Rio Arriba Comprehensive Plan- Adopted January 24, 2008

V. Land and Water
Rio Arriba County Comprehensive Plan
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Goals and Implementation Strategies
Goal 3: Protect and restore the open spaces and natural resources such as the rivers, riparian areas, cienegas, floodplains, wildlife habitats, forests and grasslands.

• Strategy 21: Support and encourage state legislation to protect the watershed from the infestation of salt cedar and other invasive species and protect riparian areas.

• Strategy 22: Protect riparian areas, wetlands, springs and watercourses through conservation easements, and establishing a 300’ wide riparian habitat corridor residential/commercial building setback from watercourses with flows greater than 1,000 cfs in a 100 year event (agricultural buildings are exempt from this setback).

• Strategy 23: Pursue State and Federal funding for forest thinning for urban interface buffers for fire safety, water yield and extended water retention, and to create mosaics of canopy openings to provide better bio-diversity and improve livestock and elk herd management through partnerships with the US Forest Service.

• Strategy 24: Protect and enhance riparian areas, springs, wetlands and river and stream corridors by promoting and implementing riparian restoration, re-vegetation, fencing enclosure projects and by minimizing the use of toxic herbicides in critical watershed areas.

• Strategy 25: Define grading guidelines on ridge tops, escarpments and slopes above 20% within the Design and Development Regulation ordinance. Goal 4: Educate citizens of all ages about the values, history, principles, opportunities and economic benefits of the relationship between land and water so that future generations can continue to work the land.

• Strategy 26: Inventory/survey historic and traditional buildings and features and adopt a Historic Landmark Ordinance describing preservation and restoration guidelines and identify programs and incentives for private owners for preservation of historic and cultural properties.

• Strategy 27: Encourage the charitable donation of land by landowners for historic, cultural, and scenic easements to non-profit land banks/land trust organizations to reduce state and federal income and inheritance taxes under NM Laws 1995, Chapter 137.

• Strategy 28: Identify funding sources, such as USDA Value Added Grants, to support agriculture business diversification and work with the NMSU Cooperative Extension office on identifying opportunities and training for crop specialization.

• Strategy 29: Support and expand community-based sustainable agricultural programs such as 4H programs, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Community Stewardship Organizations (CSO).

• Strategy 30: Provide an education and information program to farmers and agriculture.

For more information and the complete Plan - Click on the Link Above -