Valencia SWCD Survey Results

Question 1:

Please indicate the top FIVE natural resource concerns and issues within your community with a check mark.

Natural Resource Concern	Responses
Aquifers: Depletion of groundwater from aquifers	166
Water quantity: scarcity of water	135
Agricultural land preservation	107
Pollution of air, land, or water	76
Land use changes (urbanization and reduced rural land)	71
Bosque management	70
Invasive plants and pests and noxious weeds	64
Chemicals: Use and management of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides	61
Agriculture: sustainable food and fiber production	59
Natural Disasters: catastrophic wildfires, extreme flooding, persistent drought	58
Air quality and atmospheric change	56
Erosion of topsoil from natural forces	52
Wildlife population, including pollinators	47
Water quality (including impacts from animal nutrients, chemicals, and stormwater)	46
Habitat: fragmentation and loss of habitat for wildlife	42
Storm water management and flood control	39
Soil health / soil quality	27
Biodiversity, loss of biodiversity	24
Recreation land	23
Endangered and threatened species	22
Resource depletion	20
Watersheds	15
Grazing lands in the bosque or forest	14
Wildlife corridors, crossings, and habitat	12
Sediment deposition from storm water and flooding	9
Riparian corridors	7
Waste: food waste	7
Wetlands	7
Rangeland	3
Wildland-Urban interface (WUI)	1

Question 2:

Please indicate with a check mark the FIVE groups in your community who need or would benefit from information, conservation products/goods, or technical assistance from the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District.

Community Group	Responses
Valencia County residents	118
Backyard gardeners	105
Homeowners	96
Beginning farmers	90
Full-time farmers	86
Flood control agencies	65
Land use planners	64
Schools	61
4H programs and Future Farmers of America (FFA)	57
Small-acreage farmers	57
Acequia associations	56
Land developers	49
Part-time farmers	46
Government agencies or elected officials	46
Recreational user groups	45
Environmental groups	43
Full-time ranchers	42
Agribusiness	37
Pueblo residents (of the Pueblo of Isleta and the Pueblo of Laguna)	36
Organic farmers	27
Business owners	25
Regenerative agriculture farmers	20
Dryland farmers	19
Cannabis growers	18
Tree farmers	12
Part-time ranchers	8
Northern Socorro County residents (living in precinct 14)	6
Value-added agriculture producers	6

Question 3:

Please indicate with a check mark the FIVE most important programs and services offered by the Valencia SWCD.

Program or Service	Responses
Education programs for children held outdoors at Whitfield	112
Forestry thinning by the removal of invasive species in the bosque	103
Bosque restoration and protection at Whitfield	96
Financial assistance to implement conservation practices	69
Financial assistance for conservation at home	67
Field Days on soil health practices	62
Conservation planning for landowners	61
Rainwater harvesting	56
Endangered and threatened species habitat	53
Land use planning	53
Wildlife habitat enhancement	52
Soil testing and physical assessment	52
Subdivision reviews	50
Good governance	48
Job training for conservation	47
Mulch (free mulch for residents)	43
Information (articles, social media, website)	42
Outreach and education events	34
Food-waste reduction education by composting	33
Fire recovery and mitigation	32
Soil health practice implementation	29
Scholarships for high school students	28
Community gardens	23
Outdoor recreation at Whitfield	19
Open space preservation	16
Healthy Soil Program sponsorship	14
Night sky viewing	11
Earth Day Celebrations	11
Walking trails	8
Wildlife viewing	5
Master Naturalist certification	5
Biochar production	3
Healthy soil champion sponsorship	3

Question 4:

Please indicate with a check mark the FIVE specific areas or topics that are most in need of natural resource conservation attention within Valencia SWCD.

Conservation Area or Topic	Responses
Bosque forest management along the Middle Rio Grande and Rio Puerco	121
Erosion control and prevention, including Dust Storms	83
Adoption of rules/ordinances to control soil erosion, stormwater flooding	78
Flood control and prevention (partnership with MRGCD)	76
Food grown locally (including value-added foods, farmers markets)	73
Invasive species and noxious weed control	66
Protection and preservation of groundwater	64
Pollinator species -- birds, bees, and plants	63
Agricultural production by small-acreage farmers and backyard gardeners	63
Abandoned, barren, or fallowed fields	60
Irrigation improvement and management	54
Water quality and quantity	53
Natural disaster mitigation (fire, flood, wind)	47
Outreach about available programs and services	43
Endangered species	33
Future outdoor recreation opportunities	32
Agricultural land preservation (plots greater than 5 acres)	31
Water conservation techniques	31
Agricultural production by large-scale farmers	29
School curriculum on conservation	29
Walking and hiking trails with accessibility improvements	29
High-value crops for small-acreage farmers	27
River bosque restoration after the Big Hole Fire	23
Wildlife conservation	21
Subdivision reviews	19
Conservation easements	18
Agricultural (nutrient) waste management	16
Wildlife corridors, crossings, and habitat	14
Soil health education and practice implementation	12
Watershed management	11
Regenerative and sustainable agriculture	9
Sediment control	6
Wildland urban interface (WUI) areas	1

Question 5:

Optional: List any other important issues not included under question 4 here.

Additional Issue Comments	Details
Total written responses	57
Most common theme: Water-related issues	16 responses
Free trees to Valencia County residents	Multiple responses
Various conservation education topics	Multiple responses

Question 6:

Are you aware of the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	209	78%
No	59	22%

Question 7:

Are you aware of the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area at 2424 State Highway 47 in Belen, New Mexico?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	202	75%
No	66	25%

Question 8:

Have you attended any activities, events, fieldtrips, or workshops at Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	97	36%
No	171	64%

Question 9:

Are you aware of the 0.25-mil levy assessment on property owners within the boundaries of the Valencia SWCD that supports Valencia SWCD's work?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	137	51%
No	131	49%

Question 10:

Are you aware of the Valencia SWCD's financial assistance program that funds conservation practices on small farms and backyard gardens (and that funds conservation goods such as water-conserving toilets, rain barrels, and gutters) on property that is subject to Valencia SWCD's mil levy?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	54	20%
No	214	80%

Question 11:

Have you participated in Valencia SWCD's financial assistance program?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	8	3%
No	260	97%

Question 12:

Would you support a small increase of Valencia SWCD's mil levy (from 0.25 mil to 0.5 mil)?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	157	59%
No	111	41%

Question 13:

How did you find out about this survey?

Discovery Method	Responses
Postcard from Valencia SWCD	259
Other	3
Copy from Valencia SWCD's office at Whitfield	3
Valencia SWCD website	2
Social media posts by Valencia SWCD	1
A friend told me	0

Question 14:

Do you know about the Friends of Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that supports Valencia SWCD programming at Whitfield Conservation Lands?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	115	43%
No	153	57%

Question 15:

Do you know that you can make tax-deductible donations to support Valencia SWCD by contributing to the Friends of Whitfield?

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	108	40%
No	160	60%

Question 16:

Would you be interested in having schools in your community visit the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area? [Transportation costs are underwritten by the non-profit, tax-exempt Friends of Whitfield organization.]

Response	Count	Percentage
Yes	222	83%
No	46	17%

Valencia SWCD Survey Results

Survey Overview

Multiple Choice Questions (Select Top 5)

Text Response Question

Yes/No Questions