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

esource partnerships resulted in $267,000 in grants for restoration along the lower Rio Grande and at Eagle Nest
Lake State Park.
RECREATIONAL TRAILS: Trails remain a top priority for New Mexicans—both in parks and
throughout the state’s communities. The Recreational Trails Program awarded seven trail project grants in 2010
to various organizations, totaling $870,000. The funding supports development of 19.5 miles of new trail and
maintenance or restoration of four miles of existing trails. Projects include creation of 10 miles of trail near Gallup
for use by motorized vehicle enthusiasts and 1.7 miles of pedestrian trail and a performance pavilion in Bloomfield
along the San Juan River.
Another visionary trail project is the Rio Grande Trail. Parks completed a two-mile section of the trail at Leasburg
Dam State Park and intends to complete another four-mile section of the trail in Elephant Butte Lake State Park in
2011.
DEDICATED STAFF, INCREDIBLE FRIENDS: State Parks built a partnership between
the National AmeriCorps Corporation and the State Parks Volunteer Program to expand outdoor education efforts.
This will fulfill some of the unmet educational needs in park communities and augment park staffing by helping them
grow their volunteer programs. State Parks worked to establish additional volunteer camp host sites to accommodate
the increasing number of volunteer applications, which average about 250 annually, and provide more volunteer
assistance in parks at a time of growing staff vacancies. State Parks continue to nurture and grow relationships with
citizen “friends groups” and will soon have twenty-one separate park support groups.
Staff development remains an essential function, both to ensure staff retains professional certifications and to
increase skills so that State Parks can work smarter during times of limited resources. During the year, 256 employees
received training benefits. State Parks also held the first-ever Leadership Academy, which gave 26 key managers an
intensive, 40-hour training focused on improving human capital management.
The dedicated efforts of state park staff were recognized year-round by sky-high visitor satisfaction rates, and other
indicators of service excellence. At the State Parks annual awards ceremony, Heron Lake State Park was recognized
as the “Exemplary Park of the Year.”
ANNUAL REPORT 2010
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