Bat Conservation International to assist through Challenge Cost Share Agreement

SILVER CITY, NM, July 25, 2023 – The Gila National Forest is partnering with Bat Conservation International to implement habitat recovery and restoration projects across the Gila National Forest. To that end, aerial seeding is set to begin later this week within part of the area burned during last year's Black Fire.

"We have an enormous amount of work to accomplish, in terms of recovering from the Black Fire, along with implementing projects that reduce risk of future catastrophic wildfire to communities and critical infrastructure, and restoring forest and watershed structure," said Gila National Forest Supervisor Camille Howes. "We also have enormous challenges in attracting, hiring, and retaining our federal workforce. We hope to increase the pace and scale at which we complete these restoration efforts and increase our working capacity by partnering with non-profit organizations like Bat Conservation International."

Under the agreement, Bat Conservation International will oversee a contract for aerial seeding of 7,617 acres of lands where the Black Fire burned at high severity in order to improve conditions within degraded watersheds. This seeding will assist with recovery of surface vegetation, reducing further watershed erosion and sedimentation. The Black Fire burned 19 watersheds, with the highest intensity impacts occurring along the west side of the Continental Divide. Seeding will occur in the Diamond Creek, South Diamond Creek, and East Mimbres Creek watersheds.

"We are excited to partner with the Gila National Forest on this key effort to reestablish vegetation in high burn severity areas of the forest," said Director of Habitat Protection and Restoration for Bat Conservation International, Jason Corbett. "The impact of these timely efforts will benefit dozens of species of bats that call the forest home as well as a multitude of other animals that are key to the forest ecosystem functioning in balance."

Seeding is expected to begin Friday July 28 and should take up to 10 days to complete. For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov.