Glorieta pile burns in the Fireshed

Taking advantage of recent moisture while closely monitoring smoke to limit impacts, the All Hands All Lands Burn Team continues pile burning at Glorieta Adventure Camps this week (1/26 – 29) after completing 19 acres last week and another 11 this week, bringing the total to 30 of the planned 55 acres completed. In addition to ignitions, the All Hands All Lands Burn Team has crews on site monitoring, patrolling, and mopping up the piles. When conditions permit, the Pile Burn Squad will continue burn operations.

Eytan Krasilovsky on behalf of Coalition partner, Forest Stewards Guild was interviewed yesterday on KRQE News 13 about current prescribed burn activity.

Check out the recent news articles about burn activities:

Fire prevention efforts underway ahead of New Mexico's wildfire season

Dry conditions throughout New Mexico could set up for busy fire season

January prescribed fires in the Fireshed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  January 7th, 2021 

Two prescribed fires are scheduled for January in the Fireshed, Aztec Springs and Pacheco Canyon. Read on for more information on each of them.

Aztec Springs Prescribed Burn Scheduled for January  

Santa Fe, NM – The City of Santa Fe Fire Department Wildland Division and The Forest Stewards Guild are planning to take advantage of snowpack conditions to conduct a prescribed pile burn on city land near the municipal watershed starting January 19th and continuing on through February 26th, 2021 weather dependent.  The burn will be contingent on wind, relative humidity, temperature, and expected weather patterns and may be postponed and/or cancelled until conditions permit. Open Burning on a smaller scale will be conducted intermittently during this period to burn remote piles and assess conditions on site. This work is part of the Fire Department’s mission to reduce risk to lives and property from wildfire. It is also part of The Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition to improve the health and long-term resilience of forested watersheds and communities by addressing wildfire. 

Due to the location of the Aztec Springs Prescribed Pile Burn and its proximity to the city smoke will be visible from City of Santa Fe, State Road 475, State Road 590, and State Road 84/285. Smoke may settle into lower elevations and drainages overnight but should lift by mid-morning. Lingering smoke may be present for up to two days after ignitions are complete.

During the burn period, information regarding the project can be obtained by calling the Santa Fe Fire Department Wildland Division at 505-955-3901 or visiting www.santafefireshed.org.

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SFNF Española District Continues Pile Burns to Reduce Fuels

SANTA FE, NM – Jan. 7, 2021 – Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) hope to take advantage of favorable conditions, including forecasted snow over the weekend, to implement the previously announced Pacheco Canyon prescribed pile burn on the Española Ranger District as early as next week.

The 106-acre pile burn is part of the larger Pacheco Canyon Forest Resiliency Project, a 2,042-acre forest restoration project that was instrumental in keeping the lightning-caused Medio Fire from crossing Forest Road (FR) 102 and threatening significant values at risk, including the Santa Fe ski basin and municipal watershed. The Pacheco Canyon treatment area south of FR 102 helped firefighters contain the Medio Fire, which started on Aug. 17, at approximately 4,000 acres.  

Each prescribed burn is designed to meet specific objectives and will be managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority. The Pacheco Canyon pile burn, approximately 6 miles east of Tesuque Pueblo and 3 miles west of Ski Santa Fe, will help reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire by removing woody debris from earlier thinning operations. 

Winter is an optimal time to burn slash piles because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. Generally, pile burns produce less smoke and burn with less intensity than broadcast burns across a larger landscape. Fire managers will implement the pile burns only if conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and forecasted weather, are favorable for successful implementation. 

The SFNF manages prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state regulations on air quality and smoke management. Smoke from the Pacheco Canyon prescribed pile burn may be visible in Santa Fe, Tesuque, Nambe, Los Alamos and Pojoaque as well as the I-25 and US 285/84 corridors.  

Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website. Information on the Forest Stewards Guild’s HEPA Filter Loan Program is available here.

The 2,042-acre Pacheco Canyon project is part of the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed, a collaborative effort focused on making the forested areas within a 107,000-acre perimeter surrounding Santa Fe more resilient to wildfire, insects and disease, drought and climate change.  

Fire updates will be posted on the SFNF website, New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page and Twitter @SantafeNF. 

