Local agricultural producers and ranchers must submit fully completed proposals to their local Eligible Entity for review by Monday, August 31, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.  Eligible Entities will conduct preliminary reviews of the applications they receive, then forward the applications they approve to NMDA by 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8th. Eligible Entities include Soil and Water Conservation Districts; a tribe, nation, or pueblo; or a land grant or acequia.

Individual Applicant (i.e., farmer/rancher) Responsibilities:

1. Individual Applicants can obtain a digital Healthy Soil Program (HSP) application from the NMDA website: www.nmda.nmsu.edu.

2. Individual Applicants must fully complete the digital HSP application prior to submitting it to the Eligible Entity. Incomplete applications should not be considered by the Eligible Entity.

3. Individual Applicants may ask for assistance from the Eligible Entity in completing the application. However, Eligible Entities are not ultimately responsible for completing the application or ensuring the various components of the application are completed correctly. This is the Individual Applicant’s responsibility; the Individual Applicant can seek further assistance from NMDA.

Please submit completed digital Healthy Soil Program applications to ciudadswcd1944@gmail.com by August 31st, 2020. 

• New native plants educational resource published
  
  

  The Institute for Applied Ecology has published a new curriculum for educating students in grades 9-12 about native (and non-native) plants in New Mexico. 

  This native plant curriculum is structured on the ecoregions of New Mexico and covers botany, community ecology, ethnobotany, invasives - so much! The New Mexico Native Plant Society supported this resource, "From Ponderosa to Prickly Pear: Exploring the Native Plants of New Mexico", and you can download the document here.
  

          

• American Red Cross announces a fire preparedness for smart phones      

        The Wildfire App gives you important information in the palm of your hand:

• Preloaded content gives users instant access to information on what to do before, during and after wildfires – even without mobile connectivity 
• The latest updates from local, state and federal fire agencies in the “Wildfire News” section
• Red Cross emergency shelter locator for when you need help
• One-touch “I’m Safe” button that instantly posts a message to your social networks, notifying friends and family that you’re out of harm’s way, and more.

        You may download the app by visiting their website:
        http://american.redcross.org/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=23594&em_id=20131.0      

• EPA releases Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool
  
  EPA has announced the release of their Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST v1) for public distribution.  Here is the link to the theoretical background documentation: http://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?dirEntryId=261780
  
  and to the user's guide with case studies (and the tool itself): http://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?dirEntryId=262280
  
  WMOST provides communities with the ability to assess the utility of green infrastructure practices as part of a larger Integrated Water Resources Management strategy.