Multi-jurisdictional Prescribed Fire Planned for Cerro Del Aire Collaborative Forest Restoration Project Landscape.

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 07, 2019

Contact:         Eytan Krasilovsky, 505-470-0185, eytan@forestguild.org or Esmé Cadiente, 505-470-0032, esme@forestguild.org

Multi-jurisdictional Prescribed Fire Planned for Cerro Del Aire Collaborative Forest Restoration Project Landscape.

Santa Fe, NM – The Forest Stewards Guild (FSG), working closely with the New Mexico State Land Office (SLO) and the Taos Field Office (TFO) of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), have been preparing the multi-jurisdictional Cerro del Aire landscape, located 7 miles from Tres Piedras, NM, for a prescribed burn since 2016.

This Collaborative Forest Restoration Program project is aimed at protecting soil integrity, maintaining forest health and reducing wildfire risk to nearby communities. The checker-boarded ownership of the land in the project area makes implementing forest restoration, prescribed fire, and managed wildfire challenging. A solution for land managers like the SLO and the TFO is to coordinate their treatments, and work together toward the shared goal of increasing forest health and creating resilient forests and communities in Northern New Mexico.

The forests in the Cerro Del Aire landscape are adapted to fire and need low-intensity burns to remain healthy and reduce the risk of a catastrophic wildfire that could threaten nearby communities. A prescribed burn is planned for this week with ignitions beginning on Tuesday, October 8th (weather dependent). The burn team will be led by the BLM and will be comprised of qualified wildland firefighters from the SLO, FSG and the BLM. In addition, the Forest Stewards Fire and Fuels Youth Crew will aid in the operations. This crew is part of a program that prepares participants for careers in natural resource management by providing them with training, certifications and hands-on experience. The youth are qualified to National Wildfire Coordinating Group wildland firefighting standards.

Smoke will be closely monitored during the burn in compliance with the NM Environment Department’s Air Quality Bureau standards. Smoke may settle overnight in the surrounding areas including Tres Piedras, Carson, Pilar, Taos, Lama, and Questa but should disperse the following morning.  Smoke-sensitive individuals can borrow a HEPA filter for use in their homes for the duration of the burn from the Forest Stewards Guild at no cost. Information on smoke, human health, and the HEPA Filter Loan Program can be accessed here, https://facnm.org/smoke#smokeanchor5.   

For more information call/text 505-470-0185.

FAC NM updates: Member profiles and Asset mapping workshop registration

Greetings FAC NM Members! 

Since our official launch at the New Mexico Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS) in April, FAC NM we've been working to update www.facnm.org with content and member profiles from folks that signed up at the summit. If you have yet to sign up to be a member please do so here. Be sure to indicate whether you are interested in becoming a FAC Leader. The rollout of the FAC Leader program is on track for this summer. To view our updated member profiles, check out the FAC NM Member directory here.

We've also added new content to the resources page, such as Resources for Private Forest Landowners in New Mexico guide. Based on feedback received at the WUFS, we've added a "current projects" where partners and FAC NM members can share or find projects and funding opportunities for reducing wildfire risk and improving forest resilience. One current project, Landowner engagement in critical watersheds, provides assistance to forest landowners by offering a home hazard assessment and/or forest resilience assessment for their property. If you are interested in having an assessment done, click on the link above and complete the landowner support form.  

Registration is open for the asset-mapping workshop!

Join us June 26-28 in Santa Fe for the Mapping Community Assets to Build Wildfire Resilience workshop. If you are interested in participating, please complete the registration form available on the events page. 

Thanks to everyone who has joined FAC NM as a member and for all the input we received in the lead up to and during the WUFS. Like fire adaptation, our work to improve the network will never be done. We will continue to develop partnerships to increase wildfire resilience and make the network work for it's members. Don't forget to join the FAC NM forum and post your ideas for how to improve the network! 

From everyone at FAC NM, have a safe and fun summer!