Native forest resources in northern New Mexico were heavily cutover for domestic purposes while under private ownership. These lands, which were historically ponderosa pine forests, are now mostly dominated by sagebrush, pinon pine, and juniper. The Bureau of Land Management has been taking care of the land ever since it became public by the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant-Act. Between 1991 and 1995 AMERICAN FORESTS, America ’s oldest conservation non-profit, provided the Bureau of Land Management grants to plant ponderosa pine seedlings as part of its Global ReLeaf program. This project perfectly demonstrated the Global ReLeaf’s purpose, to restore damaged ecosystems by planting native trees. By undertaking this project these partners would restore the ponderosa pine population in the Homestead Mesa region, which is near Cuba , New Mexico .

            This partnership successful re-established over 200 acres of ponderosa pine on homestead land by planting more than 34,000 seedlings. The seedlings planted will restore this damaged ecosystem by improving habitat for wildlife, the tree canopy cover, and the ponderosa pine population in the area. In 10 to 15 years the trees planted will be responsible for annually removing over 895,700 pounds of carbon dioxide and producing 447,850 pounds of oxygen.