January 2016

Santa Fe, : A Coordinated Approach To Protecting The Escarpment

Leaders in Wildfire Adaptation

OVERVIEW Introduction The City of Santa Fe is well known for its historic resources, unique Wildfires across the American West architecture, and boundless recreational, and cultural opportunities. are increasing in frequency, size, and Its arid climate makes Santa Fe prone to extreme heat, drought, and severity. The impacts from climate wildfire, among other natural hazards. City planners in Santa Fe are change and increasing growth within balancing several competing priorities, such as protecting community the region’s Wildland-Urban Interface aesthetic values, managing long-term growth, improving economic (WUI), further exacerbate the risks from development, and preserving Santa Fe’s natural landscape. wildfires.

Climate projections showing upward trends in the frequency and Urban areas in the West are intensity of wildfire have planners and other city officials pressing increasingly responding to the to integrate climate preparedness strategies into city policies and challenges of wildfire risk management regulations. With limited funding available, city employees have through unique land use planning made significant headway in this regard, largely due to a culture tools which affect the pace, pattern, of innovation and collaboration. The Santa Fe Fire Department and scale of development. Santa Fe, is interested in how land use planning affects their ability to New Mexico is one of five communities profiled by Headwaters Economics in a report identifying some of these innovative land use planning strategies, including: • The establishment of an overlay district within the city’s escarpment area—proposed development within the escarpment overlay district are subject to heightened building regulations and landscape wildfire risk reduction measures. • A forest treatment program in the —following major wildfires in 2002, a partnership between public and private groups launched a fuels reduction project to reduce fuel loading in portions of the watershed, managing more than Development in and around the City of Santa Fe escarpment presents challenges to 5,500 acres of treatment work. planning and wildfire mitigation efforts. Photo credit: Clarion Associates

headwaterseconomics.org | January 2016 | 1 protect the citizens of Santa Fe, especially within With ith increasing temperatures and more severe the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). City planners droughts expected in the future, the City of Santa Fe actively integrate wildfire mitigation into their decision expects wildfire to remain one of its most immediate making framework, continually reviewing planning concerns. The city has taken a systematic view to mechanisms through a lens of protecting people, property, and the environment from the damaging impacts of wildfire.

The city’s escarpment (where the foothills climb sharply into the neighboring plateaus), is one of the city’s leading priority areas to implement wildfire protection efforts. WUI specialists work side-by- side with city planners and emergency management personnel to ensure future development within this pristine landscape addresses the competing interests of protecting views and reducing wildfire risks. Through zoning tools, mitigation projects, and interdepartmental coordination, the City of Santa Fe is a leader in a unified approach to reduce the risks from wildfires.

History of Wildfire in Santa Fe Wildfire is an inherent component of Santa Fe’s natural environment. The Santa Fe National Forest borders the city to the east, and is also approximately five miles to the west of the city. Because of its close proximity to forested lands, the City of Santa Fe is susceptible to wildfires and to the indirect impacts of fires that occur outside the city limits. The city has been fortunate to have avoided major wildfires within its municipal boundaries; however, it has experienced the impacts of wildfires within Santa Fe County and beyond. Though not explicitly within the city boundaries, there have been more than a dozen fires, each burning more than 100 acres, on record within Santa Fe County since 1970.

Nearly 20 miles west of the City of Santa Fe, two of the largest fires in New Mexico history burned more than 200,000 acres collectively. The 2011 Las Conchas Fire alone burned 156,593 acres and destroyed 63 homes.1 The Cerro Grande Fire, in 2000, burned more than 47,000 acres, destroyed 280 homes, and 40 lab buildings at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. That fire was also recognized as the first in U.S. history with more than $1 billion in documented economic impacts. In 2003, the Molina Complex Fire burned within 10 miles of the City of Santa Fe. Started by lightning, the fire burned nearly 7,000 acres and threatened around 300 structures.2

headwaterseconomics.org | January 2016 | 2 managing wildfire risk, including remarkable interdepartmental coordination, creation of task forces and citizen advocate committees, and continual review and maintenance of its policies, procedures, and regulations.

