Activity Report Explorer

Rio Grande Valley Broadband • Entered by Susan Ostlie on December 30, 2020

NM Wetlands roundtables – Northern and Southern meetings

November 24, 2020 – December 10, 2020

Key Issue: Water-related Conservation
Activity Type: Trainings (WALTS, CAREs/GLOWs, research, conferences, workshops, etc.)
Key Partners: NM Environment Dept.; Surface Water Quality Bureau; many others

Short Description of Activity

The draft agendas are attached for both the Northern Wetlands Roundtable (November 24, 2020) and the Southern Wetlands Roundtable (December 10, 2020). One topic that we tried to focus on are the changes to the Clean Water Act, especially Sections 401 – Water Quality Certification, 402 – National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and 404 – Permitting. We have speakers at both Roundtables that will address these issues based on their expertise. We also have some great restoration stories, presentations that address the climate crisis, mitigation banking and native wetland plants. I invite you to attend both Roundtables if you can as the speakers address topics important and relevant to everyone interested in wetlands and our State’s precious water resources.
AGENDA for northern wetlands meeting: Nov. 24th – 8 hours
New Mexico Northern Wetlands Roundtable November 24, 2020, 9:00am – 4:15pm Webex Webinar.
Welcome, Maryann McGraw, New Mexico Environment Department
EPA Regulatory Update, Loribeth Tanner, Water Resources Section, US Environmental
Protection Agency – Region 6
Wetland Management and Banking, Trent Botkin, Natural Resources Section, NM Dept of Transportation
Break
Las Ciénegas, Christina Selby, Journalist Lunch
Wetlands & the Climate Crisis, A.T. Cole, Pitchfork Ranch
The Market Value of Mitigation Credits in the Western U.S., William (Bill) Coleman, Eco-Asset
Solutions and Innovations LLC (EASI) and University of California, Berkeley
Break
US ACE Regulatory Update, Stephen Roethle, US Army Corps of Engineers
Little Water Canyon – A Natural Area in the Zuni Mountains Jim McGrath, Native Plant Society of NM – Albuquerque Chapter
Closing Remarks, Maryann McGraw, New Mexico Environment Department
4:00 – 4:15
The Roundtable is organized by the NMED Surface Water Quality Bureau Wetlands Program

AGENDA for southern wetlands meeting: Dec. 10th – 7 hours.
Southern New Mexico Wetlands Roundtable December 10, 2020, 9:00 am – 3:45 pm Webex Webinar
Draft Agenda Welcome, Maryann McGraw, NMED
Wills Canyon Headcut and Anan Creek Stream Restoration Projects, Peter Haraden, USFS Lincoln National Forest
WOTUS Update, Shelly Lemon, NMED, Surface Water Quality Bureau Chief Break
Luna Restoration Project, Carolyn Koury, USFS Gila National Forest
Lunch
Regulatory Update, Justin Riggs, US Army Corps of Engineers
Candidate Conservation Agreements for the Texas Hornshell, Matt Ramey, CEHMM
Break
Wetland Restoration at the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Techniques and Results,
Steve Vrooman, Keystone Restoration Ecology
Exclusive Opportunity, “All Hands 2021” Data Collection Using NMRAM, Esteban Muldavin, Natural Heritage New Mexico
The Roundtable is organized by the NMED Surface Water Quality Bureau Wetlands Program.

Reflection/Evaluation

This was a most informative set of meetings with a group I had never encountered before, but I feel like the connections I made will be really valuable in writing comments for different forest plans and EAs. Note that one of the last presenters on Monday was my friend Jim McGrath, from the NM Native Plant Society and Friends of Little Water Canyon. Also, the movie about the Pecos Sunflower was inspiring to watch. I shared it with several groups – it helps for people to know about the importance of cienagas and their accompanying biota like the endangered Pecos Sunflower.