the golden eagle is a magnificent raptor. A highly skilled predator, golden eagles require huge expanses of land to hunt and thrive. With wing spans over six feet, they can soar at speeds greater than 30 miles per hour and can reach up to 200 miles per hour when diving for prey. Their nests, built high in cliff walls, can reach six feet across, and weigh more than two tons. Breeding pairs will build and maintain multiple nests over the years for a breeding season that lasts over half a year, from copulation to fledging of a single eagle chick. The average diet of a single bird consists of up to one pound of food every day when food is plentiful. Rabbits, prairie dogs, hares, grouse, and other unsuspecting animals are the preferred 6 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine

meal of the golden eagle. And although fairly adaptable in habitat, golden eagles maintain some of the largest home ranges of any bird species in North America – ranges that can extend to more than 75 square miles in some parts of the world. All these characteristics, habits and needs have one thing in common – space. And golden eagles need a lot of it! With their massive size and strong hunting skills, these powerful raptors would seem at first glance to be able to tolerate and defend against a multitude of threats. But in fact, these mighty birds are highly sensitive. So much so that wildlife agencies, including the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), suggest buffer distances around active nests of as much as a half-mile to protect breeding eagles from human disturbance, which can affect the birds’ ability to successfully reproduce.

Golden Eagles to Military Black Hawks . . . As for their territorial needs, golden eagles establish and defend large breeding territories that average 12 square miles in western North America. Now imagine an area large enough to support 30 breeding pairs! Where in New Mexico do you find an expanse of land that big and relatively free of human interference? Welcome to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) testing area – approximately three million acres of public and private lands and home to a broad spectrum of wildlife with habitats ranging in scale from square miles to a few meters. Managed by the U.S. Army under the Department of Defense (DoD), the 2.2 million acres of DoD-owned land is the largest military installation in the country in terms of size, and encompasses the San Andreas and the Oscura Mountain Ranges as well as a variety of diverse ecosystems, including a 125-acre wetlands in the middle of a desert basin onsite. The range also surrounds the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge and the White Sands National Park, recently elevated to national park from its former national monument status.

Contribution to Connectivity The contribution to wildlife habitat and land connectivity that WSMR provides is unprecedented in the state. Many people are unaware that the 3,200 square-mile testing range is primarily a research and development facility, not a training installation, and typically has less than 500 soldiers onsite at any given time. Similar in size to Yellowstone Park, in some ways WSMR functions for wildlife more like an enormous wilderness area than a military installation. When considering the tightly controlled limited public access at the base, one could argue that wildlife may be better off at WSMR than they would be at a national park. Because WSMR is on federal land, as part of its DoD mission the U.S. Army must adhere to all the same federal laws concerning natural resource management that other public agencies have to, plus another one – the Sikes Act, which essentially mandates that they produce an in-depth plan for the sustainable management of all natural resources onsite, including all of its diverse habitats and associated wildlife inhabitants.

The WSMR Golden Eagle Program Though no longer listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, eagles are protected by both the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which puts added pressure on WSMR to ensure their safety and well-being on the site. For years, the WSMR conservation staff was aware of six or seven eagle nests on the installation, but they had no survey data. So, in 2013 they conducted an aerial survey by helicopter and identified more than 240 golden eagle nests, all on cliff-faces of the mountain ranges and hills within WSMR. Even more astounding, they spotted and continue to monitor 30 adult breeding pairs on the base. In addition to the golden eagles themselves, their nests are also protected.

WSMR has partnered for nearly 10 years with The Peregrine Fund, a nonprofit organization out of Boise, ID, to carry out the eagle monitoring program. Pairs are monitored from the ground at observation points a couple of kilometers away to prevent disturbing the eagles. “Golden eagles are very sensitive,” said Patricia “Trish” Cutler, wildlife biologist at WSMR, who heads up the golden eagle program. “Too much disturbance from people can lower their ability to reproduce. We’re fortunate here at White Sands because there aren’t a lot of ground-disturbing activities like at Ft. Bliss, for example, where they conduct trainings with tanks and armored vehicles.”

Beyond the Base Borders Surrounding the base, WSMR has identified an area of nearly one million acres of relatively undeveloped public and private lands that are important in providing a “buffer” area to help insulate the testing activities onsite. These “buffer lands” have been key, also, in expanding the unfragmented habitat for wildlife, providing connectivity and a buffer from most human activities and development. As residential development from the Albuquerque area moves south along the Rio Grande corridor and to the east into the mountain ranges, and as large powerlines and wind turbines make their way from Texas to the west and expand across New Mexico on their way to Arizona and California, the development threats to these public and private lands has become a huge concern to WSMR. So much so that NMLC was awarded a DoD contract to identify and facilitate conservation easements and other land protection across the buffer zone. The area is primarily comprised of working ranchlands – lands that NMLC has had much experience in protecting. By year’s end, NMLC will have completed five easements, conserving about 46,000 acres, and several more projects are lined up should additional DoD funding be appropriated to this important partnership between conservation and military R&D activities. “These larger, relatively intact landscapes in the lower 48 are extremely rare and incredibly important to a myriad of local species, as well as species that rely on these vast expanses of habitat as part of their critical migratory corridor,” said Ron Troy, Southern New Mexico Program Manager for NMLC. “As someone who spent a lot of years working as a biologist to restore several populations of species in peril, I can’t emphasize enough how important large landscapes like White Sands are for the preservation of wildlife. The easement acquisitions and other land protection efforts we are facilitating with WSMR are key in keeping these large expanses of land intact for the future. Our collective efforts will also serve to complement neighboring national wildlife refuges, state wildlife management areas, national forests, and national parks.” NMLC is proud to be working with White Sands Missile Range on this important land conservation mission, which helps protect our national security and our diverse wildlife as well as other important natural and cultural resources in the state. # Continued next page . . .

