Help

New Mexico Environmental Review Tool: Click this link to access this guide in .pdf format Basic Help        

This guide is meant to be a general introduction to functionality of the New Mexico Environmental Review Tool (ERT).  The intention is not to cover all of the system's functions but expose the user to various tools for further exploration. Use the links below to access relevant pages on the ERT.

  1.  If you are new to the ERT, click on "Create new account" from the home page, fill out the required fields (marked with red asterisks), and click the "Create new account" button at the bottom of the form. Once you have created a user account, you can log in on the upper right corner of the home page. Once logged in, you can create projects and receive reports with species lists and recommendations regarding a variety of different development and land management activities.
  2. If you have forgotten your password, click the "Request new password" link on the upper right of the home page.
  3. To update your account settings, including your Password, log in, select "My Account" on the upper right corner of the home page, and press the "Edit" button. Change the desired settings or information on the "Edit" page. You must enter your "Current password" to edit your "E-mail address" or "Password". Press "Save" at the bottom of the form.
  4. Click the Create Project/Map menu item to navigate to the map.
  5. Use the "Search" tool  on the upper right of the map to find a specific place, for example Cabezon Peak, NM, USA, or enter GPS coordinates (e.g., -105.938482, 35.687399 for the Plaza in Santa Fe, NM).
  6. Use the "+" and "-" icons  and  in the lower right of the map or the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out. 
  7. Use "Search for Features" at the upper left of the map to search for specific areas delineated in the available map layers. For example, to search for a specific watershed, turn on the "Watersheds (HUC8)" layer by clicking on the "Visibility" (i.e., eye) icon next to the layer name under the list of "Layers"; select "Watersheds (HUC8)" as the "Layer to Search" under "Search for Features"; select "Add Condition"; select "Name" as the "Field Name" to search on; set "Operator" to "contains"; and type "Upper Rio Grande" for the "Value". The Upper Rio Grande watershed should be displayed in a table to the right of the layer list and outlined on the map. To remove the filter and see all the watersheds that intersect New Mexico, click the "X" at the upper right of the "Attribute Filter" box. To end the search on the "Watersheds (HUC8)" layer, select the "X" in the "Stop Searching on Layer" button.
  8. To alter the content of the map:
  • Use the "Select Basemap" icon  to the right of the list of layers to change the base layer of the map. For example, select "Imagery" to view aerial images rather than the default topographic map with hillshade.
  • Use the "Visibility" (i.e., eye) icons next to the layer names of interest to turn them on (eye open) and off (eye with a line through it). Use the "Options" icon to the right of the "Visibility" icons to change the opacity of the layer and get more information on the layer.
  • Use the "Legend" icon  to the right of the list of layers to view the symbology for layers that are turned on. 
  1. Use "Create Project" at the upper left of the map to submit a project for environmental review. Choose from the following drawing and editing options to define the project area. 
  • Select "Draw on Map" or "Upload File" to create a project footprint to be analyzed by the ERT. For "Draw on Map", zoom in closer than the listed scale (1:288,896) and select the type of footprint you wish to create (i.e., polygon , line , or point ) and draw the area of interest for the ERT review on the map. You can draw multiple polygons by reselecting the "Draw a polygon" icon  after drawing the first polygon. For "Upload File", accepted file types are .kml, .kmz, .gml, and zipped shapefiles, all in standard projections and under 10 MB in size.
  • To select an area delineated by an existing map layer, use "Select From Layers". For example, to select a watershed as your project footprint, select "Watersheds (HUC8)" as the "Layer to Search" and click the watershed of interest, ensuring it is highlighted in turquoise. You can also first use the "Search this Layer" under "Search for Features"; set up the "Attribute Filter" by selecting "Add Condition"; use the steps described in bullet 7 above to select the watershed of interest; click on the watershed of interest, ensuring it is highlighted in turquoise; go back to "Select From Layers" under "Create Project"; and select "Watersheds (HUC8) (filtered)" as the "Layer to Search".
  • Click "Accept" to use the drawn, uploaded, or selected features as the project footprint. 
  • Fill out fields in the "Accept" window, including "Project Title", "Project Type", "Project Description", "Project Organization" (if you are entering this project on behalf of another entity; type in part of the organization name and wait to see if the organization already exists and can be selected from the system [e.g., type "Village of Ti" if you are looking for "Village of Tijeras"] before entering a new organization name); and upload any files that may help the technical guidance team in reviewing the submitted project. These may include any biological assessments performed for the site; a map of the project area showing proposed activities; or a file with a more detailed project description including the type of activities proposed, timing, and any best management practices that will be used to mitigate impacts to wildlife. Click "Submit" to submit the project for review. 
  1. Once the project has been processed (should take a few minutes and you should receive a verification email), go to "My Projects", click on the title of the project of interest, download and review the "Project Report (PDF)" and, as relevant, zip file of the boundary "Shapefile (ZIP)" and tabular outputs of the "Species Results (CSV)" for Species of Greatest Conservation Need, Species of Economic and Recreational Importance, or state- or federally listed species that may occur in the project's impact area.
  2. "Log out" using the bottom at the upper right of the webpage to close your session.