The Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center (CDRRC) is part of the New Mexico State University which is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It is a major source of arid lands research in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, which is part of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Established in 1927 to conduct "educational, demonstrative, and experimental development with livestock, grazing methods, and range forage," the CDRRC...is administered by the NMSU Board of Regents. The following Use Policy was approved on September 6, 2002 by the Board of Regents:

Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center (CDRRC) Policy

Purpose

To fulfill the principles and goals established in the Strategic Plan of NMSU by:

1. Maintaining excellence in teaching, research, and service to the people of New Mexico, and
2. Continuing the learning and application of knowledge consistent with the University’s land-grant mission.

Policy Statement

New Mexico State University shall operate the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center in order to protect and insure availability of its resources for teaching, research, and extension endeavors that benefit the citizens of New Mexico as originally declared in Congressional Act S4910. The mission will be:

The Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center will conduct educational, demonstrative, and experimental development with livestock, grazing methods, and range forage including investigation of the sustainability and management of natural resources and environmental ecosystems.

Procedures

1. Access to the CDRRC shall be controlled and limited. This will include CDRRC property north of sections 19-23, T 21 S, R 1 E.
2. Fence lines and signage will be established or re-established where deemed appropriate.
3. No one, including members of the public, university faculty and staff, or NMSU students is permitted to access the CDRRC without specific authorization from the Board of Regents or their designee.
4. The designated administrator of the CDRRC is the Associate Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. The Head of the Department of Animal and Range Sciences will administer a steering committee to supervise the research at the CDRRC.
5. Use of the CDRRC must conform to the mission established by the congressional act and use of the CDRRC must be approved by the CDRRC steering committee.
6. Hunting will be authorized on the CDRRC only when deemed necessary for management purposes. Firearm usage on the CDRRC other than use during a managed CDRRC hunt will be prohibited.
7. Camping will not be allowed on the CDRRC except when deemed essential for research, teaching, or management purposes.
8. All vehicles are restricted to established roads and right-of-ways. NMSU reserves the right to restrict vehicle traffic on NMSU roads if deemed appropriate.
9. The CDRRC will maintain land management policies adopted by NMSU and therefore will be dependent upon security and cooperative agreements of the NMSU Police department with other law enforcement agencies.
10. The administration acting on behalf of the Regents of New Mexico State University is authorized to implement a process, through title modifications, necessary to perfect the title to the CDRRC lands.

Boundaries of the CDRRC

The following is a map of the boundaries of the CDRRC.

Topographical Maps of the CDRRC

The following are Topographical maps of the CDRRC.

"Access to the CDRRC shall be controlled and limited. This will include CDRRC property north of sections 12-23, T 21 S, R 1 E."

For questions regarding the policy above, please contact:

Animal and Range Sciences
Knox Hall, Room 202,
MSC 3-I, Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003
Phone: 575-646-2514
Fax: 575-646-5441