www.nmlandconservancy.org 7

. . . White Sands Missile Range (cont.) But for the pupfish . . .

ut for the pupfish, the water might be gone. The little White Sands pupfish lives exclusively in only one place on earth: in the Tularosa Basin, on the White Sands Missile Range, Holloman Airforce Base, and White Sands National Park. This small silvery relative of the minnow occurs in various habitat configurations on base ranging from deep spring pools to shallow streams. Because of its limited distribution, the White Sands pupfish is classified as Threatened by the State of New Mexico, and as such, requires extensive management planning and habitat protection each year. The most interesting thing about the pupfish isn’t the pupfish itself, per se, it’s the magnitude of government compliance the little creature sets in motion that results in protection of its water-based habitat – a 125-acre wetland and a perennial salt creek about 20 miles long, both in the middle of the vast Chihuahuan desert. “That’s where the pupfish’s real value is,” said Patrick Morrow, senior wildlife biologist at WSMR. Patrick has been managing the pupfish program for almost 30 years. “The pupfish is really an indicator of the health of the habitat,” Patrick explained. To protect the pupfish is to protect its habitat. Waterfowl, and shore birds such as American avocets, stilts and great blue herons, for instance, are common at the wetland oasis on the base, and untold animals of all kinds rely on this precious water source for survival. “Drought is a real threat right now,” Patrick added. The pupfish is currently scheduled to be reviewed in the next several years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to determine whether its state-level protections should be expanded to the federal level, under the Endangered Species Act. “If this little fish were to be listed, the DoD and other agencies involved will have to spend more time and money to ensure its protection, while sustaining the military mission.”

White Sands pupfish photo courtesy of U.S. Army, White Sands Missile Range.

To hopefully avoid this federal listing, the WSMR conservation staff has been working cooperatively each year with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, USFWS, Holloman Airforce Base and White Sands National Park staff to maintain a cooperative agreement and complete objectives of the management plan developed by these agencies for the protection of the species. “The federal review will be based on all available data,” Patrick said, “so we are gathering as much of that data as possible to demonstrate the health of the population and hopefully avert the need for federal listing.” #

Desert Bighorn Sheep

hite Sands is home to one of the largest desert bighorn sheep populations in the state, with 200-300 animals. In the early 1970s, a scabies mite decimated the original native herd on WSMR, eventually bringing the population down to zero, Patrick Marrow, senior wildlife biologist at WSMR explained. The mite exposes the sheep’s skin, leaving them vulnerable to the elements and easy prey for mountain lions or other disease issues. In early 2000, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), in cooperation with US Fish and Wildlife Service and WSMR, started a bighorn sheep reintroduction into the San Andreas Mountains with animals that came from NMDGF breeding facilities near Silver City, NM, and from wild populations in Arizona. The herd is now flourishing to the extent that this population supplies desert bighorn sheep for other reintroductions in the state. #

8 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity Big Game Hunting on the Range In New Mexico, all game species, no matter where they live, belong to the people of New Mexico. Hunting in the state is managed by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (NMDGF). A profusion of big game animals inhabit the White Sands Missile Range. Healthy herds of elk and deer; javalina, desert bighorn sheep, bear and mountain lions – and an unusual addition to the mix, the African oryx or gemsbok (Oryx gazella) which was imported from Africa by NMDGF in the late 1960s/early 1970s at the urging of Dr. Frank Hibben, then chairman of New Mexico’s State Game Commission. Hibben was an avid African game hunter. Aware that there were few big game hunting opportunities in southern New Mexico at the time, and that the habitat conditions there were

similar to Africa, he championed a propagation program of exotic game animals, including the oryx. After the animals arrived in the states, however, public concern arose that the exotic species might adversely affect domestic livestock on privately owned land, so NMDGF turned to WSMR for permission to release the animals on the base. The Army agreed to release 100 oryx onsite between 1969-1973. Similar in size to an elk, the oryx weighs on average up to 450 pounds and stands 47 inches tall at the shoulder, almost as tall as the roof of the average car. Predictions were that populations would grow slowly, but instead the animals thrived. “It’s the only free-range animal that doesn’t need to drink free water, meaning they can get all the moisture they need through

vegetation, and they eat desert shrubs, plentiful in southern New Mexico,” said Patrick Morrow, senior wildlife biologist at WSMR. An estimated 3,000-4,000 oryx live on the base at any given time, and another 2,000 live off range. Management issues including 15 to 30 accidents a year on the base on Hwy 70, and damage to boundary fences make reduction of the oryx population necessary. To that end, WSMR and NMDGF manage a hunting program that provides opportunities to experience African big game hunting without leaving New Mexico. Hunting licenses include: oncein-a-lifetime, youth, mobility impaired, veteran, and others. “It’s the best meat in the world,” Patrick claims, “and an exciting hunt.” #

Oryx photo, courtesy of U.S. Army, White Sands MIssile Range www.nmlandconservancy.org

