About

The staff at New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute:

• • Provides state-of-the-art information about forest and watershed restoration to the public, federal and state agencies, tribes, and private landowners in New Mexico.

• • Collaborates with citizen stakeholders, academic institutions, NGOs, and professional natural resources managers to establish a consensus concerning prescriptions and monitoring protocols for use in the restoration of forests and watersheds in an ecologically, socially, and economically sound manner.

• • Promotes ecological restoration and forest management efforts in ways that:

     

    • • Keep New Mexican homes and property safe from wildfire.
    • • Lead to a more efficient recharge of New Mexican watersheds.
    • • Provide local communities with employment and educational opportunities.

For more information contact:
Dr. Alan Barton
Director
(505) 426-2081
awbarton@nmhu.edu

Mission

We work to reduce catastrophic wildfires and restore resilient, fire- and climate-adapted ecosystems. We collaborate with partners and engage communities to bridge scientific and local knowledge and build capacity in landscape-scale adaptive management.

Vision

The New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute envisions a fire- and climate-adapted New Mexico that prioritizes cross-boundary collaboration for healthier human and ecological communities, sustainable economies, and environmental justice. 

The New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute will be widely recognized as a vital source of technical assistance and a key region-wide innovator and collaborator on the biophysical, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions of forest and watershed restoration. 

Vision Statement Definitions: 

Fire-Adapted: In a fire-adapted state, people understand that fire plays a functional role in natural ecosystems and accept and co-exist safely with fires on the landscape. 

Healthy Human Communities: Healthy human communities are rooted in mutual well-being, connection with neighbors, engagement in relevant issues, thriving local economies, and appreciation for well-informed choices. In healthy communities, everyone has access to outdoor spaces, clean air and water; understands their connections to their local ecosystems and watersheds; and shares responsibility for maintaining sustainable ecological systems. 

Healthy Ecological Communities: Healthy ecological communities are climate-adapted, resilient and regenerative with a diversity of flora and fauna, and complex interconnections among all living and non-living components, such as animals, landforms, soil, vegetation, and people. 

Cross-boundary Collaboration: Cross-boundary collaboration strives for inclusive participation of stakeholders, representing diverse interests across large landscapes and multiple jurisdictions, to resolve conflict and coordinate restoration strategies, goals, and actions. 

Sustainable Economy:  A sustainable economy is resilient, connected to place, honors traditional knowledge and creates diverse living wage jobs that reduce waste while recognizing the vital importance of ecosystem services. 

Environmental Justice: In a just society, transparency, compassion, nondiscrimination, opportunity, and fairness are prioritized. In a land management context, there would be open access to assistance and information; fair representation and participation in decisions that affect individuals and groups; recognition of cultural relevancy; and protection from environmental harms.