(Albuquerque, NM) — The New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) (collectively, the Trustees) announce the selection of seven restoration
projects to be implemented in southwestern New Mexico to restore wildlife and wildlife habitat
natural resources.
The restoration projects represent a diverse regional portfolio of projects that focus on birds and provide a maximum benefit to regional wildlife resources.
The Trustees are restoring these natural resources as a result of a natural resource damage
assessment and subsequent settlement with Freeport-McMoRan (FMI) for their Chino, Cobre
and Tyrone mine facilities. The settlement required FMI pay $5.5 million for restoration of
injured wildlife and wildlife habitat and transfer 289 hectares (714 acres) of grassland to the City
of Rocks State Park to settle allegations that the company injured terrestrial and wildlife
resources as a result of discharges of hazardous substances from the mine facilities.
To identify possible wildlife and wildlife habitat restoration projects the Trustees conducted a
concerted public outreach effort to solicit suggestions for restoration projects to replace the
injured natural resources. Selected restoration projects will provide either habitat protection
and improvement or watershed habitat restoration. Parcels of land that are to be purchased will
be placed in the public domain. Restoration projects include the following:
Placement of a conservation easement conservation easement
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership.
Learn more about conservation easement on the Ancheta Springs property to protect
habitat.
Repair of severe erosion damage to the Burro Cienaga to improve water quality and
storage, and restore critical habitat for plants and animals.
Reconstruction of stock tanks and ponds to develop and increase wetland and riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian
habitats for wildlife in the Burro Cienega Watershed.
Protection of native riparian habitat along Bear Creek through the purchase and
conservation of the Double E Ranch.
Restoration and improvement of riparian and wetland habitats along the Mimbres River.
Protection and restoration of native riparian habitat along the Gila River through the
purchase and conservation of the Redrock property.
State of New Mexico
OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES TRUSTEE
4910-A Alameda Blvd. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87113
(505) 243-8087; (505) 243-6644 fax
www.onrt .state.nm.us
Ryan Flynn
Trustee
Rebecca de Neri Zagal
Executive Director
Susana Martinez
Governor
John A. Sanchez
Lieutenant Governor
Protection and restoration of native riparian habitat along the Mimbres River through
the purchase and conservation of the River Ranch property.
State Trustee Ryan Flynn said, “We worked closely with stakeholders to identify these solutions.
All of the projects evaluated were suggested by stakeholders involved in the restoration project
identification process. These projects will benefit our wildlife resources in New Mexico far into
the future.”
“These habitat restoration projects, paid for with the settlement funds from Freeport-
McMoRan, will benefit a wide range of wildlife”, said Benjamin Tuggle, Southwest Regional
Director for the Service. “Working with the state and numerous stakeholders, we have been
able to address past practices that damaged wildlife habitat, and are now moving to mitigate
that damage.”
More information about the restoration projects can be found in the final Wildlife and wildlife
Habitat Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Chino, Cobre, and Tyrone Mine
Facilities on the Office of Natural Resources Trustee website:
www.onrt.state.nm.us/ChinoCobreTyrone.html.
Copies will be available at the following public libraries:
The Public Library, 515 West College Ave., Silver City, NM, (575) 538-3672; Bayard
Public Library, 1112 Central Ave., Bayard, NM 88023, (575) 537-6244; and Gila Valley Library,
400 Highway 211, Gila, NM 88038, (575) 535-4120.