This Rancher is ‘All in’ When it Comes to Wildlife

ituated amidst a magnificent convergence of two deserts, miles of open grasslands, and the dramatic, forested mountain ranges of the Sky Island Region of southeastern Arizona, the Cienega Ranch provides incredibly diverse habitat for a wide range of species, both flora and fauna. With an estimated 4,000 plant species, untold number of invertebrates including approximately 500 species of bees alone, and almost 500 species of vertebrates, the Sky Island region remains one of the most biologically diverse semi-arid ecoregions in all of North America, despite 10,000 years of documented human history, including four centuries of Euro-American exploitation. Because they often exist as small populations on the edge of their geographic ranges and in isolated mountain ranges, an unusually high proportion of Sky Island species are rare, endemic and many are considered imperiled. In conjunction with a commercial cow-calf operation, rancher Josiah Austin has spent more than 30 years conserving, expanding and improving the Cienega Ranch in support of wildlife. He believes strongly in a working landscape where livestock coexist with endemic wildlife species. To that end, he has strategically used conservation easements as a means of not only protecting large parcels of land from fragmentation and further development, but also to generate proceeds from the easements for restoration projects and to acquire additional contiguous land parcels to expand the ranch’s overall footprint and provide greater connectivity for wildlife, both local and migratory. To date, two conservation easements totaling more than 19,000 acres have already been completed on the Cienega Ranch, both held by NMLC. The landowner is currently working with The Trust for Public Land and NMLC, along with U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other partners on a third easement that will protect more than 7,000 acres – and Josiah hopes there will be a fourth easement in his future, as well.

frog and the Yaqui and Gila topminnows, all the while improving the condition of the grasslands deemed of “special environmental significance” by NRCS, which provide essential habitat for an abundance of grassland birds. He continues to talk with Arizona Game & Fish about the prospect of reintroducing other species such as pronghorn, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets on the property. Josiah’s commitment to conservation and restoration doesn’t stop there. He plants agaves to help fortify the few species of nectar-feeding bats that feed almost exclusively from the plant’s night-blooming flowers. He has added numerous water pipelines throughout the property, and most recently, he installed 45 additional “tire drinkers” made from retired mining truck tires, 12 feet across, halved, each half weighing 5,000 pounds, laid sideways on poured foundations, with rust-resistant concrete ramps extending down into the water to allow critters a way out of the pool should they accidently fall in. Javelina, birds, even bear and a host of others take advantage of the precious man-made watering holes. Any new fencing installed on the ranch includes a barbless bottom wire raised a full 18 inches above ground to allow easier clearance for animals such as pronghorn to pass under; a top wire no higher than 42 inches allows creatures such as mule deer to more readily leap over the fence. The importance of protecting this expanse of unique habitat and other adjacent “sky islands” in the Southwest cannot be overstated. Private landowners like Josiah Austin are critical to ensuring that the incredibly diverse wildlife found in this arid region of the Southwest endures. #

Over the years, Josiah has successfully reintroduced threatened or endangered species on the ranch including the Chiricahua leopard Pronghorn photo (right) courtesy of Mark Watson. All other photos courtesy of Josiah Austin, Cienega Ranch. 10 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Newsletter

Dog in the drinker.

FACTOID: Despite common reference, the pronghorn is not a species of antelope. It is the only species with its genus (Antilocapra) and is the last surviving vestige of a family of even-toed, hoofed animals dating back to the Pleistocene epoch in North America.

FACTOID: These “tire drinkers” are made from retired mining truck tires – 12 feet across, and halved, each half weighing 5,000 pounds. They are laid sideways on poured foundations; rust-resistant concrete ramps are added for wildlife to successfully get out of the pool should they fall in.

FACTOID: Tequila is made from agave plants, but many commercial distilleries now cut down the plants before they flower, creating a shortage of nectar for bats that depend on this food source. Planting agaves for nectar-feeding bats.

A bird fest at the new desert “bird bath.”

Adding water pipeline on the ranch.

Lesser long-nose bat, drinking nectar from the agave flower.

www.nmlandconservancy.org 11

To Beaver or Not to Beaver

eavers are made for life in the water. Their webbed rear feet act like fins and their flat oval shaped tails work as rudders, allowing them to move through water at astonishing speed. Their nostrils close tightly when diving below the surface, their third eyelids allow them to see their work underwater and their ears lay flat to keep the water out. But it is their fur, their thick oily coats, that have made them a prized catch for centuries in North America. Hunted to near extinction after the arrival of European settlers, an estimated 100-200 million beavers were swimming through the streams and lakes throughout the continent. By the early 1800s, all were nearly gone. It is believed that at present, there are an estimated 10-20 million due to expansive conservation efforts. Their resurgence is a mixed blessing to some. As tenacious builders and aggressive lumberjacks, beavers have an extraor-

12 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine

dinary ability to alter a landscape on a massive scale. Because they are aquatic animals, seeking ponds and lakes and streams as a source of food and refuge from predation, they set about changing a dry forest into moist wetlands to suit their needs. With the slow buildup of sediment from beaver dams comes the buildup of carbon and the decrease of nitrogen. Insects, birds, and amphibians arrive to drink, soak, and propagate. And the beaver’s impact does not just stop with the damming of a stream. When they move on, their sticky mud dams will slowly break down, allowing the once flooded area to become a meadow. The beaver’s ability to change the landscape is second only to humans. By creating rich, watery habitat for a plethora of plants and animals, a single hard-working beaver can alter the flow of entire rivers and can flood hundreds of acres. As they set about gnawing down trees and slapping heavy mud, they are

—The Land Manager's Question not concerned with the toll upstream. Humans who have built homes and towns within the flood zone are suddenly susceptible to the immovable instincts of the beaver. It is estimated that beavers cost Americans $100 million a year in damage. So, while the return of the long-toothed engineer is celebrated by many, others may find issue. But here in the West, where land is dry and wetlands are few, a beaver can become the ultimate hero. In a vast landscape of dusty, sun-beaten soil, beaver dams can be a quenching relief, both in the sequestering of moisture and the cleansing of the water and soil. A recent study found that beaver dams help to remove up to 45% of harmful nitrogen from streams and creeks. Nitrogen-based chemicals are found in fertilizers, washed off during rainstorms and collecting in soils. These chemicals can create toxic conditions, often in the form of algae blooms which in turn become dead zones. Ponds created with

By Milu Velardi

beaver dams help to grow aquatic plants. With their decomposition, these decaying plants in turn allow bacteria to grow and these bacteria help to break down nitrates. The nitrogen released from this process is expelled as gas. From this, we are left with cleaner water and cleaner soils. And cleansing is not the only benefit. In the desert Southwest, seasons of drought are rapidly becoming the new normal. When storms hit the high desert, floods of water can rush through a dry valley, keeping to the narrow path. But beaver dams can cause the waves of water to spread outward, allowing the dispersal of water to parched vegetation and raising the water table. According to a study by researchers in Colorado, the elevated moisture levels found in such surrounding areas after the establishment of beaver habitat can be matched only by the kind of natural flow that comes with a 200-year flood event. More and more landowners are coming around to the notion that the beaver, nature’s most adept engineer, can be beneficial in their own land management strategies. And some landowners are even taking the initiative to introduce beavers into their streams and rivers, by having local biologists deliver beavers to their door. A successful example of this is taking place in northeastern New Mexico, on the Fort Union Ranch, where NMLC has successfully completed six conservation easements on the ranch, protecting more than 17,850 acres of the 100,000-acre property so far. The ranch owners are committed to conservation and restoration management practices. Joshua Miner, Resource Manager for the ranch, has been actively working with New Mexico Department of Game & Fish biologists to introduce beavers onto the upper reaches of Wolf Creek. The intention is to promote willow and cottonwood growth along a historically grazed area of the creek while using the beavers to naturally bring back healthy riparian vegetation. In 2016, Fort Union Ranch released four healthy beavers to their creek. This was historic – it was the first attempt within the state of New Mexico. And while these stealthy rodents can be difficult to track (they are nocturnal and conduct their frenetic work under cover of night), a visit recently by biologists and curious landowners to the reaches of Wolf Creek revealed clear signs of beaver benefit – regrowth and water ponding, dens constructed and sticks collected. Joshua’s excitement at this news is palpable. With any luck, perhaps these introduced engineers will flourish and multiply, creating an even larger lush, green oasis within this large, arid landscape. # Milu Velardi is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, and currently serves as Stewardship Coordinator for NMLC. Thanks to Milu’s efforts, NMLC was recently awarded a ConocoPhillips Capacity Grant through the Playa Lakes Joint Venture (see story on next page). The grant seeks to support organizations in their work with projects that benefit grassland birds on private lands.

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Department of Game & Fish. www.nmlandconservancy.org

PLJV Grant – for the Birds NMLC has been working to conserve private grasslands in northeastern New Mexico since 2011 and has established a foothold in the community of large-scale ranches that characterize this region. With well over 100,000 acres of land protected within this region by conservation easements to date and with the potential for exponential growth, NMLC applied for and was recently awarded a five-year $120,000 Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) ConocoPhillips Capacity Grant, that will result in significant habitat gains for grassland birds. The grant will help strengthen NMLC’s capacity of their northeast New Mexico grasslands program by building technical expertise for biological planning both in-house and through partnerships, improving capacity for landscape-scale planning to prioritize habitats, improving landowner outreach and access to training for staff in the areas of habitat protection and enhancement, and increasing the diversity of funding sources. “What gets me excited is being more on the ground — being out there, talking to landowners, looking at their land and actually identifying the species and the habitat that could benefit from protection,” said Milu Velardi, a certified wildlife biologist and NMLC’s stewardship coordinator who spearheaded the grant application. “It’s a great opportunity to be a bridge between the birds on the ground and seeing how you can actually protect them by conserving the land.” For NMLC, the first part of their grant work will include developing more easements and partnering with other organizations doing complementary work such as restoration. “So much of the grasslands in New Mexico are under private ownership and we can use easements in conjunction with adjacent public lands to conserve large expanses of unfragmented habitat to protect critical corridors and facilitate migration," Velardi said. “Creating larger corridors is really important, instead of limiting things for birds to a patch mosaic habitat. That’s where the power of conservation easements lies.” #

Lark NMLC Sparrow, courtesy of Magazine Mark Watson. 14 — photo Fall/Winter 2020

Restoring Grasslands for —On the Ranney Ranch

he photo evidence is dramatic: looking down a long fence line, one side is lush with tall, thick, green grass, the other has short clumps of grass and a lot of exposed bare ground. Same rainfall, same sunlight on both sides of the fence. What made the difference between the two properties? The R Bar R or Ranney Ranch as it’s commonly called, situated in high mesa country near Corona, is living proof of the power of managed grazing practices to restore drought-weary grasslands in central New Mexico. The ranch, which was passed on to siblings Nancy, George, Ed and David Ranney, their spouses and ten grandchildren in 2002 when their father, George Ranney, died, made a mighty leap in improved soil and grasses when the family shifted to what Nancy Ranney refers to as rotational grazing, also known by more colorful names such as “poop and stomp,” holistic management, regenerative high-density grazing, and adaptive multi-paddock grazing (AMP). “In 2003, we combined our 18 herds into one and began to rotate pastures,” Nancy said. “The results have been stunning. During the drought years – 2010, 2011 and 2012 – we did okay. We came through during those tough years as a result of the improved condition of the land.” Nancy is convinced that managed grazing is also key to healthy habitat for wildlife. “It is increasingly clear that the health of our soil and grasslands, which is fundamental to successful rangeland cattle operations, is also key to sustainable natural communities of mammals, insects and grassland birds. It is under-recog-

