Chama Peak Land Alliance

THE SAN JUAN CHAMA WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP, AND THEIR FISCAL SPONSOR THE CHAMA PEAK LAND ALLIANCE, WILL PARTNER WITH LANDOWNERS TO CONDUCT FOREST THINNING PROJECTS ON APPROXIMATELY 3,500 ACRES IN THE SAN JUAN-CHAMA REGION OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. FORESTS IN THESE WATERSHEDS ARE UNNATURALLY DENSE AND HOMOGENOUS AFTER MORE THAN A CENTURY OF FIRE SUPPRESSION. THESE CONDITIONS, COMBINED WITH WARMING CLIMATIC TRENDS, PUT THESE WATERSHEDS AT RISK OF SEVERE WILDFIRE AND ASSOCIATED DETERIORATION OF WATERSHED FUNCTION. THE PARTNERS WILL IMPLEMENT A VARIETY OF FUELS REDUCTION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE FIRE RISK IN WATERSHEDS THAT SUPPLY DRINKING WATER TO ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE, NUMEROUS TRIBES AND PUEBLOS, AND MANY RURAL AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. PROTECTING THIS AREA FROM SEVERE WILDFIRE WILL NOT ONLY IMPROVE FOREST HEALTH BUT ALSO CREATE GREATER RESILIENCE IN THE REGIONS WATER SUPPLY. THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALBUQUERQUE BERNALILLO COUNTY WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY AND NUMEROUS DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

CHAMA PEAK LAND ALLIANCE, INCREASING RESILIENCY IN THE SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT HEADWATERSRECLAMATION FUNDING: 3,000,000 TOTAL PROJECT COST: 4,000,000THE CHAMA PEAK LAND ALLIANCE WILL CONDUCT ECOLOGICAL FOREST THINNING ON APPROXIMATELY 2,150 ACRES TO PROTECT SOURCE WATERSHEDS FOR RECLAMATIONS SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT, THE RIO CHAMA HEADWATERS, AND THE RIO BRAZOS HEADWATERS FROM THE IMPACTS OF FUTURE WILDFIRES. FORESTS IN THESE HEADWATERS ARE UNNATURALLY DENSE AND HOMOGENOUS, PUTTING THEM AT RISK OF SEVERE WILDFIRES AND DETERIORATION OF WATERSHED FUNCTION. THESE WATERSHEDS SUPPLY CRUCIAL DRINKING WATER TO THE CITIES OF ALBUQUERQUE AND SANTA FE, AND NUMEROUS TRIBES, PUEBLOS, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT NEW MEXICO. IN ADDITION TO THREATENING WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE, A SEVERE WILDFIRE COULD CAUSE WATER QUALITY IMPAIRMENTS, FLOODING EROSION, AND SIGNIFICANT DEGRADATION OF HABITAT FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE, INCLUDING HABITAT FOR THE NATIVE RIO GRANDE CUTTHROAT TROUT AND RARE SAN JUAN STRAIN OF COLORADO CUTTHROAT TROUT POPULATIONS. THE PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE RIO CHAMA COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROJECT, THE RIO GRANDE WATER FUND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND THE RESILIENCY STRATEGY FOR THE NAVAJO-BLANCO WATERSHEDS. THIS PROJECT HAS SUPPORT FROM CONSERVATION GROUPS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND WATER USERS, HIGHLIGHTING ITS IMPORTANCE IN PRESERVING THESE VITAL WATERSHEDS AND MITIGATING THE THREAT OF SEVERE WILDFIRES.

PROJECT ABSTRACT: THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WILL PROVIDE FUNDING TO CHAMA PEAK LAND ALLIANCE (CPLA) A 501C3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION FUNDS TO REDUCE HAZARDOUS FUELS ON 550 PRIVATE AND TRIBAL ACRES ADJACENT TO FEDERAL LANDS IN SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT WATERSHEDS USING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, THEREBY PROMOTING HEALTHY LANDSCAPES ON PRIVATE LAND. UNDER THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, CPLA MAY USE SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENTS OR MAY HIRE CONTRACTORS DIRECTLY TO CONDUCT THESE PROJECTS. THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WILL COLLABORATE WITH 10-15 PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, CPLA AND PFW. PRACTICES TO REDUCE HAZARDOUS FUELS MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MASTICATION, GRUBBING, AND OR HAND TREATMENTS.

WORK TO FURTHER DEVELOP AN EXISTING, SELF-SUSTAINING WATERSHED GROUP THAT WILL WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO IDENTIFY, EVALUATE AND RESOLVE WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY ISSUES WITHIN THE RIO CHAMA WATERSHED IN SOUTHERN COLORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO, AND THREE SMALLER BASINS IN THE SAN JUAN RIVER WATERSHED IN SOUTHERN COLORADO

CHAMA PEAK LAND ALLIANCE

RIO CHAMITA HABITAT RESILIENCY (6296)