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

Forestry received and processed 29 assessment
applications for the Land Conservation Incentive Act
Tax Credit Program; 24 applications were approved
by the Natural Lands Protection Committee moving
them to the application certification phase, and five were
rejected. Currently, nine applications are with the New
Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue’s Property
Appraisal Review Division awaiting final certification
for a tax credit. To date, ten applications were approved
and certification letters were issued to those applicants
awarding more than $2.12 million in tax credits on
a total appraised land value of over $8.53 million for
6,482 acres. Since the program was created in 2004, 86
landowners have donated 20,825 acres of land and have
received $9,765,127 in tax credits.
In 2005, Forestry entered into a unique partnership with
the City of Santa Rosa, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to
purchase an area of endangered wetlands in Santa Rosa. One of the last true wetlands in New Mexico, the Blue Hole
Cienega purchase also protected three endangered plant species: the Pecos sunflower, the lady tresses orchid and the
Wright’s marsh thistle.
In an effort to promote the planting of trees and native vegetation for large landowners, Forestry oversees the State
Conservation Seedling Program. This program sells and distributes tree and shrub seedlings to landowners to protect
crops and livestock, prevent erosion, create diverse forested acres and repopulate forested land affected by wildfire,
disease or insect infestation. Since 2003, more than one million tree seedlings have been distributed to New Mexico
landowners.
Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program works to address the needs of cities and towns across New
Mexico in recognizing the benefits of developing and maintaining health urban forest programs. Since 2005 this
program has leveraged state and federal funding resources that have increased federal funding allocation 33 percent
above traditional base funding levels.
In 2009, Forestry published a “Plan Smart, Rethinking Green” tool kit to help aid communities in developing urban
forestry programs and maintaining the health of their forested areas such as parks, playgrounds and open space
properties. The tool kit helps elected officials and community leaders maximize the benefits that healthy urban
forests offer.
To further address the needs of creating healthy urban forest settings, Forestry oversees the New Mexico Forest
Re-Leaf Program. The program awards annual grants to government agencies and public school systems to plant
ANNUAL REPORT 2010
Photo by: Dan Ware
Forestry uses tools
like the “Rolling
River” to teach
young and old how
watersheds work
in relation to the
forest and urban
landscapes.
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