‘Bird-friendly’ Beef nized that grazing animals, well-managed, are vital to the health of grassland ecosystems. Their hooves aerate the soil and increase water infiltration, their manure fertilizes the soil, their grazing stimulates the growth of grasses. Methane and soil carbon generated by planned grazing are part of a healthy cycle of bacterial and fungal soil enrichment. “My inspiration has been the stunning improvement in grassland biodiversity over the 18 years we have managed our ranch in this manner. As indicator, our native grassland species (without any reseeding, artificial fertilizer or irrigation) have increased from five in 2003 to over 45 now. We have also observed increased numbers of species of soil microorganisms, insects, butterflies, bats and grassland birds. It has been a joy to bring students, land managers, native plant enthusiasts and birders to the ranch and observe their enthusiasm.” Audubon agrees. A crowning recognition of the family’s grasslands success story was to be selected in 2016 as the New Mexico pilot for the Audubon Conservation Ranch Program – a rigorous certification program designed to promote regenerative grassland management practices that protect critical habitat for grassland birds whose numbers are on a scary trajectory of decline in North America due to rapidly vanishing grassland habitat. The program aims to educate consumers and provide a new market for ranchers to sell what Audubon calls “bird-friendly” grassfed beef, with the goal of revitalizing both grassland ecosystems and the local communities which depend on them. Audubon was also very supportive of the considerable erosion control and brush clearing work done on the ranch, through the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Services’ Environmental Quality Incentives and Conservation Stewardship programs, and with Partners for Fish and Wildlife. Several erosion-control structures were built and more than 2,000 acres of juniper cleared on the ranch with the help of volunteers. The Ranneys were relatively early to recognize the benefits of marketing grass-fed beef back in 2003, and the Audubon Photo left: from left: Nancy Ranney’s son, Joseph Ranney Levi; her brother Ed Ranney; the ranch manager of 36 years, Melvin Johnson; and Nancy.

Photos courtesy of Nancy Ranney and family.

certification was a natural extension of what the family had already been doing for more than a decade. “It was all about educating the consumer,” Nancy said, “and there are a lot of birders in the U.S,” she added. “When I would give them the basic ‘birds and bees’ speech about using grazing as a tool to restore the grasslands, they got it [the idea] in two minutes!” Audubon was particularly impressed with the biodiversity and habitat they found on the ranch. Nancy tells how each spring for three years Audubon sent ornithologists to stake out transects on the ranch and to observe each for 30 minutes at dawn for three weeks. “They were amazed what they found through sight and sound,” Nancy exclaimed. “Montezuma Quail, at the northern extent of their range, which are only seen on very well managed and healthy rangeland, and the scaled quail, struggling to maintain their numbers, but thriving on the ranch . . .” just to name a few. Continued, Next page . . . Photo top: Grasses on left demonstrate the power of rotational grazing. Photo below: A restored arroyo on the Ranney Ranch. www.nmlandconservancy.org

. . . It's not just the birds that benefit Continued . . . It’s not just the birds that benefit. The Corona area is recognized as prime mule deer country. “This past year, twenty elk have come down from Gallinas Mountains, probably the result of increasing drought,” Nancy speculated. Mule deer need healthy grasslands that include a mix of desirable shrubs upon which they browse. Nancy recalled that during the late 1990s/early 2000s, the deer suffered badly from chronic wasting disease. “It took out a lot of animals,” she said. “The population is coming back now, but it is still not back to where it was.”

want to enjoy the property for years to come.

Pay it forward

The 9,948-acre easement on the Ranney’s ranch covers the north half of the property, “the wilder part,” as Nancy describes it, mostly mesa and canyon country – important wildlife habitat in the area. Nancy and her family are thrilled to learn that the new owners plan to run cattle and continue to work with long-time ranch manager, Melvin Johnson, to maintain the health of the land. Melvin and his wife Esther have lived on the ranch for 36 years and raised their children there.

This year, after 18 years of what could easily be called “restoration ranching,” the Ranneys decided it was time to sell. It was a difficult decision, the ranch being a generational family affair and a labor of love watching the land respond so well to their management. When the decision was finally made, the family wanted to first protect a large portion of their rangeland with a conservation easement. Nancy contacted NMLC and then the process began – on an ambitious timetable to coincide with the property’s sale within months, to brothers Heriberto and Jaime Ramos of Houston and Midland, TX, who have hunted on the Ranney Ranch for a number of years and

Keeping these larger legacy ranches intact and not subdivided into parcels too small to be economically viable as agriculturally productive lands is critical not only to the health of our rural communities but also to maintaining connectivity for wildlife throughout the Southwest. Conservation easements are an effective way to prevent this fragmentation because they’re permanent, and once in place, that land can’t be subdivided even if or when the ranch changes hands later on.

Despite the Ranney’s departure, the impact the family’s stewardship has had on the land, on wildlife and on New Mexico’s ranching community will hopefully live on well past their tenure. #

Longhood Milkwood now flourishes on the ranch.

16 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine

16 NMLC — Fall 2018 Newsletter

River Restoration for Wildlife —In and Out of the Water

hen considering connectivity for wildlife, let’s not forget the aquatic species whose water-dependent habitat is perhaps the most sensitive of all here in the Southwest.

Restoring an active, moving river requires a significant commitment of time and financial resources to accomplish, which explains in part why waterways on both public and private property throughout New Mexico have degraded in a myriad ways over the decades and centuries. Drought, floods, the ash and heavy debris from forest fires, and years of silt runoff and build-up from development and certain land management and agricultural practices take their toll on our waterways and associated riparian and wetland areas. When landowners do invest in riparian restoration, they contribute to the resilience of the larger watershed, help improve connectivity and preserve whole ecosystems and the biodiversity of plant, animal and insect life that might otherwise be lost entirely.

