Built on a partnership between New Mexico Department of Wildlife (NMDOW), PLJV and local soil and water conservation districts, the New Mexico Playa Restoration Program continues to expand, restoring hundreds of acres of wetlands while bringing together landowners, conservation organizations, and state agencies around a common goal: healthier playas, stronger wildlife habitat, and more resilient working lands.
“This partnership has been successful because of the trusted relationships our local soil and water conservation districts have with landowners,” said Ryan Lenz, PLJV New Mexico Wetlands Restoration Specialist. “As landowners see the benefits of restoration, they share their experiences with neighbors, creating even more interest. Seeing that momentum within local communities has been the most rewarding part of this work.”
Through financial and technical assistance, the program helps private landowners restore playas and surrounding grasslands. Early on, a $250,000 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Resilient Communities grant awarded to PLJV, combined with $750,000 in Pittman-Robertson funding from NMDOW, allowed restoration efforts to expand beyond individual projects to include landowner outreach, technical assistance, education, and on-the-ground conservation delivery. Since 2023, PLJV has also worked with the New Mexico State Land Office (NMSLO) to restore playas located on leased state trust lands.
The numbers tell the story of that growth. Since the program’s expansion, approximately 715 acres of playas have been restored, including 352 acres completed in the last year. Current work includes restoration on 12 privately owned playas and three NMSLO playas. With voluntary partnerships, strong local relationships, and strategic funding working together, the program continues to demonstrate that conservation and agriculture can move forward side by side.
“The future of playa restoration in New Mexico is very promising,” Lenz said. “We’ve seen that success comes from building relationships over time. What started as cold calls has turned into landowners reaching out to us directly for site visits. My goal over the next two to three years is to build that same momentum in more districts, expanding restoration efforts across eastern New Mexico and helping even more landowners restore and conserve their playas.”
To see how conservation is helping strengthen working rangelands in eastern New Mexico, read how rancher Bryce Peterson is restoring playas across his operation to improve rangeland health and support wildlife habitat, and hear him talk about how playas help make the most of every drop of water in the region where water is one of the lands more valuable resources.