CIMARRON WATERSHED ALLIANCE, INC.

 

TAOS PINES RANCH SUBDIVISION TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD REDUCTION PROJECT PROPOSAL

 

Approved August 1, 2005

 

 

 

GRANT SUBTASK & CORE WORK PLAN TASK:

 

·          Grant:  Federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h), FY 03 Cimarron Watershed Alliance, Inc.  Project: Contract No. 05-667-5000-0009

 

·          Core Workplan Task 5:  Implementation of BMP’s. Item c; Page 9, June 14, 2005 Revision.

 

·          Core Workplan Task 6:  Public Outreach; Item a; Page 9, June 14, 2005 Revision

 

·          Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reaches of the Cimarron Watershed, Colfax County New Mexico:  Cienegulla Creek & Nine Mile Creek Headwaters.

 

OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT:  The primary objective of this project is to reduce the risk of

increased turbidity in the headwaters of both the Cieneguilla and Nine Mile Creeks caused by erosion and wildfires resulting from an overgrown and unhealthy forest.  This objective is supported descriptively in CWA’s Core Work Plan TMDL Section, and directly in Subtasks 5c and 6a of the same.  These objectives will be carried out by the implementation of a forest restoration prescription (attached) treating approximately 60 acres in the Taos Pines Ranch Subdivision (TPRS) of Colfax County, New Mexico.  This treatment will allow the forests and grasses to regenerate, which in turn will stabilize the soils to decrease the erosion and forest topsoil run-off into the headwaters. 

 

In addition to these primary objectives, this proposal seeks to demonstrate the erosion control effectiveness, desirability, aesthetics, and fire mitigation effects of forest restoration.  Concurrently, this proposal will use these areas to assist in leveraging additional grants/funding to perform erosion control and forest restoration on several hundred acres in the TPRS, which is in the headwaters of the Cimarron Watershed.  This proposal will educate and demonstrate to other home and lot owners in the TPRS and other areas of Colfax County and New Mexico at large, both the desirability and feasibility of forest restoration.

 

Specifically, the benefits to the Cimarron Watershed will be to, decrease erosion to the Moreno Valley TMDL Reaches listed in our contract, mitigate fire propagation and to serve as a prelude to implementing and maintaining BMPs (Best Management Practices) in this and other areas of our watershed.

 

 

 

 

SITE, LOCATION AND ACRES TREATED:  The site for this Demonstration project will be

lot numbers 75 & 76 (Linda and Troy Ford), 4 (Larry Leahy), 69 (Lawrence A. Parnes), 28 (J.M. and Diana Johnson), and 2 (Klaus Steinbrecher and Lore Koehnlein); each being 10 acres plus or minus for a total of approximately 60 acres in the Taos Pines Ranch Subdivision.  Signed trespass authorizations for each of the lots are attached.

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  The forest restoration demonstration project is planned to be

accomplished with the equipment of Forestry Services Group, Inc. wherein the attached prescription will be followed and the usable posts and poles taken from the lots will be purchased by Western Woods Products.  In addition, this project will be actively seeking integration with other like or complementary projects in or near the treatment area.

 

COST:  (To include Grant and CWA In-Kind Matching)

 

Grant:  Cost to CWA Grant will be $650 per acre or $39,000 for 60 acres treated.

 

CWA Match: $15,600, which will consist of an estimated $12,000 ($200 per acre x 60 acres) from the Western Wood Products purchase of posts and poles from Forestry Services Group, and approximately $3,600 from CWA in-kind and matching funds.

 

SCHEDULE AND TIMELINE:  The project is planned to start shortly after project-approval by

the Executive Planning Committee, Steering Committee, and the Board of Directors of the Cimarron Watershed Alliance.  August 1, 2005 is currently being used for planning purposes.

 

TEAM LEADER AND PARTICIPANTS:

 

            Team Leader:  Alan Johnson

            Participants:  Cimarron Watershed Alliance, Linda Ford, Western Wood Products,

Forestry Services Group

 

PERMISSIONS AND PERMITTING:

            Land, Water, and Mineral Owners:

                        See attached Individual Trespass Permit and landowner for each lot.

            Dredge & Fill Clearance Required?  ___Yes  _X_ No

Is any work proposed within the high water mark of a river, stream or Arroyo?  ___ Yes _ X_  No 

            Cultural Resource Clearance Required?  ___ Yes _X_ No

                        Does this proposal involve any earth disturbing activity?  ___Yes  _X_ No

 

LIABILITY:  A Proof of Liability Coverage policy document with Cimarron Watershed Alliance, Inc. names as “Also Insured” shall be provided by FSG and attached to the final version of this Proposal.