Overall Rating	Bronze - expired
Overall Score	40.09
Liaison	Allison Jenks
Submission Date	March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

New Mexico State University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	1.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Orlando Flores Groundskeeper, Supervisor FS Grounds

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

NMSU is partnering with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to create opportunities for faculty and student research at the Organ Mountains-Desert Mountain Peaks National Monument.

https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/Articles/view/12210/nmsu-blm-partnership-combines-resource-management-and-research-opportunities

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

Swainson's Hawks: http://bit.ly/2abKQX4 We have a pair of nesting Swainson's hawks that have made their home and raised their family for three years in a row. They are a protected species and once they have laid their eggs, as a university, we are bound to take special care of them.

Burrowing owls: https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/articles/view/8656
Burrowing owls at NMSU are a protected species. When we are doing construction, building new buildings, or other construction activities, NMSU have re-located many of their nesting areas to safe places.

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

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Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Many of the campus bird populations are considered a vulnerable species due to their migratory characteristics.

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

Many of the campus bird populations are considered vulnerable due to their migratory characteristics. FS has adopted USFWS Migratory Bird Program with our primary focus of conserving habitats. Currently the Swainson hawk and Burrowing owl conservation programs are ongoing and are monitored by Dr. Campbell (hawks) and Martha Desmond (owl). We also have a Waterfowl Protection Program to protect the ducks and geese at one of our ponds on campus, FS grounds monitors the overall habitats and well-being of the ducks and geese. Areas of biodiversity include organ mountain regions adopted by the Bureau of land management and NMSU for research opportunities and Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park north of Las Cruces.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

NMSU has a Burrowing Owl program to protect this endangered species. We create nesting sites when their nests need to be relocated due to construction on campus.

http://jornada.nmsu.edu/node/237 is the website for the original Burrowing Owl study that helps us continue to take care of this little protected bird on our campus.

We also have a Waterfowl Protection Program to protect the ducks and geese at one of our ponds on campus. We oversee their protection and make sure that their food supply is adequate as well as monitoring the area around the pond to be sure that it is compatible with the waterfowl's needs.

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

100

Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

http://www.ofs.nmsu.edu/grounds.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

In Geography we have an internship course that students can take when working or volunteering for an agency or such. Geog 401. We can also offer special topics courses or directed readings which require a contract and an agreement as to what the student will do, learn, and report on.