Annual Report 3 - New Mexico - Energy, Minerals and Natural ...

More New Mexico communities sought the benefits of state parks and partnerships with the State Park Division.
Governor Richardson and the legislature responded and New Mexico made history by opening four new superlative
state parks: Eagle Nest Lake, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Mesilla Valley Bosque, and Cerrillos Hills. These new
parks increased the State Park System from 31 to 35 units. A fifth new state park, Pecos Canyon, was authorized,
but has not yet been formally opened. Responding to other community requests for assistance, State Parks also
completed feasibility studies for several other potential new state parks: Shakespeare Ghost Town, Mimbres Culture
Sites, Shiprock, and Blackwater Draw. Several of these sites are outstanding resources, and should be considered
further for new state parks.
State Parks also made land acquisitions at six existing parks, protecting important resources and adding over 9,600
new acres into the state park system. In a historic step, the legislature changed state law to give State Parks more
flexibility to proactively acquire important lands.
State Parks invested $40 million to enhance visitor facilities and improve park operations. Improvements included
campground upgrades, new visitor centers, boat ramp extensions and boat access improvements, interpretive exhibits,
water/waste water system improvements, and the first-in-the-nation state park astronomy observatories. Some of
the most significant investment projects included: a major new museum/visitor center at Pancho Villa, a host of
improvements at Elephant Butte Lake (new South Monticello campground/boat ramp, renovation of the Dam
Site historic area, new main entrance facilities, and main boat ramp extensions), development of Eagle Nest Lake
facilities, major water/wastewater infrastructure upgrades at Navajo Lake, a two-phase renovation of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial, construction of a new learning center at Rio Grande Nature Center, and numerous other large
and small maintenance projects at parks across the state. State Parks secured new funding from diverse sources,
including $1 million from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the first major federal funding for New Mexico State
Parks in years.
State Parks continued to be a leader in sustainability efforts within state government. State Parks opened green park
visitor centers at Mesilla Valley Bosque and Eagle Nest Lake, installed over 150kW of photovoltaic (solar) energy
projects, contracted for wind power purchases, invested in energy conservation throughout its facilities, increased
fleet fuel efficiency with hybrids, flex-fuels and other vehicles, and launched new recycling pilot projects.
State Parks put new emphasis into natural and cultural resource conservation efforts, completing five major projects
to restore wetlands and native habitat, including a $1.5 million project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
along the Pecos River at Bottomless Lakes, restoring historic structures in several parks, and stabilizing nationally
significant archeological sites in Manuelito Canyon. State Parks took historic steps to protect endangered species,
establishing a captive breeding program at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park for the endangered Bolson’s
Tortoise (only the second place in the U.S. with a captive breeding program) and upgrading facilities at Living Desert
so that the zoo is now eligible to host breeding pairs of endangered Mexican Wolves. Living Desert maintained its
national accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, making it one of only two facilities in New
Mexico to achieve that distinction.
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