Do you know your lemmas from your glumes? NMFWRI and NMDGF staff and student interns spent three days in a botany and grass workshop hosted in Las Vegas, NM this August as part of our FIRENM initiative. Under guidance of instructor Lauren Bansbach, the team got a refresher on botanical principles and terminology, then dove deep […] The post FIRENM Hosts Botany, Grasses Workshop appeared first on New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
NMFWRI staff and director Dr. Alan Barton joined more than a dozen other organizations to provide interactive learning about forest health, land restoration techniques, and more at booths during Forestry Day, hosted by the John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center in Mora. The event was well attended by people of all ages. The event was […] The post NMFWRI participates in Forestry Day appeared first on New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
The data descriptor paper for the Treatment and Wildfire Interagency Geodatabase (TWIG) is now published in Scientific Data, a journal of Nature, and an “open-access, online-only journal for descriptions of scientifically valuable datasets.” Data Descriptor Paper: TWIG is a new database that combines fuel treatment data from multiple systems of record, making them easily accessible […]| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
What research would help inform and move forward the ability of communities and land managers to recover from wildfires and restore landscapes? A multi-disciplinary team of scientists took a horizon scan and selected 12 research topics based on potential impact and time-sensitivity to advance post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery. The post Report: Research Priorities on Post-Wildfire Forest Restoration and Recovery appeared first on New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration In...| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
By Dr. Alan BartonNMFWRI Director The work of NMFWRI naturally involves partnering with many different landowners, those who make decisions about how the forests in the state are managed. And New Mexico is quite possibly the most interesting place in the U.S. to carry out this work, due to the different types of landownerships seen […] The post New Mexico’s Mosaic of Forest Owners appeared first on New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
In July, the Collaboration Program completed a two-year project with theClaunch-Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District (CPSWCD), working alongside SWCA Environmental Consultants, SAKAK Natural Resource Consulting, and the Geospatial Applications in Natural Sciences (GAINS) Lab at New Mexico Highlands University. Funded by the Soil and Water Conservation Commission, the project focused on building long-term capacity […] The post Building Resilience Through Collaboration: NMFWRI completes...| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
Dr. Alan BartonNMFWRI Director The NMFWRI has compiled its annual Work Plan, and submitted it to the Forest Service. This is required in the federal legislation that created the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes, and details how we will spend our annual appropriation. Our new Work Plan will guide our activities from July 1, 2025 to […] The post NMFWRI Plan for the Coming Year appeared first on New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
In June, Collaboration Specialist Alejandro Collins represented the NMFWRI’s Collaboration Program at the International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) Conference. He served as moderator for the Advanced Technology session and also delivered a presentation on the New Mexico Collaboration Hub, an online tool created to support collaborative conservation efforts across the state by […] The post NMFWRI Collaboration Specialist moderates Advanced Tech session appeared fi...| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
NMFWRI’s Ecological Monitoring crew took time at the beginning of their busy field season to teach their colleagues some of the techniques they use to gather detailed data on forest health. Staff and administrators learned how to use observation, tools, and extensive data sheets to tally the vegetation and more on a plot. The field crew […] The post NMFWRI Staff Learn Monitoring Techniques appeared first on New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
In June, the NMFWRI Ecological Monitoring crew counted aspen – over 600 stems. This dedicated aspen-counting was part of our monitoring effort at the 22.07 Johnson Mesa re-measure. This project is one of our long-term monitoring sites on the Santa Fe National Forest. It has been monitored pre- and post-treatment, post-prescribed fire, and now twice […] The post So. Many. Aspen! appeared first on New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
By Alan BartonNMFWRI Director Twenty years ago, when Congress created the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute (NMFWRI), collaboration was still a relatively new practice in the management of the nation’s forests. One of the goals of the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act, the organic legislation for the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes, […]| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration InstituteWe engage government agencies, academic research institutions, land managers, and the public in the areas of forest and watershed management.Learn more about NMFWRI News NMFWRI Plan for the Coming Year Dr. Alan BartonNMFWRI Director The NMFWRI has compiled its annual Work Plan, and submitted it to the Forest Service. […]| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
NMFWRI’s GIS Team has developed the New Mexico Fire Viewer, an interactive web map that provides access to real-time and historical wildfire data. The web map integrates satellite imagery and GIS layers, allowing users to search for active wildfires by name and view perimeter boundaries and hot spots. These updates, sourced from satellite infrared images, […]| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
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The New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute at New Mexico Highlands University receives financial support through the Cooperative and International Programs of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, under the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all pro...| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
The Upland Field manual below focuses on monitoring methods and protocols used primarily in upland forests. The Upland Field manual listed below is meant as an introduction to monitoring in upland forests and includes information on how to think about monitoring, how to use various tools, collect measurements, and conduct basic analyses. If your program […]| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
For the past three years, the month of April has distinct meaning to the staff at the NM Forest & Watershed Restoration Institute and to the communities in northeastern New Mexico.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
As part of Earth Week at New Mexico Highlands University, the NMHU Forestry Students and families enjoyed a hands-on Earth Day event celebrating Seed to Tree, Mountain to River at New Mexico Highlands University on April 25, 2025.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
NMFWRI's civic and community action research associate Michael Roberts and the NMFWRI GIS program partnered with Martha Graham of the New Mexico Rural Water Association to organize a series of peer-learning sessions and workshop for the 47th annual New Mexico Rural Water Association Conference in mid-April.| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
The Moon Mountain fire began one mile east of the Village of Ruidoso, NM on March 28, 2016. The fire was contained April 1, 2016 and burned about 125 acres, primarily on state and private land in timber, tall grass, and understory. Post-fire flooding risks threatened Ruidoso High School and other areas in the village. […]| New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute