Noticias de las Acequias - Support NMAA and the Next Generation of Acequia ...
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Yahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season!
From: New Mexico Acequia Association (communications@lasacequias.org)
To: johplummer@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, December 21, 2018, 4:25 PM MST
Acequia in the farolito evening -Digitally Altered Image by Donatella Davanzo
Noticias de las Acequias New Mexico Acequia
Association
December 21, 2018
In This Issue...
¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias This Holiday Season
1 of 8 12/21/2018, 4:59 PM
Yahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
Congratulations to NMAA's Los Sembradores Farmer Trainee Graduates
Apply Now! Los Sembradores Farmer Training Program 2019
2019 Capital Outlay Request Forms Now Available Upcoming Events
Save The Date: 2019 Acequia Day at the Legislature Acequia Day at the
Legislature
Farm Bill Qualifies Acequias & Land Grants for USDA Programs
February 5, 2018
¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias This Holiday Season! NM State Capital
Become a
Member
Become a member of
the New Mexico
Acequia Association!
The NMAA is a
charitable, educational
non-profit organization
that relies on
membership
contributions and
foundations for its
general operating
expenses. We rely on
folks who join as
members to contribute
membership dues and
donations to support
our work. It has never
Sacando la acequia en el valle de sur -Photo taken by Donatella Davanzo been more important to
have a united front to
Dear Friends, protect our acequias
and strengthen our food
Thank you for being a member and supporter of the New Mexico Acequia Association! As and agricultural
2018 comes to a close and we take time to celebrate the holiday season, we also reflect on a traditions.
historic year for acequias. Although it was a challenging year of water shortages, acequia
traditions endured and lessons learned will help us adapt for the future. Technical
Assistance
As we look to the coming year, we will hope for snow and continue our vital work of
protecting the precious waters that nurture our communities and adapting to growing food in HOW DO WE
ever-challenging conditions. Our work is as important as ever! PROTECT OUR
WATER RIGHTS?
During the past year, we were honored to serve acequias through education and advocacy. HOW DO WE GET
Our workshops and direct assistance to acequias reached over a thousand community FUNDING TO
members. IMPROVE OUR
ACEQUIA? WHAT
NMAA worked with over 300 acequias to strengthen their capacity to manage and CAN OUR ACEQUIA
protect water in their respective communities. DO TO PROTECT
OUR EASEMENTS?
Over 125 acequias are in some phase of planning, design, or construction of an WHAT PROGRAMS
2 of 8 12/21/2018, 4:59 PM
Yahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
acequia project throughout New Mexico, a sign of a renewed commitment to keeping ARE AVAILABLE TO
our acequias flowing. SUPPORT FARMERS
AND RANCHERS?
We completed our second year of farm apprenticeships with Los Sembradores Farmer
Training project and engaged youth through our Sembrando Semillas program. The NMAA offers
technical assistance on
The impact of our work was stronger local governance of water, protection of acequia water Acequia Governance
rights, and cultivation of acequia leaders, including youth. During 2019, we hope to build on and USDA programs
this work to continue to be a force for change in New Mexico by defending water, training for landowners. If any
community leaders, and building a new generation of acequia farmers! of these questions
apply to you or your
Please join the NMAA or renew your membership on our website, https://lasacequias.org acequia, please submit
/product/nmaa-membership/ by calling our office at 505-995-9644. Thank you for all you a
do to keep our acequias vibrant and beautiful!! Que Vivan las Acequias! Request for Technical
Assistance
With gratitude,
Paula Garcia
Executive Director
Congratulations to NMAA's Los Sembradores Farmer Trainee
Graduates!
Los Sembradores Graduates (L to R:) Edward Gonzales, Farmer Trainer; Augustine Gonzales, Graduate;
Essence Quintana, Graduate; Emily Arasim, Graduate; Donne Gonzales, Trainer, and Lorenzita Gonzales
-Photo taken by Juliet Garcia-Gonzales, NMAA Staff
After a full year of activities and intensive training the NM Acequia Association is proud to
honor its recent graduates of the Los Sembradores Farmer Trainee Program. These youth
dug out acequias, built cold storage, high tunnels, and planted traditional vegetables that
3 of 8 12/21/2018, 4:59 PM
Yahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
were marketed for the farm to school program. But more importantly, they cultivated a deep
love and conciseness for acequias and agriculture.
Now more than ever it is critical to engage our young people in acequia agriculture and
mentor the next generation farmers and advocates for our traditional ways of life. Our
graduates are unafraid and unapologetic farmers that despite the drought still farmed, were
willing to learn and were vocal in many conferences and gatherings of other young leaders.
We are proud to celebrate Emily Arasim, Essence Quintana, and Augustine Gonzales for the
graduating cohort of 2018! Special thanks to Donne Gonzales and Edward Gonzales for
their countless hours and dedication to training our young farmers!
Apply Now! Los Sembradores Farmer Training Program 2019
2019 Capital Outlay Request Forms Now Available!
4 of 8 12/21/2018, 4:59 PM
Yahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
Irrigating fields in SW Albuquerque -Photo taken by Donatella Davanzo
Does your acequia need infrastructure repairs? New headgates, diversion, lining, or piping?
