Trees, Water & People - $1.1 Million Grant for Jemez Mountains Restoration

Trees, Water & People (TWP) is proud to announce a $1.1MM grant commitment from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for an ambitious environmental restoration project in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, located within the ancestral homelands of several Pueblo communities. This project, led by TWP, Tribal partners, and other diverse stakeholders, aims to address decades of ecological damage through long-term adaptation strategies and innovative remediation of 40 critical acres in the Santa Fe National Forest.

The Jemez Mountains have experienced severe environmental degradation due to prolonged droughts, climate-induced megafires, debris flows, and post-fire floods. These challenges have highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive restoration and sustainable management practices. By integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science, this project will restore critical upland forests, canyon bottoms, and stream systems that have provided Tribes with water, timber, and game for centuries.

Trees, Water & People is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving people’s lives by helping communities protect, conserve, and manage their natural resources. Through a collaborative approach, TWP works to develop sustainable solutions that benefit both people and the environment.

Primary Project Activities 2024-2027:

1. Data Collection and Planning: Gather baseline data in Santa Fe National Forest to inform conservation, restoration and post-fire recovery strategies.

2. Community and Cultural Collaboration: Foster cultural revitalization and workforce development in the Pueblos adjacent to Santa Fe National Forest.

3. Upland Conifer Restoration and Reforestation: Plant 50,000 native conifer seedlings to enhance water quality and cultural preservation.

4. Fuels Management and Wildfire Mitigation: Implement hand-thinning techniques and fuel removal to reduce wildfire risk.

5. Stream Remediation and Restoration: Improve watershed health by removing invasive species, controlling erosion, and stabilizing stream banks.

The American the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) provides TWP with multi-year funding for landscape-level work that addresses priority conservation and restoration needs in the region, engages and employs local Tribal natural resource management professionals, and helps safeguard down stream communities and local ecosystems through nature-based solutions. TWP will be actively raising funds to honor matching requirements and to ensure success in this regionally significant project.

"We are honored to work alongside our Tribal partners to restore these vital landscapes," said James Calabaza, Indigenous Lands Program Director of TWP and citizen of Santo Domingo Pueblo. "This project not only addresses ecological health but also promotes cultural revitalization and community resilience."

Contact Information:

For more information, please contact Sebastian Africano, Executive Director at sebastian@treeswaterpeople.org or at (970) 233-2459