San Juan - LAND MANAGEMENT

The San Juan RC&D partners with many groups that address the issues of land management in Southwest Colorado. These issues may include energy conservation, including the production of energy crops; the protection of agricultural land, as appropriate, from conservation to other uses; farmland protection; and the protection of fish and wildlife habitat.

The San Juan National Forest received money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant program to control noxious, invasive weeds on Forest Service property in Southwest Colorado. The program partners with the 5 local counties and San Juan RC&D. The local counties work under an agreement between the USFS and the individual counties to control the weeds and document the process using GPS equipment. The role of the SJRC&D is to provide technical assistance and quality control of the county GIS data and format it into a GIS system. Shelly Riddle is our Manager of the Weeds Project and Miles Newby is our Weeds Technician.

Upper San Juan Mixed Conifer Working Group

The Upper San Juan Mixed-Conifer Working Group (Working Group) started in the fall of 2010 and is focusing on the warm and cool mixed-conifer forests in the Pagosa Ranger District, which is a unit of the San Juan Public Lands in Southwest Colorado. The charge to the diverse stakeholder group is to participate in a year-long working group process that includes education, speakers and field trips, along with public meetings, facilitated dialogue and consensus-building. The goal is a shared vision for management of the mixed-conifer forests tied with concrete actions and recommendations. Phase II of the group will look at establishing a monitoring plan.

The group is made up of: ecologists, ranchers, educators, forest-related businesses, fire personnel and EMS, Home Owners’ Associations, representatives from federal, state and county government and entities, consultants, conservationists, staff from the Pagosa Ranger District Office (USFS) – and interested citizens.

Dolores River Tamarisk Action Group (D-TAG)

The Dolores Conservation District has worked hard to form a strong coalition of landowners, government agencies and environmental groups banded together to begin reclaiming vital riparian areas. D-TAG has received $35,000 from the USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant which was matched with $10,000 from Colorado Department of Agriculture, $10,000 from Southwestern Water Conservation District, $5,000 from Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company, $5,000 from Dolores Water Conservancy District, $5,000 from the Tamarisk Coalition, and $5,000 from the Habitat Partnership Program. This significant funding is only a portion of what will be needed to reverse the loss of riparian habitat in the area.

With the leadership of Steve Miles, President of the Dolores Conservation District, an inventory of the infestation in the McPhee Reservoir and Lost Canyon areas was completed during the summer of 2008. During the fall of 2008, approximately 200 acres were sprayed.

Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE)

In early 2007 a group of individuals including representatives from La Plata Electric Association (LPEA), the City of Durango, La Plata County, Southwest Colorado Renewable Energy Society (SWCRES), San Juan Citizen’s Alliance, San Juan RC&D, La Plata County Energy Council, Three Springs Development, BP America, Atmos Energy and the FLC Environmental Center formed a steering committee to explore the feasibility of establishing a regional, non-profit “environmental” organization for the purpose of increasing adoption of resource conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy activity in the Four Corners region.

The Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) promotes increased energy efficiency and the use of clean, renewable sources of energy in order to reduce energy consumption, decrease the emission of pollutants, strengthen the economy, and lower utility costs.

Montezuma Climate Action Network (M-CAN)

Montezuma Climate Action Network (M-CAN) got its start at a grassroots climate action forum held July 9, 2007 at the Anasazi Inn in Cortez. More than 65 citizens attended the session, including representatives from Empire Electric Association, Montezuma Cortez RE-1 school district, City of Cortez, Montezuma County, as well as residents of Cortez, Dolores, Mancos and the County. After a presentation about the impacts of global warming, the group held a brainstorming session in which local residents offered their own ideas about how our community could become more sustainable and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. During the fall, the group voted to name itself Montezuma Climate Action Network, started a bi-monthly Movie Night series, and established five Green Teams to work on initiatives prioritized at the early meetings. A volunteer Steering Committee was formed, and it developed a vision statement, mission statement, and a list of core values which were then reviewed by M-CAN members. The Steering Committee has continued to meet consistently and productively during the past twelve months, and held a professionally facilitated strategic planning retreat in early May. In addition to considering policy initiatives and recommendations, the Steering Committee has arranged for speakers, selected (and often purchased) films for the series, served as individual liaisons for the Green Teams, facilitated public meetings, handled advertising (PSA’s, flyers, etc.),worked at festivals and attended public meetings on local regulations and policy. Volunteers have frequently joined SC members in these activities, and we have often collaborated with other local groups (Greater Dolores Action, League of Women Voters, farmers market organizers) to reach a bigger audience.