Consertvation & Land Management
The Malpai Borderlands Group has been involved in a number of efforts aimed at improving the quality of our lands over the last 20 years. We have worked hard to develop partnerships with government agencies and scientists and experts who lead their respective fields in the research of ecosystem and land management.
We have established a technical and cost-share assistance program to help landowners put in place needed conservation projects and implement sound management practices. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Forest Service continue to support positions within their agencies dedicated to assisting us in these endeavors.
Our watershed restoration program that has been responsible for the construction of over 5,000 hand built water harvesting structures within gullies and draws to slow down runoff, capturing sediment, establishing vegetation, and thus controlling erosion. So far, nearly 33 miles of watercourses have been treated using native materials, and we've only just begun!
To read more about other projects we are implementing, please explore the information provided below.
Malpai Borderlands Conservation Cost Share Projects
The Malpai Borderlands Group has entered into grant agreements with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service-New Mexico and Arizona. These grants help to fund cost share projects for certain conservation practices in the MBG area….
Winkler/Roos Fence Project
The Winkler Ranch and Roos Ranch replaced a portion of their existing boundary fence which was mostly made up of falling down wood posts with an excessive amount of barbed wire. The fence was dangerous to large wildlife….
Krentz Pipeline and Trough Project
Well-spaced, reliable water helps to create more flexible options for the rancher to rotate cattle over the ranch. Good water distribution allows for more even use of the grasses when the cattle are in the pasture….
Conservation on the Cloudt Ranch
The Malpai Borderlands Group has worked with the Cloudt family to complete two important conservation projects on their ranch: 1) permanently protecting the ranch from subdivision with a conservation easement and 2) replacing over 8 miles of old hazardous livestock boundary fence…
Watershed Improvement Project
Through grant monies, the MBG has been able to install thousands of loose rock structures in order to redirect erosional processes and improve water infiltration. This work is still being carried out, primarily by the Douglas Wildland Fire Crew during the wildfire off season (winter).
Land Protection
protecting Our Resources
Additionally, the Malpai Borderlands Group has protected 78,000 acres of private land through conservation easements. This protects natural wildlife habitat and productive ranch land by preventing subdivision and development. We work actively with ranchers and landowners to develop these conservation easements.
Read more below!
Protecting the working wilderness –
another step toward a sustainable future
In 2013 we took another step toward our goal to protect the Borderlands from subdivision and development. Long-term success of our work requires that land protection goes hand-in-hand with habitat restoration and management to reduce grassland deterioration….