Acquired 220,000-acre Sevilleta Ranch, now the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, near Socorro -- the Conservancy's first New Mexico project. Now owned by the U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife, it became, in 1989, a Long Term Ecological Research Station where scientists examine global warming and other environmental issues. In 1992, researchers here linked the Hantavirus to deer mice.

Acquired 20,208-acre Little Chama Valley Ranch, now the Edward Sargent Fish & Wildlife Area. Transferred to New Mexico Department of Game & Fish.

Helped preserve the Albuquerque volcanoes -- 440-acres west of the city including Boca Negra Cave. The area is now Boca Negra Park and owned by the city of Albuquerque.

1977

Jan.15 - New Mexico chapter's first annual meeting and trustee election in Albuquerque. Two hundred members were needed to establish a state chapter. The first chapter headquarters was the home of organizing committee member Henry Zeller.

January 1^st - the New Mexico Field Office opens in Albuquerque. William C. Briggs, a retired attorney, is the executive director. Yearly memberships are $10.

Acquired addition to the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge near Las Cruces for U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

Acquired 117-acre tract adjacent to Gila Wilderness at the Gila River/Turkey Creek area. Later transferred to U.S. Forest Service.

Received donation of 655.49 acres on Mount Taylor from Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Caughran as a gift in memory of their son. The Conservancy deeded the property to the University of New Mexico for scientific and educational purposes subject to the life estate of the Caughrans requirements for the preservation of the area in its natural state.

December 8^th - The chapter receives its charter.

1980

With the purchase of 126 acres along the Gila River, the chapter establishes its first state preserve. Now 921 acres, the Gila Riparian Preserve protects more than 10 miles of the river.

241,000 acres protected in New Mexico and 1.8 million nationally. State membership grows to 700. National membership tops 103,000.

Worked with New Mexico Game and Fish to acquire the 400-acre Casa Colorado Farm near Belen, which was used to produce food and provide refuge for migrating birds.

Colonel Henry M. Zeller, one of the founders of the NM chapter, died Sept. 14 at age 76. Zeller was well known for his persistent and influential advocacy of conservation of land areas for wildlife habitat. He retired to Santa Fe and in1977 relocated to Silver City.

John Egbert hired as state director

Purchased Rattlesnake Springs, 13.5 acres adjacent to Carlsbad Caverns, an important riparian oasis that offers habitat for a high concentration of rare birds.

1984

Conservancy assisted the BLM in designating 63,810 acres of ecologically significant habitat as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in southern New Mexico.

Conservancy receives conservation easement of over 236 acres in Lama Canyon near Taos.

1985

Conservancy raises funds to protect 400-acre Corrales Bosque Preserve. Now managed by the Village of Corrales, this 7.8 mile preserve offers the best-known example of middle Rio Grande broadleaf deciduous forest.

PNM donates 25-acre site with the world's only known population of Knowlton's cactus.

State membership grows to 1300. National membership is 160,000.

The Conservancy assisted the BLM with the designation of 20,640 acres of ecologically sensitive habitat as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.

NM state legislature passes the Natural Lands Protection Act

Received a donation of 40 acres of the Trail End Ranch, located near the town of Winston, Catron County, New Mexico. The Trail End Ranch is ecologically significant due to the composition of its southwestern riparian ecosystem and for rare vertebrate species. The ranch was later transferred to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation for its use as a research station.

Conservancy assisted the BLM and the US Forest Service with the designation of 24,025 acres of sensitive habitat as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Special Interest Areas (SIAs), and Research Natural Areas (RNAs).

TNC acquired and transferred 70 acres of riparian habitat to the Bureau of Land Management for incorporation into the Lower Gila Box Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).

Bill Waldman hired as state director. Chapter office moves to Santa Fe.

Chapter office relocated to Santa Fe.

Purchased 80 acres of the Apache Box canyon along the Gila River protecting the rare plants cliff brittlebrush and Rusby's hens and chicks. This sheer-walled canyon is over 1000 feet deep in places, forming a dynamic backdrop for riparian habitat along Apache Creek.

