Project Description
Chama Peak Land Alliance
Project Update:
Future West partnered with the Chama Peak Land Alliance to provide staff capacity to this innovative private landowner conservation group.
Goal:
The Alliance is an association of conservation-minded landowners working collaboratively to practice and promote ecologically and economically sound land management in the southern San Juan Mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico.
2011-2013 Successes:
Development of a vibrant and productive network of conservation minded landowners learning from one another and providing a unified voice for private land conservation and sustainable management that benefits the ecosystems and wildlife of the region;
Protecting water resources and community values of greatest concern by planning for oil and gas development;
Advancing private land stewardship projects and conservation at the landscape scale;
Completion of a forest restoration and wood biomass utilization study in the region
The Alliance is an effective catalyst in the region to advance and strengthen a sustainable, land-based economy, revitalize community connections to the land, and provide opportunities for the community to grow, learn and thrive.
2013-2014 Work:
- Promote cultural awareness, build friendships, and increase collaboration through active engagement on conservation and land-related issues of common interest
- Develop educational and economic development opportunities to strengthen a sustainable land-based economy and revitalize community connections to the land
- Protection and conservation of vital water resources
- Study of wildlife migration corridors along the NM and CO border
- Forest health restoration at the landscape scale
- Increase capacity in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado to promote private land conservation management
- Serve as a voice on policy matters impacting private lands conservation management
Partners:
Western Landowners Alliance, Groundtruth Geographics, Rio Arriba County, NM, Archuleta County, CO, Trout Unlimited, NM State Forestry Department, and many more.