July 2007. A 225-yard stretch of the Pecos River. Straight, no meanders, poor sport fish habitat.

Working with the River “The best thing anyone can say to me when they look at the river now, a few years after the restoration work is done is: “It doesn’t look like you did anything,’” says Jack Kelly, with a grin. Jack retired as the Chief of Fisheries for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish after a long career with the agency. He is now a restoration consultant, working with landowners to improve their properties.

September 2007. Measuring stream width.

Jack is passionate about rivers. Generally, there are two different approaches to river restoration, he explains – one approach that needs to be worked on repeatedly every year to maintain, or the longer-lasting approach he prefers which is to work with nature by intervening in ways that enhances the river’s ability to continue the restoration process on its own. One such project Jack consulted on began in 2007 when the current landowner acquired the property along the Pecos River, which is now under conservation easement, held by NMLC. At that time, the river looked nothing like it does today. Continued on next page . . .

July 2007 Steep, cut banks. High turbidity during spring runoff and flood events.

www.nmlandconservancy.org

BEFORE: post-spring runoff, June 2007.

October 2008. Installing "boulder barbs" designed to protect the bank and move the force of the river 8 to 10 feet offshore.

October 2008. Shaving the bank to encourage the establishment of riparian vegetation.

June 2009. The boulder barbs are beginning to "lock in" as organics are filling in. Grasses are starting to establish. Large cobble gravel bars emerge as water level drops.

Riffle drop structures are used to deepen the upstream pool/run habitat, regulate stream velocity and provide habitat for macroinvertebrates. 18 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine

July 2020. The Pecos River as it looks today.

All photos courtesy of Jack Kelly

A River Restoration Plan (cont.) In Jack’s initial onsite assessment of the river’s condition he noted long stretches that exhibited the following characteristics: • Straight (no meanders) • Wide (up to 75 feet across) • Shallow (ankle deep) • Solid ice, surface to bottom, during winter months • Steep, cut banks (high turbidity during spring runoff and monsoon flood events) • Increased water temperatures during late summer/early fall (routinely exceeding New Mexico State Water Quality Standards) • Poor to almost nonexistent sport fish habitat “The river will just keep trying to cut its banks – it just keeps spreading wider,” Jack said. “Width and depth are related,” he added, “and depth affects temperature which in turn affects aquatic habitat.” To address these issues, Jack put together a plan with the following objectives: • Stabilize the banks to withstand normal spring runoff and monsoon flood events. • Reestablish a more historical stream width of 35 feet. “When you turn a river 75 feet wide and ankle deep to 35 feet wide, you increase velocity which cleans out the river like a hose nozzle – like a power wash,” Jack said. • Shave steep-cut banks to encourage vegetative riparian species • Restore the meander pattern in the stream • Established gravel bars to maintain stream width and velocity • Provide aquatic habitat for the sport fish (brown and rainbow trout), native forage fish (long nose dace, Rio Grande chub), and macro-invertebrates (mayflies, caddis flies and stoneflies) by: 1) establishing shallow riffle drop structure (see photo, left page, bottom left) for macro-invertebrates and controlled velocity; 2) interconnecting runs to allow sport fish and forage fish to travel freely; 3) establishing deep pool habitat (refugia for low summer flows and winter ice-over); 4) maintaining instream islands to provide narrow side channels for spawning habitat • Construct all habitat improvement/protection structures for low annual maintenance. The landowner commissioned the work and after much of the “heavy lifting” was completed – mainly moving earth and stones – the natural behavior of the river contributed to its own restoration. For example, “Mother Nature did all the revegetation,” Jack said. “We didn’t have to seed a thing.” “You want to try and make changes that will hold up during the average spring runoff seasons and hopefully, through a major flood event like we had in the fall of 2013,” Jack said. “We were lucky that flood was six years after the restoration had filled

Photo top right: The meandering Pecos River in 2020

in – the work held relatively well and the river recovered pretty quickly,” he reported. Working with NMLC, the landowner later placed a conservation easement over the property to protect the restoration effort from future development, and the proceeds from the sale of the associated New Mexico state tax credits helped cover some of the restoration costs. The river was hit hard by the resulting debris from forest fires upstream the summer of 2013. “The river turned black with ash, huge ponderosas jamming up in places, and dead fish everywhere . . .” Jack recalled, sadly. But the restoration efforts along with the previous flood enabled the river to eventually flush out the debris and damage, and the fish populations are slowly rebuilding. Wildlife, both in and out of the water, benefit from this little stretch of riparian oasis. Jack said, "We had a beautiful bull elk on the property recently. That's the best testimonial you can get!" #

www.nmlandconservancy.org

A Plan in the Works for Wildlife Connectivity

o understand wildlife is to understand movement. At a time when habitat fragmentation is accelerating and ranges are shrinking, we need to understand exactly what is meant by a range and why we need to consider a much grander level of land conservation when we think about wildlife in the West. For decades now, scientists have focused on wildlife behavior – what animals eat, how they interact, where they sleep, how they reproduce. This wealth of knowledge which has taken centuries to obtain represents only a piece of the puzzle, albeit an essential piece. Wildlife biology as a science has begun now to refocus its energy towards the wider landscape – where animals go and how to protect these significant areas. We now understand that movement is vital for wild populations. Birds for instance have been known to migrate thousands of miles. An astounding example of this is the Blackpoll warbler. This tiny songbird has the longest migration of any species of warbler in the new world, flying 1,900 miles over water without stopping. And while the places they return to each spring and fall are essential to protect, this movement is vastly different in its needs than those of big game species and others who depend on the earth under their feet to survive. In 2019, legislation was introduced – the national Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act –aimed at enhancing and protecting habitat connectivity. While some would argue the Act has brought the need to protect large game species to the forefront, the Act would in fact work to protect a multitude of species – everything from cougars to butterflies. Large migrating animals moving through vastly changing landscapes, makes them vulnerable to a plethora of dangers in the form of automobile collisions, food and water shortages, and genetic bottlenecks. In order to maintain thousands of years of migration patterns and territorial expansion, humans need to immediately consider our impact on the disruption of these ingrained and innate patterns of existence for so many species.

