Spanning more than 140,000 acres of the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains in northcentral New Mexico, Philmont Scout Ranch is the largest national high adventure base for the Boy Scouts of America. To date, it hosted more than one million scouts. And in its distant past, miners, loggers and mountain men like Kit Carson once roamed the rugged landscape.
It recently hosted the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and several dozen land managers, foresters, private landowners, biologists, educators and other natural resource specialists for a week-long land management symposium. Topics included pinyon/juniper encroachment, approaches to the Endangered Species Act, riparian restoration, carbon credits and road infrastructure. Attendees took part in field trips, seminars, Q&A sessions and other activities.
RMEF, a long-time proponent of active forest management for the betterment of wildlife habitat, wildfire mitigation and overall forest health, received recognition (see photo below – RMEF Lands Operations Manager Ryan Chapin in plaid shirt) in support of education and collaboration which implements responsible stewardship and management of natural resources.
(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)