Impacts of Wildfire on the City of Santa Fe Hundreds of other fires have occurred in and around Santa Fe, with varying impacts. Those direct and indirect impacts include the following:

• Air Quality. Heavy smoke and Much of the residential construction in Santa Fe’s forested areas is adobe or similar com- particulates during a wildfire posite with flat roofs—an inherently fire-resistent type of construction. event fill the air, and depending Photo credit: Clarion Associates on the wind speed and direction, can inundate a community for hikers.5 wildfire as part of the common days or even weeks. • Costs for rehabilitation dialogue among city officials, and • Watershed. The Santa Fe and restoration. Following to draw linkages from wildfire to watershed, supplying about suppression of a major fire, other citywide policies addressing 40 percent of the city’s water, the city bears a share of the climate change, sustainability, and is located in the Santa Fe burden to restore the built community resilience. National Forest. Wildfires that and natural environment to occur nearby correspondingly its pre-fire state. For example, Escarpment Overlay District threaten the quality and supply it is estimated that for a high- 3 An overlay district sets standards of city water resources. For severity wildfire burning more that apply to properties within instance, the Cerro Grande Fire than 7,000 acres near the a defined overlay boundary that significantly affected the nearby municipal watershed, the cost often supersede the underlying City of Los Alamos’s watershed, to the city for rehabilitation base standards within a given resulting in water runoff levels activities, including fees zoning district. One of the most more than 200 percent greater associated with water treatment, instrumental land use mechanisms than pre-fire averages and sediment regulation, initial for managing wildfire mitigation in diminishing surface water fire suppression, and land Santa Fe is its Escarpment Overlay 4 restoration, are close to $22 quality. District. The overlay district was million.6 • Recreation and tourism. Large established to protect viewsheds catastrophic wildfires reduce along the ridgetops and foothills the tourist draw to the City of How Santa Fe Is Addressing along the escarpment as a major Santa Fe and the regional draw Wildfire Risk Through Land community asset. In doing so, for recreation activities. For Use Planning and Regulations the overlay also reduces wildfire example, the Pacheco Fire in risk and protects the valuable 2011 resulted in the closure of The City of Santa Fe has gone to watershed by limiting development. the Santa Fe National Forest, great lengths to protect its people The escarpment overlay covers Valles Caldera , and property from the impacts approximately 500 acres within the and nearby recreation sites such of wildfire. This is evidenced by city, and contains most of the high as Hyde Memorial State Park and the amount of documentation wildfire risk areas. Development Morphy Lake State Park, popular and planning during the past applications in the escarpment destinations with fisherman and decade to increasingly emphasize

headwaterseconomics.org | January 2016 | 3 overlay district are subject to higher merge wildfire-related content and identify areas for wildfire Noah Berke into the General Plan (which risk reduction, especially in the conducts individual states the community’s goals, escarpment overlay. Santa Fe has site inspections of policies, and objectives) and the long considered adoption of the homes proposed Land Development Code (which WUI Code—a more rigorous set within Santa Fe’s implements the General Plan by of building and site standards Escarpment District, including working with homeowners to regulating development). The city than otherwise applied through manage vegetation while also also partnered with Santa Fe County International Building and Fire protecting the scenic viewshed. to prepare the 2008 Community Codes. Advocates for a WUI Code Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). in Santa Fe believe the higher level CWPPs are local plans that are standards will help disperse costs designed to specifically address a and risks associated with wildfire scrutiny, and the city performs a community’s unique conditions, to individual property owners, and more thorough site assessment for values, and priorities related are conducting further analysis wildfire risk reduction for all new to wildfire risk reduction and to develop political support. The development applications. resilience. CWPPs can vary in city’s land use planners are working scope, scale, and detail, but there with WUI specialists to integrate Noah Berke, a Senior Planner are minimum requirements for components of a WUI code into with the City of Santa Fe, spends their development and adoption.8 the Land Development Code. In a significant amount of his time The 2008 CWPP describes risk the meantime, the Santa Fe Fire managing development and in further detail, and provides Department also collects parcel- conducting site assessments within recommendations for projects to level data for homes that have been the escarpment. During his site reduce fuels and raise awareness assessed for their wildfire risk. assessments, Berke works with of the wildfire threat to individual This level of detail allows for more applicants to manage forested property owners. accurate analysis and planning for areas while also protecting visual future WUI activities. aesthetics. For example, the city may reduce the required trees in the escarpment if necessary to “We’ve been shifting from what was previously a sole reduce wildfire risk. Landscaping focus on a cohesive response in the WUI to more in the escarpment overlay is treated emphasis on land use and getting people vested in differently than other areas of the city, requiring vegetation with a their own protection.” lower burn risk. The mapping of Eric Litzenberg, City of Santa Fe Fire Chief the escarpment overlay district is an essential component to its functionality, and new modeling is Consideration of a Wildland- Managing the Forest to Protect currently being reviewed for future Urban Interface (WUI) Code Santa Fe’s Watershed mapping updates.7 WUI codes are specifically designed The City of Santa Fe’s water Hazard Mitigation Plan and the to mitigate the risks from wildfire supply is provided by watersheds located in the Santa Fe National Community Wildfire Protection to life and property, primarily by providing a set of wildfire mitigation Forest. Accordingly, protecting Plan development standards, including the watershed from catastrophic The City of Santa Fe adopted a structure density and location, wildfire is a top priority for city Hazard Mitigation Plan in October building materials and construction, water officials. As an additional 2014. The plan identifies risk, vegetation management, emergency protective measure, the municipal vulnerabilities, and mitigation vehicle access, water supply, watershed has been closed to public actions related to wildfires. Berke and fire protection. The city’s access since 1932.9 Following the and other Santa Fe planners are fire department employs WUI Cerro Grande Fire in 2002, the currently reviewing the Hazard specialists that work closely with City of Santa Fe established a forest Mitigation Plan and trying to land use planners to manage risk treatment program in the Santa Fe

