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| New Mexico Natural Heritage Program | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Mexico Natural Heritage Program |
| Abbreviation | NMNHP |
| Formation | 1980s |
| Type | Conservation organization |
| Headquarters | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Parent organization | University of New Mexico |
New Mexico Natural Heritage Program is a statewide biodiversity inventory and conservation information center based in New Mexico and administratively housed at the University of New Mexico. The program compiles species occurrence data, natural community descriptions, and conservation assessments to support land managers, researchers, and policymakers across Santa Fe County, Bernalillo County, and other counties in New Mexico. It operates within networks that include regional and national initiatives such as the NatureServe network and works alongside federal agencies like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Forest Service.
The program maintains standardized data on rare plants, animals, and ecological communities across ecosystems from the Chihuahuan Desert to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, integrating field observations, herbarium records, and remote sensing products. It provides digital maps, element occurrence records, and conservation status ranks used by state agencies such as the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and federal partners including the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. The program’s information supports environmental review under statutes like the Endangered Species Act and state-level conservation planning implemented by entities such as the New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources.
Originally established during the expansion of natural heritage programs in the United States in the late 20th century, the program grew from collaborations among academic institutions, botanical gardens such as the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, and museums including the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Early work drew on specimen collections from the University of New Mexico Herbarium and survey efforts connected to regional initiatives like the Desert Laboratory and partnership projects with the National Biological Information Infrastructure. Over time, the program formalized data standards in concert with NatureServe and aligned methodologies with inventories used by the Smithsonian Institution and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
The mission emphasizes documentation, conservation assessment, and information delivery to support conservation decision-making by stakeholders including the New Mexico Environment Department, tribal governments such as the Pueblo of Zuni, and private landowners. Core activities include field inventories in collaboration with organizations like the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and the Arid Lands Environmental Center, digitization of herbarium and museum specimens from collections such as the Museum of Southwestern Biology, and publication of conservation briefs used by planners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission.
The program curates georeferenced element occurrence data, natural community classifications, and species conservation status ranks hosted on platforms interoperable with NatureServe Explorer and federal data systems like the Integrated Digitized Biocollections network. It employs GIS tools from vendors and partners such as the U.S. Geological Survey and academic laboratories at the University of New Mexico School of Engineering to produce distribution maps and habitat suitability models. Data workflows follow data standards similar to those promoted by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) organization.
Initiatives include targeted surveys for taxa of concern such as endemic plants of the Gila National Forest and amphibian monitoring in habitats managed by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as participation in multi-state projects addressing invasive species alongside the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The program contributes expertise to recovery planning for species listed under the Endangered Species Act and to habitat restoration projects funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and implemented with partners like the Nature Conservancy's New Mexico chapter.
Operational partnerships span academic institutions like the New Mexico State University, federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, tribal nations including the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and conservation NGOs like WildEarth Guardians. Funding sources include state appropriations from the New Mexico Legislature, competitive grants from foundations such as the McCune Charitable Foundation, and cooperative agreements with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
Staff are based at facilities on or near the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and include botanists, zoologists, GIS analysts, and data managers who collaborate with curators at institutions like the Museum of Southwestern Biology and professors in departments such as the UNM Department of Biology. The program also leverages seasonal technicians and volunteers from local organizations including the New Mexico Botanic Garden and student interns from universities such as New Mexico State University and Northern New Mexico College.
Category:Environment of New Mexico Category:University of New Mexico