About Us
Helping People Help the Land
Since 1967, we’ve worked to improve the natural resources, educational opportunities, and socio-economics of Lincoln and Otero Counties in New Mexico.
SCMRC&D Works for You
Our Past
In February 1968, Howard Harkey reported to the RC&D Steering Committee the following: “During the past five months, the South Central Mountain RC&D District has come into existence. What was just an idea in the minds of the supervisors of the three Soil and Water Conservation Districts (Carrizozo, Otero, and Upper Hondo) is now a reality.”
The South Central Mountain RC&D Council was formed on September 21, 1967, and received its non-profit status in 1992. The office was established in Carrizozo, New Mexico, and a Project Conservationist, Howard (Harve) Abercrombie, was assigned in June 1970. The RC&D office moved to its current location in Ruidoso, New Mexico in 2012.
Our Present
Today, we are a seven-member volunteer board representing various industries, communities, and interests in Lincoln and Otero Counties. Following in Harkey and Abercrombie’s footsteps, the area we cover now is the same as it was in the late 1960s. It covers 7.3 million acres or about 11,458 square miles of Lincoln and Otero Counties. Our current sponsors range from Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), municipalities, and counties to other units of government and local area partners. Together, we work to solve local problems and satisfy local needs.
We are officially recognized by the State of New Mexico as a nonprofit corporation and have been granted federal tax-exempt status (501(c)(3)) by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Our Future
As a nonprofit organization, we have the privilege to partner with anyone interested in improving Lincoln and Otero Counties. That means you! To see if we can help your community project, you must first present your project proposal to one of our sponsoring organizations. If approved, they will present it to the Council at a regular scheduled Council meeting for final approval. In this way, we address area needs by uniting local community developers, various units of government, and grassroots organizations, in turn ensuring the wise use of our local water, land, community, and environmental resources.
Some of the basic concepts of the RC&D Councils are:
• Land Conservation – RC&D Councils work with local partners to identify, fund, and complete land conservation projects of all types.
• Water Management – RC&D Water Management Projects often create recreation opportunities that also create jobs and make communities more attractive to development.
• Community Development – Via their non-profit status, local Councils can provide training, coordination, and communication services that help other organizations develop projects.
• Land Management – RC&D Councils work with funding partners to make sure worthy projects find the financial assets they need to be successful.
Have a project idea in mind?
Our Partners