Improved infrastructure can improve efficiency, increase participation in your acequia, and
keeps water rights in agricultural use.
As political subdivisions, acequias are eligible for Capital Outlay funding from the State
Legislature. NMAA has worked with numerous acequias on Infrastructure Capital
Improvement Plans, applications for multiple sources of funding, and with preliminary
assessments and cost estimates. We highly encourage those acequias who have already done
some planning and design work to apply for funding. NMAA can assist you in preparing
your Capital Outlay Request Forms.
If your acequia has not done any infrastructure planning or prepared other funding requests,
you can still request funds but we recommend that you at least get some preliminary cost
estimates. If you need this type of assistance, please contact us ASAP.
The legislature is accepting the Capital Outlay Request Forms
NOW. Please let NMAA know if you need assistance with your forms, which are required
to be signed by your legislators. Each legislator is allocated a certain amount of capital
funding for his or her district. If you haven't discussed your request with them, please do so
ASAP.
The final deadline to submit forms is
February 11, 2018 at 5pm but NMAA strongly urges acequias to submit their forms
before the legislative session starts on January 14th and to visit your legislator at least
once during the legislative session to remind them of the importance of your request.
Please call NMAA if you need assistance in completing Capital Outlay Request Forms or if
you have any questions! Call (505) 995-9644 or send an email to toribio@lasacequias.org.
5 of 8 12/21/2018, 4:59 PM
Yahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
Save The Date: 2019 Acequia Day at the Legislature
Secured Provision for Farm Bill Makes Acequias and Land Grants
Eligible for USDA Programs
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Yahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
WASHINGTON
- U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they secured a provision
in the 2018 Farm Bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13, to make acequias and
land grant-mercedes eligible for grants and technical assistance from conservation and
environmental programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase agricultural water efficiency and further
conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources...
The Farm Bill includes two provisions to benefit New Mexico's traditional
communities.
- One provision makes land grants and acequias eligible for funding for the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) program, allowing NRCS to provide technical assistance
and infrastructure investments to land grants and acequias by contracting with them to
support conservation work on lands owned by and lands adjacent to land grants and
acequias. This provision will enable land grants and acequias to improve water conservation,
water distribution, conservation of surface or groundwater, aquifer recovery and crop
rotation. By becoming eligible entities for EQIP, acequias and land grants can work directly
with NRCS to access this $2 billion a year program which provides financial investment to
farmers and ranchers in every state.
- The farm bill also makes acequias directly eligible entities for the Regional Conservation
Partnership Program (RCPP). In 2014, the New Mexico delegation included a provision in
the Farm Bill to allow acequias to access Natural Resources Conservation Services' (NRCS)
grants through partnerships with other eligble entities, such as conservation districts. It has
been one of the most successful partnerships in the country, giving New Mexico farmers
access to programs that help them implement conservation practices on their farms to
conserve water, protect soil and assure that farmers have the tools needed to remain
productive in the future. This year's provision builds on this success, cutting red tape and
making acequias directly eligible for RCPP programs. Regional Conservation Partnerships
are collaborative, watershed-scale projects where eligible producers and landowners of
7 of 8 12/21/2018, 4:59 PMYahoo Mail - ¡Feliz Navidad! Please Support Acequias this Holiday Season! https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/17885
agricultural land may enter into conservation program contracts or easement agreements
under the framework of a partnership agreement to conserve water, soil and assure economic
viability for the community. They help to leverage private investment with public money to
increase the impact of private lands conservation.
"The inclusion of acequias and land grants in the Farm Bill is an important historical
milestone," said Paula Garcia, executive director of the New Mexico Acequia
Association. "We are extremely grateful for the work of our congressional delegation to
make our communities eligible for conservation programs. This will improve access to
funding that will support a centuries-old way of life and a long legacy of stewardship of land
and water in New Mexico."
"Acequias have been the lifeblood of many New Mexico communities for centuries. Now,
by being able to access EQIP and RCPP funds, acequias can better invest in the
infrastructure needed to ensure their survival for centuries to come," said Ralph Vigil,
chairman of the New Mexico Acequia Commission. "A big thank you to Senators Udall
and Heinrich for helping to make it possible for acequias obtain the necessary tools to
expand conservation practices, and for assisting New Mexico's farmers and ranchers to
provide our state with much needed acequia grown food, all while improving the health and
economies of our acequia communities."
"The New Mexico Land Grant Council is very excited that land grant-mercedes and
acequias have been included as eligible for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) under the Farm Bill," said Juan Sanchez, chairman of the New Mexico Land
Grant Council. "This is a huge milestone for land grants-mercedes in New Mexico, who
collectively manage over 200,000 acres of common lands throughout the state. Eligibility for
EQIP funding has been a top legislative priority for the Council for over 4 years. The
Council is thankful for the leadership of Senator Tom Udall in his advocacy efforts in the
U.S. Senate and for all of the hard work of the entire New Mexico Congressional Delegation
in supporting this important policy change in the Farm Bill."
New Mexico Acequia Association, 805 Early St. , Building B, Suite 203, Santa
Fe, NM 87505
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