Because it’s raining, we can restore the land
Neil Young sang lyrics that read, “Home, home on the range,” a place where “the skies are not cloudy all day.” While this song wasn’t necessarily written for New Mexico, it certainly comes to mind when I see grassy lands where “the deer and the antelope play.”
In the past few years, New Mexico experienced a long season of drought, making it difficult for ranchers and farmers, and impacted grazing lands and wildlife across the state. Recently, southeastern New Mexico has experienced enough rain to take us out of the severe drought category, as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
When Katharine Lee Bates wrote, “Oh beautiful, for spacious skies,” she couldn’t see New Mexico from the top of Pikes
Peak. However, her poem encapsulated all of America from “sea to shining sea.” According to the “State Symbols USA” website, New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment because of its scenic beauty and rich history. Since the early 1920s, one of New Mexico’s appeals is found in our southeastern landscape’s deepest reservoirs, rich petroleum and natural gas.
The magic of the desert offers healing sunlight, providing an unlimited supply of Vitamin D. The fascinating karsts, without getting too scientific, allow the flow and storage of groundwater. The New Mexico plains are full of charm. Since the recent rains, it is delightful to see the beautiful purple and yellow wildflowers and the wavy grasses filling the once barren landscape because of previous seasons of drought.
As you read the poetic rhythm of this article, you may be asking, what does this have to do with CEHMM? As stated above, with the rains came an increase in grasses and other vegetation. However, there are places where unused roads, pipelines and old well pads create a less-than-optimal environment for natural growth. This is where CEHMM comes in.
Our rangeland biologist creates a custom-made seed mix specific to the site. Then the seeds are placed in the ground with little to no disturbance with our state-of-the-art no-till seed drill. Because of the recent rains, now is the optimal time to reseed to restore an area to its natural New Mexico landscape.
CEHMM — a center of excellence nonprofit — of Carlsbad has a reseeding and reclamation program proven to show results, especially given the recent rains seen throughout the area. Beginning in Carlsbad in 2004, CEHMM is proud of efforts that help keep industry on the ground, working through our environmental services while simultaneously providing conservation efforts through cooperative conservation.
For further information on this or other ways CEHMM can assist your activities on the landscape, visit our website at cehmm.org or call the CEHMM office at 575-885-3700.