{"id":20,"date":"2022-02-21T17:29:09","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T00:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/genesislab.xyz\/VSWCD\/?page_id=20"},"modified":"2022-04-11T12:41:48","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T18:41:48","slug":"whitfield-wildlife-conservation-area","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/whitfield-wildlife-conservation-area\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"20\" class=\"elementor elementor-20\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1663f5e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1663f5e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-12b5a55\" data-id=\"12b5a55\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-92f4d52 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"92f4d52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ddc878d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ddc878d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"599\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area.jpg?fit=599%2C180&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-210\" alt=\"Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area.jpg?w=599&amp;ssl=1 599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area.jpg?resize=300%2C90&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3997103 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3997103\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"599\" height=\"423\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area-Map.jpg?fit=599%2C423&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-211\" alt=\"Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area Map\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area-Map.jpg?w=599&amp;ssl=1 599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area-Map.jpg?resize=300%2C212&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df28481 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"df28481\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<div class=\"n module-type-text diyfeLiveArea \"><p><strong>About Us<\/strong><\/p><p>In central New Mexico, the Rio Grande supports a cottonwood-willow riparian forest (commonly referred to by its Spanish name, bosque) and associated wetlands that are invaluable for sustaining wildlife and a supply of water for irrigation.\u00a0 In the past, many wetlands were converted to agriculture and, more recently, impacted by urbanization. In an effort to reverse the decline and degradation of the valuable Middle Rio Grande Bosque and its associated wetlands so vital to good quality water and species survivability, the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District (District) embarked on a cooperative conservation project, the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>History<\/strong><\/p><p>In April 2003, the Valencia Soil &amp; Water Conservation District acquired a donation of a 97 acre tract of land in Belen, New Mexico historically known as the Whitfield-Trammell Property or the old Curran&#8217;s dairy. The Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area (WWCA) has been put into a permanent conservation easement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) for restoration and protection of the area. This formed the initial conservation area known as the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, now a unit within the Whitfield Conservation Area Complex that also consists of the Stacey Unit and the Rio Abajo Conservation Area.<\/p><p>The Stacey Unit was added to the Whitfield Conservation Area Complex (WCAC) in December 2015 as a donation to the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District. With the donation, approximately 43 (42.9478) acres were added to the WCAC. The Stacey Tract has great potential to offer visitors expanded opportunities for physical activity or a place to foster mental and spiritual health.\u00a0 Parks and open spaces can help to restore people from day-to-day stresses and challenges and\/or provide creative, safe places for outdoor recreation.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"n module-type-text diyfeLiveArea \"><p>South of Rio Communities, the Rio Abajo Conservation Area adds approximately 100 acres to the WCAC. Efforts are underway to begin restoration efforts for wildlife. Our staff and others have begun the process of removing non-native, invasive vegetation including salt cedar and Russian olive. Eventually, the area will be planted with native vegetation.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Whitfield Today<\/strong><\/p><p>With the cooperation of dedicated local, state, and national agencies and volunteers, the District constructed and maintains moist meadow units and new wetlands, protects existing wetlands, plants a food plot for migrating and resident birds and wildlife, and restored native vegetation in riparian buffer zones for food and shelter for wildlife.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>The Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area attracts a diverse audience of tourists, birdwatchers, hikers, and students who want to learn about wetlands ecology in an otherwise arid place. The Visitors\u2019 and Education Center building opened in late 2009 and serves as a visitor center and environmental education facility. We provide learning opportunities to local school children as well as sponsor teacher workshops, adult education, special events, and other programs.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dce860a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"dce860a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"599\" height=\"463\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area-Rules.jpg?fit=599%2C463&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-215\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area-Rules.jpg?w=599&amp;ssl=1 599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Whitfield-Wildlife-Conservation-Area-Rules.jpg?resize=300%2C232&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area About Us In central New Mexico, the Rio Grande supports a cottonwood-willow riparian forest (commonly referred to by its Spanish name, bosque) and associated wetlands that are invaluable for sustaining wildlife and a supply of water for irrigation.\u00a0 In the past, many wetlands were converted to agriculture and, more recently, impacted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218,"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20\/revisions\/218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valenciaswcd.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}