Overview
Increasing concerns about the health of New Mexico's forests have been expressed by land managers such as the U.S. Forest Service and others throughout the state. This has motivated the New Mexico Forestry Division to develop a partnership-based program to assist forest-based communities to utilize forest products in ways that help improve forest health. (see the Forest and Wateshed Health Plan.)

PURPOSE

The purpose is to implement a program that matches community interest and needs with forest health projects. To do this, a forest health/rural wealth partnership has been chartered. The partnership will provide guidance to:

• Improve probability of project success.
• Help secure funding.
• Distribute technical information.
• Prioritize allocation of technical resources.
• Avoid duplication of services.
• View communities holistically.

FRAMEWORK

• Community need demonstrated by economic hardship.
• Community support expressed by leadership and perspective.
• Partnership potential shown by existing cooperative efforts.
• Forest health priority.
• Regional linkages.

CRITERIA

Project selection will be guided by:

• Implementing new or innovative technologies.
• Using small diameter trees and forest residues.
• Developing regional linkages to assure supply.
• Building community action teams.

OUTCOMES

The partnership anticipates measuring positive results in the following areas:

• Increased knowledge, skills and abilities of participating communities.
• Improved community initiative and responsibility.
• Strengthened relationships and communication.
• Improvements to the health of forest ecosystems.
• Appropriately diverse and healthy economies.

For more information contact the Santa Fe Office of the Forestry Division at 476-3325 or send an e-mail.