Christopher Banet - Achieving Solutions for natural resources Study

Christopher Banet is a natural resources expert with forty years experience in the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior. He has worked as a Natural Resources Specialist involved in the negotiation of water rights, range management, forest management, water management, geohydrology, and land management and land classification. Mr. Banet holds certifications as professional soil scientist and professional soil classifier.

 

Key Areas of Expertise:

Water Resource Assessment With a Focus on New Mexico: Mr. Banet has a deep understanding of water availability and hydrological processes of the southwestern United States. This includes assessing surface water and groundwater resources, inventory of water features, and evaluating water supply-demand dynamics.

Water Rights: Mr. Banet possesses comprehensive knowledge of the technical aspects of water rights and water practices in the Southwest US. This includes the practical aspects of water use within the rubric of water law, entailing understanding state water laws, water rights adjudication processes, and water permit systems. He can meaningfully engage in negotiations over water rights in highly complex and controversial situations.

Watershed Restoration and Planning: Mr. Banet is skilled in watershed management and planning, developing prescriptions for flood-damaged and fire-damaged stream systems; and in developing strategies to prepare for weather and fire events. He works to identify objectives such as erosion control, species diversity or maintaining base flow of streams, and then develop strategies to achieve objectives.

Land Management and Range Management: In addition to water, Mr. Banet has expertise in land management, with focus on rangeland management. Mr. Banet understands the intricacies of tribal water rights, the sound use of water sources for livestock, rangeland ecosystems, grazing practices, and restoration techniques to promote sustainable land use.

Aerial Photo Interpretation: Mr. Banet has the ability to interpret aerial photographs and satellite imagery to analyze land cover, vegetation patterns, and changes over time. This expertise allows him to examine irrigated lands and their history, describe changes in water use features over time, assess land conditions, identify potential land use conflicts, and inform land and water management decisions.

Soil Investigations: Mr. Banet possesses knowledge and experience in soil science and soil investigations for soil classification, land classification, soil genesis, and soil erosion control measures. This expertise helps him identify past uses of land, to look back, in some cases, hundreds of years and identify farming practices of Native Americans. And enables him to evaluate the suitability of land for different uses and recommend soil conservation practices.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: Mr. Banet has excellent communication and facilitation skills to engage with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, water districts, tribes, landowners, and community groups. Mr. Banet can foster collaboration and consensus-building to address water management challenges effectively.

Clients Whom We Could Serve Well

Mr. Banet would bring his wide range of expertise to serve these entities well:

• Government Agencies

• Indigenous Communities and Tribal Governments

• Non-Profit Organizations

• Private Businesses

• Landowners and Ranchers

• Community Groups

• Educational Institutions

Contact Christopher Banet to see if your natural resources needs can be helped with his expertise.