Deborah M. Finch

These proceedings are an outcome of a symposium and workshop held June 2-5, 1998 in Albuquerque, NM. Hosted by the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Bosque Improvement Group, in collaboration with numerous partners from a variety of sectors, the symposium was designed to report on current research and development activities in the Middle Rio Grande Basin. The purpose of the meeting was to share information and develop ideas for sustaining and conserving Middle Rio Grande Basin ecosystems, especially those from Cochiti Dam to Elephant Butte Reservoir. Experts were invited to contribute oral presentations, posters, and papers that addressed five Basin themes. Theme one's session was designed to identify methods and opportunities to enhance communication and collaboration among researchers, managers, and communities. A second theme explored ideas and approaches for conserving water and riparian resources in relation to human needs and population growth. Theme three discussed how watershed processes form linkages and influence management of upland and river resources. A fourth session identified methods and strategies for restoring and monitoring basin ecosystems and discussed project successes and failures. Theme five reported on status of endangered and sensitive species, biological diversity, and opportunites for restoring and managing habitats to recover species. Management and understanding of the Middle Rio Grande Basin's natural resources and ecosystems require communication and cooperation of partners across cultural, landowner, and organizational boundaries. To produce a shared understanding of the current state and desired future state of the Middle Rio Grande Basin and to outline the steps needed to move toward the desired future, a facilitated workshop was held the last day of the conference. The results of this workshop are reported in the concluding section of this proceedings. The technical coordinators of the symposium and proceedings wish to acknowledge all the partners who have contributed to the research, restoration, technology development, educational outreach, and special events and activities designed to improve human and ecosystem conditions in the Basin. We hope this volume captures at least some of the excitement, ideas, and productivity generated by Basin projects over the past several years.

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