For more information on the Pacheco Canyon pile burn, contact the Española Ranger District at 505-753-7331.                         

Last day to apply for EQUIP financial assistance!

All New Mexico agricultural producers who would like to be considered for financial assistance under general 2021 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or special conservation initiatives need to apply by tomorrow, January 8, 2021. Please see the news release for instructions to sign up for fiscal year 2021 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Ag Producers Should Take Advantage of Federal Program Assistance by January 8, 2021 Sign up Deadline

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Assistant State Conservationist for Programs Kenneth Branch, announced today that a sign up for fiscal year 2021 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is underway. All New Mexico agricultural producers who would like to be considered for financial assistance under general EQIP or special conservation initiatives need to apply by TOMORROW, January 8, 2021.

While producers can apply year-round for EQIP assistance, this application cutoff announcement is specific to the following National Initiatives, State Initiatives and Local Allocations:

1)  General EQIP (Local Allocations)

2)  Organic (Certified and Transitioning)

3)  On-Farm Energy

4)  Conservation Activity Plans

5)  Strike Force Initiative

6)  Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative

7)  NM High Tunnel (including Beginning Farmer and Rancher)

8)  Source Water

9)  National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)

10)  New Mexico Wildlife Initiative

11)  Water SMART Initiative

12)  Socially Disadvantaged

13)  Beginning Farmer and Rancher

14)  Joint Chiefs

i. Greater Santa Fe Fireshed

15)  Tribal

16)  Water Management Entities (WME)

Producers can apply by visiting their local NRCS field office and submitting their Conservation Program Application (NRCS-CPA-1200) or those who have established a Client Gateway account may submit their application online. Producers need to receive a farm and tract number from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) by the application deadline.

As we roll out a new Farm Bill to our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and private forests, Kevin Norton, Acting Chief of the NRCS announced some of our FY2021 Agency’s priorities;

• Better understanding of our customer needs and improve overall customer service.

• Streamline our processes and program delivery to best serve our customers.

• We recognize the importance of partnerships and relationships.

• Our success is based on our locally led process.

• Elevate the importance of soil health across our agency through outreach and communication efforts to further enhance and promote the delivery of soil health principles to staff, customers and partners.

  EQIP provides a targeted, science-based approach to restoring and protecting habitat while strengthening rural economies and cultivating collaboration among conservation partners. EQIP provides a flat rate payment to producers to install conservation practices, such as Cover Crops, Range Planting, Windbreaks, Residue Management No-Till, Riparian Forest Buffers, Watering Facilities, Fence, Tree Planting, and Wildlife Habitat Management.

  NRCS provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain and improve our natural resources and environment. You can find more Programs at NRCS Programs. For more information about NRCS New Mexico visit NRCS New Mexico.

- USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. -

Santa Fe Water Planning Survey 2020

Please take the time to provide your input!

The City of Santa Fe Water (City) and Santa Fe County Utilities (County) are initiating a science-based, community informed, five-year planning cycle to develop long range water resource management plans—and they would like our input!

Please take the time to provide your input here. You can also help by spreading the word to your neighbors and friends and sharing this blog.

Understanding that successful planning for our water future requires participation and collaboration of both water managers and water users, the City and County are committed to engaging the broad diversity of area water users and stakeholders in this planning process. 

The City and County have partnered to develop a public engagement plan that provides a basic framework for a variety of opportunities for public input into a proposed planning cycle.  These opportunities include a general overview webinar and virtual small discussion group meetings in October, and an electronic survey available now. Details for these public engagement opportunities and additional information about the planning process and public engagement opportunities is also available on the City of Santa Fe Water website: https://www.santafenm.gov/water_division. 

Forest Treatments in the Fireshed aid in Medio Fire Suppression

Buck Wickham, Operations Section Chief for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4  and U.S. Forest Service-Santa Fe National Forest Fuels Program Manager Dennis Carril discuss how forest restoration treatments and prescribed fire work aided in suppression efforts on the Medio fire in a new video produced by The Nature Conservancy and Forest Stewards Guild. The full length video can be found on the Medio Fire page on the Coalition’s website. The shortened highlights version is available below.