New Mexico State University
PAE-19: Community Sustainability Partnerships

NMSU partners very closely with the City of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County. The university shares a two mile long major artery with the City. They were part of our Master Plan in 2006 and our Master Plan update in 2012. NMSU Facilities and Services, along with many other NMSU volunteers, were a big part of the plan to make University Avenue a new lively street with shops, multi-function housing, and Town and Gown to name a few. We always have an attendee (usually our Campus Planner) at the City Planning Committee for many topics including the "2040 Planning" for the Las Cruces 2040 Master Plan. We let the City build a new convention center on our land with a future hotel next door. NMSU was a part of the planning of the new convention center. The summer of 2012 the County started the Camino Real Regional Plan where NMSU people were involved on many levels of planning. Sustainability was a part of this planning effort including transportation, waste, water, and collaboration between governmental entities. The Manager of the Office of Sustainability is on the Outreach Committee for the Camino Real Sustainability Plan. The City of Las Cruces' Sustainability Officer and the NMSU Manager of Environmental Policy and Sustainability (this reporter) meet every month to get updates and share information. We also partnered on a Low Impact Development forum in 2010 to discuss water use in our desert area as well as NMSU solar researchers worked closely with the RFP for getting solar panels on the parking structure of the new Las Cruces Convention Center (mentioned above). We partner with Doña Ana County and the local school district on many environmental issues such as gardens at K-12 schools, STEM education, and water topics. There is now a Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. NMSU Office of Sustainability is a member in participates in many events as well as volunteers to speak at events.