Hi Fireshed Community,
As the weather begins to change, it is a great time to take action by educating ourselves and our friends, family, and neighbors about wildfire risk. This week’s Wildfire Wednesdays newsletter shares some great opportunities for you to learn more about the relationship between New Mexico’s landscapes and wildfire.
This Week’s Wildfire Wednesdays features:
Join the public meeting tomorrow (10/14) about the Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project
Take a look at the Wildfire Risk to Communities tool to better understand the wildfire risk in your area.
Register now for the 2021 virtual Wildland Urban Fire Summit
Best,
Gabe
Public Meeting (10/14) - Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project
The previously announced virtual open house on the Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project (SFMLRP) this Thursday will livestream on Zoom, not Facebook, which will give members of the public the opportunity to speak directly with specialists who worked on the proposal.
The SFMLRP “lunch and learn” is scheduled for Oct. 14 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81896951009. Participants may also call into the meeting by dialing 346- 248-7799 and entering the meeting ID 818 9695 1009.
Hosted by the Santa Fe National Forest and the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition (GSFFC), the lunch and learn will begin with a brief overview of the project and then break into three virtual “rooms.” Specialists will spend 20 minutes in each breakout room to give participants an opportunity to have a conversation with them on vegetation, fire and fuels, air quality and climate, wildlife, scenery and recreation will be available.
The proposed project is designed to improve the health of a priority landscape and increase its resilience to future disturbances, including wildfire, climate change, insects and disease, by using prescribed fire and small-tree thinning on up to 38,680 acres across a 50,566-acre project area over the next 10 to 15 years. The SFMLRP was developed by the GSFFC, a multi-partner collaborative that came together to proactively address the risk of high-severity wildfire and post-fire flooding and debris flow near the city of Santa Fe.
The 30-day public comment period on the draft environmental assessment (EA) opened on Sept. 30, and comments received by Oct. 29 will be analyzed and responded to prior to a decision on the SFMLRP. Substantive comments received during this period will also establish standing to raise an administrative objection later in the decision-making process. Comments on the SFMLRP draft EA can be submitted by one of the following methods:
• CARA (Comment and Analysis Response Application) web form which is accessible from the project webpage by clicking “Comment/Object on Project”
• Email to comments-southwestern-santafe@fs.fed.us
• Regular postal mail to Española District Office, 18537 US 84/285, Suite B, Española, NM 87532
Wildfire Risk to Communities
To explore this interactive tool and better understand your wildfire risk, click here.
“Wildfire Risk to Communities is a free, easy-to-use website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk. It was created by the USDA Forest Service under the direction of Congress and is designed to help community leaders, such as elected officials, community planners, and fire managers. This is the first time wildfire risk to communities has been mapped nationwide.”
Register now for the 2021 virtual Wildland Urban Fire Summit
Click the play button on the video above to hear from members of our planning committee about the 2021 summit!
Register NOW for the 2021 New Mexico Wildland Urban Fire Summit! The event takes place on October 28th and 29th from 9am-1pm MST.
This years theme is Community, Resilience & Recovery
The Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS) is one of New Mexico’s leading events for wildfire preparedness and planning. Join your peers, community leaders, fire service professionals, and federal, state, tribal, and local governments for this FREE virtual summit. Learn from communities adapting to a wildfire environment about the latest techniques, strategies, and resources for wildfire adaptation and resilience. Expand your network of peers and experts to assist you in your fire/disaster resiliency goals.
Click HERE for more information about the 2-day agenda and list of summit speakers.