New Mexico developing reforestation center to aid in wildfire recovery

Scott Wyland, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·2 min read

Jan. 11—The state is developing a reforestation center to supply the 300 million seedlings needed to revitalize areas in New Mexico charred by severe wildfires.

The state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department will work with three New Mexico universities to establish a center to produce up to 5 million seedlings a year, in hopes of helping burned areas recover and survive in a changing climate.

The agency entered an agreement with New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico in December, with each school agreeing to take on tasks for which it is best suited.

"The new reforestation center will increase the number of acres planted each year, which in turn contributes to healthy watersheds and climate change resiliency," agency Director Sarah Cottrell Propst said in a statement. "The new center will allow us to scale up our work to meet the current and future needs of our state."

Replanting burned areas requires more than 300 million seedlings, and the current tree nursery capacity can only grow 300,000 seedlings a year, which means it would take a decade to replenish the scorched landscapes, state officials say.

State Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, prefiled the New Mexico Reforestation Center Act so he could request $4.6 million from the Legislature for the effort.

The money would cover initial expenses, such as seed collection, plus a design process and construction of facilities.

Without the state funding, the center would be dependent on federal dollars in a proposed reforestation program within the Build Back Better bill stalled in Congress.

New Mexico Highlands will lead workforce development and education programs centered on reforestation. New Mexico State will oversee nursery operations and seedling research. UNM will develop predictive models to increase planted seedlings' survival in warmer, drier conditions amid a changing climate.

The state Forestry Division will coordinate seed collection and storage as well as tree planting logistics.

The reforestation center is an example of what can be accomplished when universities collaborate, said Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez in a statement.

"Reforesting areas burned by wildfire is an emerging need and priority," Rodriguez said.