2020 New Mexico Forest Action Plan A Collaborative Approach to Landscape Resilience September 2020 Version 1.0 Published online September 28, 2020. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SFD/ and https://nmfap.org New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Forestry Division 1220 S. St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505 ©2020 by the State of New Mexico Suggested Citation: New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Forestry Division. 2020. 2020 New Mexico Forest Action Plan: A Collaborative Approach to Landscape Resilience. New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Forestry Division. Santa Fe, NM. Cover photo: Looking into the aspens. © Laura McCarthy/NMFD ii 2020 New Mexico Forest Action Plan Contents List of Maps .................................................................................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................................................. iv List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................................................... v Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................................................................... vi Plant and Animal Names ............................................................................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ................................................................ 1 III. Strategies ........................................................................ 50 I. Introduction ........................................................................ 4 Strategy #1 — Restore Forests and Watersheds ............. 54 II. Natural Resources Assessment ........................................ 10 Strategy #2 — Fire Management ..................................... 61 Resource Assessment Framework ................................... 10 Strategy #3 — Private Land Stewardship: ....................... 68 Collaborative Approach and Stakeholder Engagement ... 12 Strategy #4 — Utility Rights of Way ................................ 71 Threats to Resources ....................................................... 13 Strategy #5 — Rare Plant Conservation .......................... 75 Wildfire ........................................................................ 13 Strategy #6 — Reforestation ........................................... 81 Post-wildfire Hazards .................................................. 16 Strategy #7 — Urban and Community Forestry .............. 87 Disease and Insects ..................................................... 18 Strategy #8 — Restoration Economy ............................... 94 Climate Change ........................................................... 19 Strategy #9 — Land Conservation ................................... 98 Development and Fragmentation ............................... 20 Strategy #10 — Outdoor Recreation ............................. 101 Use and Forest Management Activities ...................... 21 IV. Priority Landscapes ....................................................... 105 Resources and Assets ....................................................... 21 Priority Setting Concepts ............................................... 105 Theme: Water Quality and Supply .............................. 22 Tracking and Reporting .................................................. 106 Theme: Wildland Communities ................................... 29 V. Forest Legacy ................................................................. 116 Theme: Recreation and Cultural Use........................... 31 Goals and Objectives ..................................................... 116 Theme: Timber and Grazing ........................................ 32 Eligibility Criteria ............................................................ 117 Theme: Carbon and Soils ............................................. 33 Project Evaluation Criteria ............................................. 118 Theme: Biodiversity ..................................................... 35 Project Development Process ........................................ 121 Theme: Indigenous and Traditional Communities ...... 38 VI. Background ................................................................... 124 Theme: Urban Forests and Communities .................... 39 New Mexico’s Natural Resources .................................. 124 Relative Importance of Resources and Assets ................. 42 Ecosystem Classifications .............................................. 125 Risk Assessment ............................................................... 44 Natural Resource Management .................................... 130 Data Gaps ......................................................................... 45 Rare Plant Conservation Strategy .................................. 132 References ....................................................................... 47 Forests of New Mexico .................................................. 135 Fire’s Role on the Landscape..................................... 139 Economic Role of Forest and Woodlands ................. 141 Estimating Restoration Needs ....................................... 145 NM Forestry Division ..................................................... 152 Semi-Annotated References List ................................... 153 Appendix A. Guidance for State Forest Action Plans ................................................................................................................. 154 Appendix B. Crosswalk between Forest Action Plan Strategies and National Priorities for State and Private Forestry ............ 155 Appendix C. Shared Stewardship Agreement ............................................................................................................................ 161 Appendix D. Scenario Investment Planning Report ................................................................................................................... 165 iii List of Maps Map 1. Areas burned by wildfire 2000–2019 ....................... 14 Map 29. Important bird area ............................................... 36 Map 2. Wildfire hazard ......................................................... 15 Map 30. Important plant areas ............................................ 37 Map 3. Conditional burn severity ......................................... 15 Map 31. Naturalnes ............................................................. 37 Map 4. Debris flow hazard ................................................... 16 Map 32. Source watersheds for tribal nations ..................... 38 Map 5. Post-fire flash flood production hazard ................... 17 Map 33. Traditional use areas for active land grants........... 39 Map 6. Flood inundation hazard zones ................................ 17 Map 34. Urban forest value. ................................................ 40 Map 7. Erosion susceptibility and post-fire hazard. ............. 18 Map 35. Urban forest beneficiary density. .......................... 40 Map 8. Disease and insect risk to forests. ............................ 19 Map 36. Current canopy value ............................................. 41 Map 9. Expected climate dissimilarity.................................. 20 Map 37. Tree planting need ................................................. 42 Map 10. Ecosystem vulnerability to climate change ............ 20 Map 38. Post-fire flood risk to buildings .............................. 44 Map 11. Development and fragmentation hazard ............... 21 Map 39. Wildfire risk to water supplies and systems. ......... 45 Map 12. Average annual precipitation ................................. 23 Map 40. Initial attack zones ................................................. 63 Map 13. Average annual runoff ........................................... 24 Map 41. Electric Cooperatives working with NMFD ............ 73 Map 14. Runoff weighted by downstream irrigators. .......... 25 Map 42. Important Plant Areas of New Mexico .................. 77 Map 15. Runoff weighted by public water system users. .... 26 Map 43. Wildfire risk to biodiversity.................................. 108 Map 16. Watersheds that contribute risk to diversions ...... 27 Map 44. Wildfire risk to communities ............................... 109 Map 17. Streams designated for coldwater aquatic life ...... 28 Map 45. Wildfire risk to water supplies ............................. 110 Map 18. Water transmission streams .................................. 29 Map 46. All lands Shared Stewardship priority .................. 111 Map 19. Wildland community resource and assets ............. 30 Map 47. USFS Shared Stewardship priority ....................... 112 Map 20. Recreation and cultural use resources and assets . 31 Map 48. Private and Tribal forest stewardship potential .. 113 Map 21. Forage production index ........................................ 32 Map 49. Private and Tribal forest stewardship priority ..... 114 Map 22. Standing inventory of sawlogs ............................... 33 Map 50. Forest stewardship priority with wildfire risk. ....