Chama Peak Land Alliance

TO CREATE AN ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION-MINDED LANDOWNERS WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO PRACTICE AND PROMOTE ECOLOGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY SOUND LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE SOUTHERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO.

FOREST AND WATERSHED HEALTH WATERSHED-BASED PARTNERSHIPS WATER IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE SOUTHWEST, BUT WATERSHEDS IN THIS REGION ARE AT RISK OF CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE. WATERSHEDS IN THE CPLA REGION SUPPLY APPROXIMATELY 75% OF ALBUQUERQUE'S DRINKING WATER AND 50% OF SANTA FE'S DRINKING WATER. THESE WATERSHEDS ALSO DELIVER PRICELESS WATER TO 10 TRIBES AND PUEBLOS, RURAL COMMUNITIES, AND MANY ACEQUIA SYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS. A HUGE PRIORITY OF CPLA IS TO PROTECT THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF WATER FLOWING FROM THESE WATERSHEDS, AND WE SERVE AS THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE SAN JUAN CHAMA WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE SAN JUAN HEADWATERS PARTNERSHIP AND THE 2-3-2 COHESIVE STRATEGY PARTNERSHIP. THESE PARTNERSHIPS ALL ATTRACT A DIVERSE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS AND LAND MANAGERS, AND ARE VALUABLE FOR GETTING FOLKS TOGETHER TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES TOWARDS COMMON GOALS OF WATERSHED PROTECTION, HABITAT CONSERVATION, RURAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND RESTORING FOREST HEALTH IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE. A US FOREST SERVICE INITIATIVE KNOWN AS THE COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROGRAM, RECENTLY RANKED THE RIO CHAMA PROJECT AREA SECOND HIGHEST IN THE NATION DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE WATERSHEDS, RISK OF SEVERE WILDFIRE, AND DIVERSITY OF STAKEHOLDERS STRIVING FOR THE SAME GOALS. RIO GRANDE WATER FUND (WITH SUPPORT FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY) RIO GRANDE WATER FUND WE ARE CONTINUING A 1 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM DOWNSTREAM WATER USERS TO PROTECT WATERSHEDS FROM CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE. IN 2023 THE RIO GRANDE WATER FUND AND PRIVATE LANDOWNER COST-SHARE FUNDED TREATMENTS IN THE SAN JUAN- CHAMA PROJECT SOURCE WATERSHEDS IN COLLABORATION WITH TNC AND THE RIO GRANDE WATER FUND. SJCWP FOCAL AREA ATLAS WORKING WITH THE SAN JUAN CHAMA WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A FOCAL AREA ATLAS THAT HELPS LAND MANAGERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND VALUES AT RISK AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ALLEVIATE THREATS IN OUR INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WATERSHEDS AND COMMUNITIES.

PUBLIC POLICY FOR CONSERVATION ENSURING A VOICE FOR PRIVATE LANDS CONSERVATION AS WE FACE A GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY CRISIS, LOCAL LANDOWNERS ARE WORKING TO SAFEGUARD BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE HABITAT IN THE SAN JUAN-CHAMA REGION. CPLA WAS FOUNDED, IN LARGE PART, TO ENSURE THAT LANDOWNERS ARE INFORMED ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND HAVE A STRONG VOICE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC POLICY ON CONSERVATION. WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES RIO GRANDE CUTTHROAT TROUT PHASE 2: PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ON PRIVATE LANDS (WITH SUPPORT FROM NEW MEXICO HABITAT CONSERVATION INITIATIVE) BUILDING OFF OF THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE: RIO GRANDE CUTTHROAT AND PRIVATE LANDS STEWARDSHIP REPORT, THIS EFFORT WILL FOCUS ON CREATING 'SHOVEL-READY' PROJECTS IN SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE RGCT CONSERVATION STRATEGIES MAY BE MOST IMPACTFUL. WE WORKED WITH LANDOWNERS, AGENCY, AND NGO PARTNERS TO DEVELOP PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES DESIGNED TO SET THE STAGE TO APPLY FOR IMPLEMENTATION FUNDING TO BETTER PROTECT HIGH QUALITY EXISTING POPULATIONS OF RIO GRANDE CUTTHROAT.

CLIMATE AND WATER RIPARIAN RESTORATION THE CPLA REGION IS HOME TO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE CRUCIAL HABITAT FOR DIVERSE SPECIES AND SUPPLY WATER FOR DOWNSTREAM USERS. WE ARE WORKING WITH NUMEROUS PARTNERS TO PROMOTE RIPARIAN RESTORATION IN THE REGION, WITH OUR PRIMARY GOALS BEING: PROTECT QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF WATER, SLOW DOWN THE MOVEMENT OF WATER WHERE APPROPRIATE, RAISE THE WATER TABLE OF RIPARIAN AND WETLAND SYSTEMS, AND CREATE STREAM HABITAT COMPLEXITY. WE ARE WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO PROMOTE THE USE OF LOW-TECH, PROCESS-BASED RESTORATION TECHNIQUES.

EDUCATION AND ECONOMY CPLA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THE ALLIANCE OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AT ESCALANTE AND PAGOSA SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT ADVANCED STUDIES AT ANY UNIVERSITY OR TECHNICAL COLLEGE. READ ABOUT THE 2022 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ON OUR WEBSITE AT HTTPS://CHAMAPEAK.ORG/EDUCATION-AND-ECONOMY RADIO SHOW CPLA BEGAN HOSTING A LOCAL RADIO SHOW WITH KXJR 96.1 FM RADIO IN CHAMA, NM ON WEDNESDAYS AT 11AM. THE SHOW CONSISTS OF A MARKET REPORT AND EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS ALONG WITH GUESTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE AREA ON AGRICULTURAL AND LANDOWNER TOPICS. THIRTY-FOUR RADIO SHOWS WERE OFFERED IN 2022, WITH SOME RECORDED AND AVAILABLE TO LISTEN AT ANY TIME THROUGH THE RADIO STATION ICLOUD HOSTING SITE. ONLY SHOWS WITH GUESTS ARE RECORDED AND STORED. FIREWOOD FOR SENIORS MANY FOLKS PARTNERED WITH US IN 2023 TO HELP PROVIDE BYPRODUCTS OF WATERSHED RESTORATION TO FOLKS IN NEED OF FIREWOOD.