headwaterseconomics.org | January 2016 | 4 Santa Fe Plan, which outlines opportunities to enhance the city’s resiliency against climate change and increase environmental stewardship efforts. The city works with area businesses and residents to implement this plan, as well as identify areas for future actions to improve overall community sustainability.13

Key Takeaways A culture of collaboration and innovation. The City of Santa Fe epitomizes the concept of interdepartmental coordination. As part of this, the fire department, The map above from the City of Santa Fe Municipal Watershed Investment Plan illustrates with assistance from the planning the proximity of wildfires near the Santa Fe River Watershed (outlined in blue). department, is interested in partially shifting their focus away National Forest to reduce the fuel Santa Fe Prepares for from response time in the WUI load in portions of the watershed. Wildfire Risks and the to land use and property owner This program required a concerted Impacts of Climate Change support. Internal cooperation and effort by partnering agencies interagency communication is part including the U.S. Forest Service, In 2014, and in response to growing of city staff culture in Santa Fe. the Santa Fe Watershed Association, concerns regarding present and Community input is also a high the Nature Conservancy, the City of predicted impacts from climate priority and involves a robust early Santa Fe Watershed Division, and change, Santa Fe Mayor Javier neighborhood notification program other private and public groups. Gonzales assembled a climate and regular communication of Since the program began, the U.S. action task force. The task force wildfire-related activities. The city’s Forest Service has treated more than includes elected officials, climate elected and appointed officials 5,500 acres within the watershed.10 experts, and other representatives from the community. With more support initiatives to improve the Although funding for the original frequent and intense droughts resilience of Santa Fe, recognizing fuels treatment program has since expected in the future, this task climate change as an indicator of expired, the city now collects force addresses various concerns future hazard risk. revenues from water utility rate related to the adverse impacts payers (local water customers). from climate change, including the Balancing multiple objectives. The The watershed division estimates health of the neighboring forest, City of Santa Fe comprehensively that a 10,000- to 40,000-acre changing precipitation patterns, and reviews proposed ordinances, fire impacting some portion of increasing wildfire potential. The planning documents, and other the watershed could result in city also partnered with the county citywide policies or regulations suppression and rehabilitation costs and the Bureau of Reclamation for opportunities to incorporate up to $48 million, and dredging to prepare a climate change wildfire risk reduction measures. and disposing of reservoir sediment assessment of vulnerabilities and One example is the city’s costs up to $240 million.10 At those adaptation alternatives. That 2013 Escarpment Overlay District, numbers, the City of Santa Fe study focused on water resources, which was primarily established realizes the immediate benefits of but recognized wildfire as a major to protect the aesthetic values of continued fuel treatment and forest issue within the watershed.12 The the surrounding hillsides from management. city also has a Sustainable Santa Fe incompatible development. Commission comprised of citizens Over time, administration of the that developed the Sustainable overlay has adapted to include a headwaterseconomics.org | January 2016 | 5 The City of Santa Fe and their partners have been actively engaged in protecting crucial regional watersheds, such as the McClure Reservoir.. Photo credit: Molly Mowery, Wildfire Planning International more refined focus on wildfire mitigation. Additionally, the city is pursuing other updates to its land development regulations as a way to implement principles identified in the hazard mitigation plan and the CWPP. Ongoing maintenance of the city’s policy and regulatory documents is essential to maintain political support for wildfire risk reduction and to educate Santa Fe residents about the inherent dangers of living in the WUI. In this way, the City recognizes the synergies between planning for wildfire risks while meeting the other resource needs of its residents.