Acquired Dripping Springs Natural Area -- 3,600 acres of the A.B. Cox Ranch nestled at the base of the Organ Mountains. Now managed by the BLM, it features sheer canyons, permanent water sources and a wealth of natural habitats containing great biological diversity.

Bought, in a cooperative effort with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1,048 acres of wetlands land near Roswell, NM as an addition to the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The property was sold to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for administration.

The Conservancy signed a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense to analyze the ecology of White Sands Missile Range.

NM membership tops 3300.

Conservancy acquired the180-acre Bluewater Canyon, and transferred to the BLM.

Assisted BLM with designation of 67,900 acres of public land as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

Purchased the 321,703-acre Gray Ranch -- the largest single acquisition in Conservancy history. Now owned by the Animas Foundation and protected in perpetuity by a conservation easement, the ranch is one of the most significant sites in the nation with more than 700 plant species, 75 species of mammals and 170 kinds of breeding birds.

Assisted BLM with designation of 6,650 acres of public land as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.

Purchased 77 acres in the Gila Valley for Gila Riparian Preserve. Funds for purchase made possible by the Natural Lands Protection Act.

The Conservancy acquired and transferred 449.2 acres of riparian habitat to the BLM for incorporation into the Lower Gila Box Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).

Entered into cost share agreements with the BLM to inventory ACECs within the Carslabad, Roswell, Caballo, Rio Puerco, and Mimbres Resource Areas and to provide recommendations for biological diversity protection.

Conservancy assisted the USFS with the designation of 1427 acres of public land as Research Natural Areas.

Conservancy purchased 560 acres of sagebrush and riparian habitat along the Chama River. The land was transferred to the BLM.

Conservancy given the mineral rights to the Jornada Bat Caves. Located on the Armendaris Ranch, these lava tubes house more than 5-million Mexican free-tailed bats -- one of the largest colonies in the world.

The Conservancy assisted the BLM with the designation of 11,700 acres of public land as an ACEC.

Negotiated a conservation easement on the 15,000-acre Ortiz Mountain Ranch south of Santa Fe, which protects this land in perpetuity. The area is home to gramma grass cactus, Santa Fe Milkvetch and Galisteo sand verbena.

Acquired the final tract of the 1,200-acre Rio Nutria Preserve, a pristine riparian ecosystem located along the Rio Nutria and adjacent to Zuni Tribal land. The preserve protects the endangered bluehead sucker

Established the Mimbres River Preserve to protect the endangered Chihuahua chub. The preserve, which is now 905 acres, is also home to the federally endangered Chiracahua leopard frog.

TNC adds 133 acres of riverine habitat to the Mimbres River Preserve. Mimbres River Preserve grows to 294 acres of land and more than two miles of the river.

Myra McCormick donates Bear Mountain Guest Ranch to TNC, retaining a life interest

in the property.

1996

Chapter opens Southwest NM Field Office in Silver City.

1 million acres protected in NM -- an area 25% larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Launched Headwaters Ranch, an innovative joint venture in conservation ranching. Partnering with two ranchers, the Conservancy is now managing 160,000-acres of forest service grazing allotments.

Conservancy acquired a conservation easement over the 4,500 acre Double Lightning Ranch. The property is a working cattle ranch within the Chihuahuan desert ecoregion.

TNCNM membership grows to more than 6500.

Conservancy office established at White Sands Missile Range to work with the U.S. Department of Defense to survey, inventory and monitor 2.2 million acres of prime Chihuahuan Desert habitat.

The Conservancy entered into an agreement with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's "Partners For Wildlife" program to fence the Moreno Tract of the Upper Mimbres River, which includes a large spring that is the primary refugium for the world's only remaining population of the Chihuahua chub and what may be the best remaining population of the Chiricahua leopard frog.

Worked with Western NM University to reintroduce Chiricahua leopard frogs to a newly acquired reach in the Mimbres River.

Conservancy acquires Bear Mountain Lodge.

Conservancy acquired a conservation easement over the 10,600-acre Little Wahoo Ranch. The Ranch is located in the Northern Black Range near its northern terminus includes several miles of ephemeral stream channel and important riparian habitat.

