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

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FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS: State Parks strives to improve park infrastructure to offer better
visitor facilities and services, streamline park operations, and save money. Steady efforts are required to upgrade
campgrounds, repair water/wastewater systems, maintain park buildings, repave roads, renovate historic structures,
address safety issues, expand boat and angling access, improve access for disabled visitors, and enhance interpretive
exhibits. State Parks completed numerous projects in 2010.
At Hyde Memorial State Park, New Mexico’s first state park, State Parks installed a new patio at the historic lodge.
The old patio had deteriorated severely from snow and ice and was a serious safety issue for visitors. This project
allows the lodge to continue as one of the more popular locations in Santa Fe County for weddings and other group
events. The new patio also will reduce maintenance requirements for snow and ice removal during the busy winter
sledding season.
At Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, the historic ranch house got a much-needed renovation. The roof was completely
replaced to address a serious concern about the building’s condition. Roofs at the park visitor center and at a comfort
station were also replaced, projects that included new green features for solar hot water and photovoltaic energy
generation. Similar photovoltaic projects went up in several other parks across the state, which will provide clean,
renewable energy for years to come.
Eagle Nest Lake State Park benefitted from a substantial landscaping project as well as park-wide road improvements
that paved the visitor center/north boat ramp parking lot, the main access road and the south parking lot.
Improvements to the Elephant Butte Lake State Park main entrance area include a new office, maintenance facility
and entrance station. The new maintenance facility consolidates park and regional maintenance operations into one
building. The new entrance station has three lanes to handle high traffic volumes. State Parks renovated the historic
Dam Site restaurant, installating of a new foam roof, air conditioning and heating equipment, and new primary
power and electrical panels.
Construction began in September on the long-awaited Rio Grande Nature Center State Park learning center, which
will have classrooms and lecture/presentation space, work areas for volunteer docents and park interpretive staff, and
new restroom facilities. Extensive native landscaping, rainwater harvesting, and a 12-kilowatt grid-tied photovoltaic
system, are green building components. The construction will be completed by spring 2011. State Parks also began
construction on a visitor center/maintenance complex at Cerrillos Hills State Park.
EDUCATION AND RESOURCE PROTECTION: State Parks was busy in 2010 with
programs to protect natural and cultural resources and help connect people to nature. The Outdoor Classroom
Program (OCP), a partnership with the Public Education Department, other state agencies, and numerous nonprofit
organizations entered its third year. The OCP aims to increase outdoor education and connect New Mexico
children with the outdoors and was funded by legislative appropriations, the New Mexico State Park Foundation,
ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT