Socorro is a large District, spanning the southwest corner of the state. The district includes the seven counties of Catron, Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, and Socorro. District Forester Doug Boykin, before coming to Socorro was Timber Management Officer and Fire Management Officer at the Chama District. Before coming to State Forestry, Doug spent eight seasons with the Gila National Forest as a firefighter, Fire Prevention Patrolman, and other assorted seasonal positions. Doug became District Forester in 1992. Doug's staff consists of Fire Management Forester Jack Dickey, Timber/Stewardship Forester Nick Smokovich, Administrative Officer Dorothy Brannon, The Socorro District maintains a satellite office in Silver City that primarily serves Grant, Luna, and Hidalgo counties.
The Socorro District office is located west of Socorro on Highway 60 toward Magdalena. The Silver City satellite office is located on North Silver Street in Silver City.
Doug's priorities for the District include:
Working with landowners by providing technical assistance in forest management on
private lands. This includes the Stewardship Program as well as the new Forest Lands
Enhancement Program. This is Nick’s major focus area.
Continue to improve the collaborative efforts started in 2000 with the 20 Communities
Initiative (New Mexico Fire Plan) and National Fire Plan. This includes regular county
team meetings in Catron, Grant and Sierra counties and working to flow thru grant
monies to private landowners to complete mitigation projects, as well as assist with fire
department grants and trainings. It also includes periodic meetings with line officers
from all agencies as well as representatives from the counties, SWCD’s, environmental
groups and interest groups. Current projects implementing CWPP's in Catron, Grant,
Sierra, and include re-formatting the old 20 Communities Action Plans to the new
Community Wildfire Protection Plan format to be able to access Healthy Forest funds.
Working with the State Land Office to implement forest management practices on Luera
Mountain, a 27,000 acre block of state trust land in southeastern Catron County.
Continue to work with several large ranches (the Gray Ranch, Ladder Ranch, Armandaris
Ranch, Double H Ranch , etc) to implement aggressive prescribed fire and Fire Use
programs to improve Forest and Watershed Health.
Working with cooperators and fire departments to insure that wildfire suppression and
management is based on safety, cost-effectiveness and appropriate suppression
response criteria.
Working with the Save Our Bosque Task Force to continue projects to use, protect and
enhance the Rio Grande Bosque in Socorro County. This includes the care and up keep
of 17 Rio Grande Riverside parks, the Socorro Nature area, multiple landowner
assistance projects and invasive species control projects.
Working with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts to improve natural resources
and natural resource planning.
Participate in the Jornada and Black Range Resource Conservation and Development
Programs.
Assist with tree planting projects throughout the District, using available grant funding
mechanisms.
Continuing Conservation Days at the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge (21 years) and
Datil Wells Campground (15+ years).
Work to get communities involved in Tree City USA programs.
Championing the use of Wildfire Use, and Prescribed Fire where applicable.
Doug Boykin is also responsible for managing the Tree Farm program for the State. The Tree Farm program is sponsored by the American Forest Foundation to recognize excellent forest practices on non-industrial forest lands throughout the United States. New Mexico has approximately 200 certified or pioneer tree farmers with over 200,000 acres enrolled and certified as either a pioneer or certified tree farm.
For further information on the district Forest Management Programs, contact Nick at nick.smokovich@state.nm.us; Fire Management Program, contact Jack at jack.dickey@state.nm.us; general all around questions, contact Doug at doug.boykin@state.nm.us; administrative issues, contact Dorothy at dorothy.brannon@state.nm.us.
We hope you all have a great day,
Doug,
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