20 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine

Corridors vs. Collisions At the state level, despite several pandemic-related challenges, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) and the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) have been working persistently this year to develop the Wildlife Corridors Action Plan, as mandated in New Mexico’s Wildlife Corridors Act, signed by the Governor in 2019. The plan aims to identify the top five “hot spots” where migrating game animals frequently collide with highway traffic, and to use this information to focus funding for infrastructure to help “channel” wildlife safely under/over or around these known intersections to reduce animal casualties as well as minimize accidents/collisions that cause property damage and threaten human safety. To develop the plan, five research firms were vetted to work with NMDGF and NMDOT and the contract went to Daniel B. Stephens & Associates in Albuquerque, along with a few additional specialist subcontractors. Maps were developed of large game animals including mule deer, pronghorn, elk, bighorn sheep, cougar and black bear, cross referenced by highway intersections throughout the state, based on data from collisions reported by state police and sheriffs’ offices over the past 15 years. “The maps were a bit overwhelming to look at because you can find animal collisions on virtually any road anywhere in New Mexico,” said Mark Watson, Terrestrial Habitat Specialist with NMDGF who has been actively involved with the project from the start. Using the collision data, “hot spots” were identified throughout the state and the list finally narrowed down to the top 25. Work was in progress already at two of the identified hot spots: one from Raton down to the Colorado border where the first arched culvert is being built along with fencing on both the north and south sides of I-25; the other is on Hwy 550 south of Cuba. The NMDGF team then set to work gathering extensive “ground

Ferret Follow-up

The endangered Black-footed Ferrets are thriving on Greg Moore's Wagon Mound Ranch!

truthing” data at the 25 sites. A phone/tablet app called Survey 1-2-3 was designed specifically to help “document everything,” said Watson, who has been working in the field now for several months. “These hot spots can be two to five miles long, and everything is measured and recorded,” he explained, including all existing culverts, their size and construction and whether they can be enlarged to accommodate larger animals; existing 8-foot fencing and where the fence-ends are. “If fences don’t end at a bridge or cliff where animals can’t get around, you’re just creating new hotspots further down the road,” he explained. In addition, hundreds of deer, elk and pronghorn have been collared in key parts of the state so their movements can be tracked using GPS radio data to further determine migratory corridors critical to the health and stability of the wildlife populations. Robust computer modeling that can take several days to process all the data points will generate “ecological corridors” to further enhance the plan’s effectiveness on the ground. Watson pointed out that any eventual mitigation work would not generally involve privately owned land because the projects are likely to be along highways on existing DOT easements or right-of-ways. “This was a big contention when the Act was proposed," Watson said. The legislation, however, states specifically that “the provisions of the Act or the action plan do not apply to private property or private property owners, unless private property owners choose to participate voluntarily.” One type of project that might extend onto private land would be a wildlife highway overpass, costing upwards of $10 million, and New Mexico has none planned anytime soon.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) released three additional black-footed ferrets at the prairie dog colony on Greg Moore’s Wagon Mound Ranch in northeastern New Mexico on October 13, 2020. The three ferrets were all juvenile males, to supplement the several females detected during a nighttime survey by NMDGF this past September. This is the third release on Greg’s ranch – the first was in September 2018 of eight ferrets followed by another four animals (two males and two females) released last fall. Jim Stuart, NMDGF biologist, reports that they’ve documented ferret reproduction both summers and, so far, the agency has detected no signs of sylvatic plague in either the ferrets or the prairie dogs, something that has compromised other releases in New Mexico in the past. This is still the only reintroduction site for black-footed ferrets in New Mexico, and thanks to Greg Moore’s land management practices on his 23,000-acre ranch, all permanently protected by conservation easement held by NMLC, the prairie dog colony has expanded to more than 600 acres. Way to go, Greg! For more information, see the NMLC 2018 newsletter cover story, online at www.nmlandconservancy.org.

The optimistic outcome? “We will have a great plan – possibly the best in the country – by the end of next year, but we will need funding,” Watson said, adding that he hopes the agencies will be able to build partnerships and gain support from the conservation community and from private landowners to help leverage NMDOT for federal funds to start implementing the plan on the ground. # Above: one of the three male ferrets from the October 2020 release. Below: Greg Moore, Wagon Mound Ranch, and Tyler Tretten, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, releasing a ferret into a prairie dog burrow. Photos courtesy of Jim Stuart, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish.

