Center of Excellence
Dune Sage Lizard
Sceloporus arenicolus
Lesser Prairie Chicken
Tympanuchus pallidicinctus
Delaware Basin
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CEHMM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that has created a wide range of cutting edge programs that work toward practical solutions to issues that affect both human health and the environment. These projects serve the community, the region, and the state through cooperative conservation, educational outreach, job creation, and research leading to resolution of important technical and environmental challenges.
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CEHMM is dedicated to providing environmental consultation services to industry for expediting permit authorizations regarding work on state and federal lands. Services include writing environmental assessments in support of applications for permits to drill (APDs), conducting APD “quick looks” in support of expediting APD submittals, trench monitoring and surveillances in support of BLM mandates.
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The CEHMM algae biofuel project was a research and development project investigating biodiesel production processes and the propagation, harvesting, and extraction of oil from both brine and fresh water algae. Use of algae as a biodiesel feedstock has great potential to make biodiesel a viable replacement for significant quantities of petro diesel, thereby reducing American dependence on foreign oil, reducing the impact of hazardous materials used in the petroleum industry, and reducing net global CO2 emissions. The project is a green energy project thereby supporting the national agenda of a clean and renewable source of energy.
CEHMM is proud to announce that with Xcel Energy's help, the Lake Avalon beautification project, funded by the Xcel Energy Foundation, is on its way to making a huge impact in the community. Lake Avalon, located along the Pecos River north of Carlsbad, is used by many residents for hiking, fishing, and hunting. Although many enjoy what this area offers, the lack of trash disposal facilities and the vast amount of public presence has caused litter to accumulate around the lake. CEHMM’s clean-up project goals included improving the health of the community, the health and vitality of the Lake Avalon ecosystem, and the aesthetic value Lake Avalon can give to the community. To date, CEHMM has removed over 5,000 lbs. of litter and installed 10 anti-littering signs and 4 trash receptacles. la2.jpg CEHMM hopes that this project will provide a clean and safe recreational area and a healthy ecosystem for the residents to enjoy.
CARLSBAD — Few people in Carlsbad could command the sort of crowd that was present Thursday evening for the dedication of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute building. State representatives, officials, former mayors, and more were in attendance for the building's dedication in John Heaton's name. "Nobody's done more for Carlsbad than John Heaton," Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said. "He's just the personification of a public servant." During his time as a state representative, Heaton was responsible for obtaining federal funding for the institute and the $5 million building. "None of these things happen without everybody working on it," Heaton said. "I'm humbled and honored to be the one with my name on the building, but believe me, it wasn't me. It was hundreds of people that made this happen." New Mexico Secretary of Energy and Minerals Dave Martin, New Mexico representatives Jim Townsend and Cathrynn Brown, and former mayors Bob Forrest and Gary Perkowski were all present at the ceremony. Janway read statements from former U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman. "John Heaton has devoted much of his career to serving the people of New Mexico and particularly the good people of Carlsbad and Eddy County," Bingaman said in his statement. "His contributions to the community are enormous, and he is most deserving of this important recognition." Heaton currently serves on the Mayor's Nuclear Task Force, the Eddy Lea Energy Alliance, and is chairman of the state mining commission. Heaton, a former pharmacist, has used his knowledge of the sciences in various endeavors, including helping to open Carlsbad's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. "We've all benefited from John's intelligence, high level of understanding, and tenacity," Janway said.
"The opportunity is before us to make a different future, and untested approaches are in motion. Is it enough of the right actions in the right places to maintain and recover this icon of the Southern Great Plains? The outcome hinges on our collective will to restore the prairie and the dynamic disturbances that maintain it." from Ecology and Conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chickens (2016) Just released by CRC press, Ecology and Conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, edited by Dr. Dave Haukos and Dr. Clint Boal, this 376-page book synthesizes the current body of knowledge on lesser prairie-chickens, creating an invaluable resource to guide future research, management, and conservation efforts. There are 31 contributors to this book. Collectively they provide a detailed picture of the species and the complexities surrounding its conservation. In New Mexico, three people contributed: Patricia McDaniel (CEHMM Range Scientist), Betty Williamson, and Grant Beauprez. For more information about content and coauthors, and to order the book, visit CRC Press.