TNC adds the Sapillo Allotment, a 65,066-acre grazing permit, and the Powderhorn Allotment, a 38,000-acre grazing permit, to the Headwaters Ranch Partnership.

2000

New Mexico program announces $16.2 million capital campaign -- the largest environmental campaign in state history.

Southern New Mexico office opens in Las Cruces.

PNM donates 190 acres to establish Santa Fe Canyon Preserve

Conservancy purchase two important properties near Las Cruces -- the 423-acre Soledad Canyon from the A.B. Cox family and Picacho Peak, which is later transferred to the BLM

Conservancy acquired a conservation easement from the Biophilia Foundation over 3,168.95 acres of land in San Miguel County. The property encompasses about one mile of the Sapello River mainstem, supports riparian ecological communities, and provides habitat for riparian obligate and aquatic species. The Biophilia Foundation and the Forest Trust will manage the site to improve and restore the condition of the surrounding upland forest habitat of the property, thereby improving watershed condition.

Bear Mountain Lodge opens in Silver City.

Launches ambitious three-year project, funded by state environmental department grant, to restore water quality and floodplain function to areas of the Gila River.

Acquired, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 111.60 acres in the Gila River valley. Tract includes a half-mile of the Gila River and houses the largest marsh and part of the largest riparian forest in the valley. The area provides habitat for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, the common black hawk and yellow-billed cuckoo, and the globally rare loach minnow and spikedace fishes.

Conservancy names William S. Huey of Tesuque a national Conservation Hero in honor of his lifelong dedication to conservation in this state.

TNC protects more than 1.2 million acres in NM.

Santa Fe Canyon Preserve opens on Earth Day weekend

Conservancy begins work in "Cuatro Esquinas," a vast 14-million acre landscape in northern Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico. This area includes the Janos grasslands, home to North America's largest prairie dog colony and the wintering grounds for numerous grassland birds.

TNC adds 9 acres to the Mimbres River Preserve.

Nature Conservancy Report Finds That More Than 10 Percent of the State’s Species Face Risk of Extinction. The study, States of the Union: Ranking America’s Biodiversity, ranks New Mexico fourth in the nation for the overall number of different plant and animal species found in the state (4,583).

Conservancy purchased a 17,850-acre grazing permit on the Sheppard Allotment in the Gila National Forest, which was subsequently incorporated into the Headwaters Ranch Partnership.

2003

Conservationists throughout New Mexico cheered the passage of the Land Conservation Incentives Act, a new law which gives a tax credit of up to $100,000 to anyone donating land or conservation easements to open space programs or environmental organizations. Initiated and developed by the Conservancy, the act gives taxpayers credit for land donated for natural resource, open-space or biodiversity conservation and agricultural, watershed or historic preservation. Farmers and ranchers benefit too, as the new law gives them a financial incentive to protect their land while continuing to use it. Only eight other states have similar legislation. The Conservancy conceived and developed the act, which took effect January 1, 2004, as a way to leverage the limited state funding available for land conservation.

Received $400k grant from the J.M. Kaplan Fund for conservation work in the Janos Grasslands of Mexico.

Lichty Ecological Research Center, an environmental education and research center, opens at the 126-acre Gila River Farm.

The Conservancy signs groundbreaking agreements with the BLM and Gila National Forest to provide scientific and technical support in restoring natural fire regimes to New Mexico's wildlands.

A conservation easement was donated across 1444.69 acres of the Bugscuffle Ranch, the 3^rd largest private in-holding in the Lincoln National Forest.

Chapter membership tops 8000 with more than 1.3 million acres protected in New Mexico.

TNC acquires an additional 37.81 acres of land adjacent to the Gila River Preserve. Funding for the acquisition was made possible with assistance from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Conservancy purchases 18,500-acre Creamer Ranch, located near Milnesand in eastern New Mexico. Long recognized as the epicenter of the state's lesser prairie chicken core population, the Creamer Ranch has more than 40 leks, or booming grounds, which is an extraordinary density. . The ranch also provides habitat for the sand dune lizard, another threatened species that is endemic to the area.