The Southwest New Mexico Community Forestry Network (SWNMCFN) is celebrating a strong second year of its USDA-funded effort to grow healthier, more resilient communities across southwest New Mexico through local partnerships, tree planting, and community forestry technical assistance.
Over the past year, the Network worked hand-in-hand with local governments and residents to develop Community Forest Management Plans for Santa Clara, Bayard, Hurley, Lordsburg, and Silver City, with a draft plan for Deming out for review. Developed by GRIP’s contractor Integrated Biological Solutions, these plans were shaped by community engagement, local priorities, and on-the-ground data such as tree canopy cover, urban heat mapping, green stormwater infrastructure opportunity assessments, and tree health evaluations.
The plans were formally adopted by town councils, marking an important step toward long-term urban forest stewardship. Each plan provides communities with a shared roadmap for the future with clear goals, strategies, and action steps they can take with project partners to increase their tree canopy, improve shade and cooling, manage stormwater, and care for existing trees. A prioritized list of projects was also developed for every community, informed by municipal staff, mayors and councils, and direct feedback from residents. Final plans for Silver City, Lordsburg, Santa Clara, Hurley, and Bayard are now publicly available on the Southwest New Mexico Community Forestry Network website (swnmforestry.org).
A key part of this work has been preparing communities for climate change. The Network created Climate Ready Tree Lists for each municipality, helping ensure that trees planted today will survive and thrive in the hotter, drier conditions of the future.
On the ground, the project continues to deliver visible results. Tree planting, maintenance, and irrigation planning took place across the region, with 140 trees planted and 620 trees maintained. Additional funding has been secured to install irrigation systems at six locations during 2026-2027, with more funding applications underway. Nearly 150 high school students participated in tree planting activities, helping build both community pride and the next generation of environmental stewards.
Spring and fall planting efforts brought new trees to Silver City, Santa Clara, Bayard, and Hurley. In Santa Clara, students from Aldo Leopold Charter School’s Youth Conservation Corps helped plant trees and build water-smart crevice gardens, stormwater harvesting basins, and understory plantings. Students also learned about career pathways in arboriculture through WNMU’s tree worker certificate program. YCC students also helped plant 28 trees at the new Silver City Rec Center, while Cobre High School students helped plant trees at the Bayard Community Center Park.
Southwest Tree Solutions removed more than 400 dead or invasive trees, primarily Siberian elm and Tree of Heaven, improving ecosystem health and long-term forest resilience. More than 200 trees were safety-pruned across multiple communities and hands-on pruning workshops built skills among 24 municipal staff.
Through planning, technical assistance, youth engagement, and on-the-ground work, the Southwest New Mexico Community Forestry Network is not just planting trees, but growing local capacity, resilience, and a shared commitment to caring for community forests for generations to come.