headwaterseconomics.org | January 2016 | 6 City of Santa Fe http://www.santafenm.gov/ KEY CONTACTS General Plan 1999 general_plan_1999 Sustainable Santa Fe http://www.santafenm.gov/ Noah Berke, CFM Plan sustainable_santa_fe_plan Senior Planner City of Santa Fe Land Use Department 200 Lincoln Avenue Other Resources Santa Fe, NM 87504 City of Santa Fe http://www.santafenm.gov/ 505-955-6647 Climate Action Task climate_action_task_force [email protected] Force City of Santa Fe Water http://www.santafenm.gov/ David Silver, M.S. and Climate Change climate_change Emergency Management Director webpage City of Santa Fe City of Santa http://www.santafewater- 200 Lincoln Avenue Fe Watershed shed.org/climate-adaptation/ Santa Fe, NM 87504 Association,Climate 505-955-6537 Adaptation [email protected] City of Santa Fe Fire http://www.santafenm.gov/ Porfirio Chavarria Department Wildland wildland_fire_preparedness Wildland Urban Interface Specialist Fire Preparedness City of Santa Fe Fire Department webpage 200 Murales Road City of Santa http://www.santafenm.gov/ Santa Fe, NM 87501 Fe Wildfire news/detail/fire_depart- 505-955-3119 Preparedness Day ment_encouraging_neigh- [email protected] borhoods_to_join_nation- al_wildf

Key Resources Websites References Land Use http://www.santafenm.gov/ 1. Las Conchas Fire Factsheet. 2012. Southwest Fire land_use Consortium. Available online: From the City of Santa Fe, Hazard Mitigation Plan. Available online: http:// Fire Department http://www.santafenm.gov/ www.santafenm.gov/hazard_mitigation_plan_1. fire_department Emergency http://www.santafenm.gov/ 2. Farmington District Fire Management Plan. 2010. Management emergency_management Available online: http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/ blm/nm/programs/fire/fire_management_plans/ Long Range Planning http://www.santafenm.gov/ farmington_fmp.Par.47436.File.dat/ffo_fmp.pdf. long_range_planning 3. City of Santa Fe, Hazard Mitigation Plan. Available online: http://www.santafenm.gov/hazard_mitigation_ Documents plan_1. Santa Fe County http://www.emnrd.state. 4. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Cerro Grande Fire Community Wildfire nm.us/SFD/FireMgt/doc- Impacts to Water Quality and Stream Flow near Los Protection Plan uments/SantaFeCounty- Alamos National Laboratory:Results of Four Years of CWPP2.pdf Monitoring report Available online: https://www.env. Hazard Mitigation Plan http://www.santafenm.gov/ nm.gov/swqb/Wildfire/4.CerroGrande-Postfire_Report. hazard_mitigation_plan_1 pdf. Santa Fe Land http://clerkshq.com/default. 5. Examiner. June 30, 2011. Available online at: http:// Development Code ashx?clientsite=Santafe-nm www.examiner.com/article/las-conchas-wildfire-closes- new-mexico-s-santa-fe-national-forest.

headwaterseconomics.org | January 2016 | 7 6. From the City of Santa Fe Municipal Watershed Plan, 2010-2029. Available online: https://www. santafenm.gov/municipal_watershed_plan. 7. The city of Santa Fe’s Land Development Code. Available online: http://clerkshq.com/default. ashx?clientsite=Santafe-nm. The Escarpment Overlay District is Section 14-5.6 of the Land Development Code. 8. As described in Title I of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 that authorizes communities to draft and implement a CWPP. 9. From the History of the Santa Fe River Watershed. Available online: http://www.santafenm.gov/upper_ watershed_history. 10. From the Municipal Watershed Investment Plan. Available online: http://www.santafenm.gov/ municipal_watershed_investment_plan. 11. From Municipal Watershed Investment Plan, Avoided Costs vs. Program Costs. Available online: http://www.santafenm.gov/municipal_watershed_ investment_plan. 12. Water and Climate Change. Available online: http:// www.santafenm.gov/climate_change. 13. Available online: https://sustainablesantafe. wordpress.com/the-commission/.

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