SANTA FE, N.M. July 29, 2024 – On July 24th, 2024, Trees, Water & People (TWP) signed two separate agreements with the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) to build upon successful collaborations between TWP, SFNF and local Pueblos on reforestation, watershed improvement and forest restoration within the Jemez Ranger District of SFNF.

From five thousand to ten thousand feet in elevation the landscape changes rapidly with every plant species and types of soil. Hundreds of sagebrush and cottonwoods sweep over the lower elevations, while ponderosa pines and douglas fir reach for the skies as they seem to blanket the mountainside.

In the last two decades, wildfires have ravaged Tribal lands and its protective boundaries. As the fires were suppressed and recovery plans started to percolate, one key restoration item was never brought up - replacing and updating the pre-existing fence line.

Conventional conservation often portrays stewards and land managers working together to conserve, protect and/or restore critical landscapes for the survival of our planet. But underneath the macroscopic lens of conservation, women, more specifically Native American women, are rarely recognized for their achievements and dedication in the world of conservation.