Montezuma Land Conservancy presents findings on climate change - The Daily Planet

Montezuma Land Conservancy presents findings on climate change | News | telluridenews.com

With this year’s high snowpack and recent precipitation, Colorado is free from drought for the first time in years, but these conditions may not continue in the face of climate change. Southwestern Colorado has already experienced effects of climate change, including bigger and more severe wildfires, extended droughts and warmer winters. Experts predict that the area is likely to see more frequent summer heat waves, more severe droughts and lower river flows.

To mitigate the impacts of climate change, local communities and natural resource managers will need to develop plans to allocate water, manage forests at risk of fires and help protect threatened species.

Montezuma Land Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust located in Cortez, has been working to evaluate the repercussions of climate change in southwestern Colorado and create community plans to adapt to the changing environment.

In 2021, Montezuma Land Conservancy did a community values survey. The changing climate was a major concern, especially with drought and wildfire.

“We asked as an organization what we can do to help combat those issues,” James Reimann, conservation director, told the Daily Planet. “As part of that, we decided to explore a way we could help landowners who have conservation easements.”

The organization developed a climate resiliency project with Collin Metz, Western Colorado University graduate, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping to analyze the impact of climate change in Montezuma, Dolores and San Miguel counties.

“GIS mapping tools bring together a lot of different information like wildlife corridors, water access and soil health,” Reimann said.

GIS software helps study spatial data and can be used to pinpoint key biodiversity areas, follow weather, precipitation and temperature patterns, and to track species distributions.

Metz will present his findings from the mapping projects during an event at the Wilkinson Public Library on Thursday, July 20, from 2-3 p.m. Members of Montezuma Land Conservancy will lead a discussion about how the community can help drive climate resiliency in the southwest.

The results of the GIS mapping study help Reimann decide which proposals Montezuma Land Conservancy can support.

“In selecting new conservation projects, we have a limited amount of resources,” Reimann said. “These tools and the analysis will be an additional metric to help us decide which projects to choose.”

Montezuma Land Conservancy prioritizes projects that have higher climate resilience scores.

Another component of the project is providing information about climate resilience and conservation to landowners. The organization works with 75 families in Montezuma, Dolore and San Miguel counties.

“Landowners know their land the best and many have been managing land for generations, but it is an additional resource to help them guide their practices,” Reimann said.

On the state level, the Colorado Resiliency Framework, updated in 2020, serves as a roadmap for responding to natural and economic factors that affect Colorado’s population.

“Colorado has endured exceptional disruptions testing the resiliency of our great state,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement. “Enduring these disruptions requires innovation, collaboration and significant contributions from the State as well as local governments and other partners.”

The four main focus points are “adapting to our changing climate, understanding risks from natural and other hazards, addressing social inequities and unique community needs, and pursuing economic diversity and vibrancy.”

The framework also recognizes the importance of community and regional programs in climate resilience, such as the work by Montezuma Land Conservancy.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investments & Jobs Act in 2022 helped Colorado boost its efforts to make the state’s infrastructure more climate adaptive, as resiliency is one of the main focuses of this federal funding.

In 2022, Colorado granted $14.5 million from the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program local communities for fuels reduction projects and started developing the this year Wildfire Ready Watersheds Program, which gives $30 million to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to respond to post-wildfire needs in Colorado communities.

Even in the face of drought and wildfires, Montezuma Land Conservancy’s analysis revealed that ecosystems in southwestern Colorado are still holding on strong.

“Folks may assume that being close to the desert and not having a ton of water, the area may not be as resilient, but even here it can be surprisingly climate resilient,” Reimann said.

The event with Montezuma Land Conservancy is free and open to the public, but people are encouraged to RSVP to ensure that there are enough refreshments and snacks. For those unable to attend in person, a Zoom link will be available.

To RSVP for the event or to receive a Zoom link, email james@montezumaland.org or call 970-565-1664.