Aerial pronghorn photograph by Mark Watson. www.nmlandconservancy.org

Alex Etkind, Northern New Mexico Project Manager is

We Did It!

e're proud to announce that the New Mexico Land Conservancy (NMLC) has been awarded renewed accreditation for the next five years, 2020-2024, from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent panel of professionals who conduct an extensive review of the policies, programs and practices of each land trust applicant. The result of the Commission’s evaluation is a measurable assurance that NMLC continues to conduct itself with ethical and professional excellence and continues to strive for improvement at all levels within the organization. “As the only statewide land trust in New Mexico, the volume of work we’re doing now, compared to the last five years of our first accreditation, makes this renewal even more significant,” said NMLC’s Executive Director, Scott Wilber. “We are a stronger organization than ever for having gone through the rigorous renewal process.” “It is exciting to recognize NMLC’s continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Commission. “Donors and partners can trust that the more than 400 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.” To date, NMLC has completed easements across more than 300,000 acres throughout New Mexico and parts of southeastern Arizona. We are grateful to work with more than 100 landowners and dozens of public and private partners who are committed to conservation and the protection of our land heritage here in the Southwest. Scott Wilber added, “Our strength as an organization means that we are in a better position to fulfill the promise of permanently protecting, conserving and stewarding special places throughout this uniquely diverse and beautiful state forever, making New Mexico an even better place for us and for future generations.” #

22 NMLC — Fall/Winter 2020 Newsletter

excited to be back in New Mexico after a decade of land conservation and stewardship work in the Northeast. Prior to joining NMLC, he worked with land trusts, the National Park Service and a forestry consulting company specializing in prescribed fire. As a wildland firefighter on an interagency hand crew, Alex has been on multiple wildfire assignments in the Rocky Mountains. Alex has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental, Earth, and Ocean Sciences from the University of Massachusetts, where he often explored Boston Harbor in a kayak. He also completed a master’s degree program in Sustainability and Environmental Management at Harvard University. Returning to New Mexico brings Alex closer to one of his preferred foods, green chile.

Meet Our new Team Members Megan Keller joined NMLC in October 2020, bring-

ing her skills and expertise to the Accounting and Office Manager position. Megan has lived in New Mexico for 25 years and has more than 15 years of experience in high-level administrative support, most of which has been in the non-profit realm where she has gained an in-depth knowledge in all aspects of operations. Highly skilled in multi-tasking, Megan strives to bring organization to each aspect of her position creating a harmonious foundation from which the organization can thrive. Megan is a passionate environmentalist, animal lover, mother, wife, artist and athlete, and loves to get out and enjoy the people and landscape of New Mexico. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, is a licensed massage therapist and an established silver jeweler. Megan recently brought a new Golden Retriever puppy into the family and is having fun keeping up with her.

Securing a Family Legacy A Tribute to Wess Wells (April 11, 1949 — July 1, 2020) By Ron Troy, Southern New Mexico Program Manager

ew Mexico lost a good man this year. Sadly, Wess Wells passed away this summer, but not before ensuring that the Wells Ranch would remain in the family with the help of a conservation easement.

I first met Wess Wells over a steak lunch in Socorro, NM. He and his cousin Jeff Wells were dressed meticulously, touting their kerchiefs, boots and hats and could have just as well been headed for their Sunday rituals. Both were lean, weathered and carved by the arid Chihuahuan grasslands that provided their livelihood. Though tough country, their love of land was steadfast – the land, the cattle, and working side by side from a young age is what really made them stand proud. Wess had heard through the grapevine that several area ranchers were placing conservation easements on their ranches in an effort to protect them from future subdivision and development. He went to NMLC’s website that night and scrutinized our webpages like he would a freshly killed calf. I think by the end of that evening, Wess knew as much about our staff, operations and conservation easements as I did myself. Wess recognized immediately the advantages for his family of placing a conservation easement on his ranch, and he wanted it done quick. What I didn’t know at the time is that Wess had been diagnosed with cancer and had been living on borrowed time for a few years. Wess was a visionary, a successful rancher and businessman, and when he decided to get something done, that is exactly what he did. Wess saw how the cash benefits of a conservation easement could help him reduce the price of the ranch enough to sell it to his cousin Jeff Wells at an affordable price. He realized how

the cash benefits a conservation easement could provide, along with the proceeds from the ranch sale to Jeff, would help provide for his other family members upon his death. He also saw that he could reduce the estate tax that his heirs would be burdened with upon his death by placing the ranch under a conservation easement. And, his heirs could further offset the capital gain generated from the sale of the ranch with the federal and state tax benefits associated with his donation of the uncompensated portion of the conservation easement value. Wess granted NMLC a 4,680-acre conservation easement across one of his two family ranches in June 2020. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, Wess passed away, but with his legacy secured. What I will remember most about Wess is how positive and appreciative he always was. Right to the end, Wess would tell you how good life was and how thankful he was for even the small things a person would do for him. When I think of Wess, I think of gratitude and how nice it was to know him, even for a short time. I am thankful for his example, to always see the glass half-full or even that we have a glass at all, and how appreciative we should be of all the people around us and the little, thoughtful things they provide us with. Hopefully Wess is resting a bit more peacefully knowing his family legacy will endure. Thank you Wess! Left: Wess Wells. Below, back row, from left: John & Tami Sue Blaschke (Wess' oldest daughter); T'Layna Mae Wells (Wess' youngest daughter); Dianne Wells (Wess' Wife); Wess Wells. Front center: Braxton Blaschke (Wess' only grandson).

www.nmlandconservancy.org

Looking down the road . . . When you include the New Mexico Land Conservancy (NMLC) in your estate plans, you are making a gift for future generations to enjoy the unique and special places we all cherish. A planned gift, like permanently protected land, is a lasting contribution to ensure that NMLC has the resources to conserve and steward these special places. Making a planned gift to our organization may provide you and your family with valuable tax benefits. Gifts to NMLC are not subject to gift or estate taxes. There are several ways to include NMLC in your estate plans: for example, bequests and gifts of retirement plans, life insurance policies and real estate. Please contact your financial planner to discuss options that meet your financial planning needs and philanthropic vision. We are here for the long run protecting New Mexico's land heritage in perpetuity for you and your family and New Mexico's future.

Visit our website! www.nmlandconservancy.org

PO Box 6759 Santa Fe, NM 87502 505.986.3801 info@nmlandconservancy.org www.nmlandconservancy.org

El Morro National Monument. Photo by Nick Jacobson