Fire Risk Reduction and Recovery Efforts in Arizona and New Mexico Implementing the National Fire Plan Southwest Strategy Coordination Office April 2001 Fire Risk Reduction and Recovery Efforts in Arizona and New Mexico Page 1 Prepared at the direction of the Southwest Strategy Regional Executive Committee by the: Southwest Strategy Coordination Office P.O. Box 1306 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103-1306 505-248-6882 tel 505-248-6883 fax [email protected] This document is available on the Southwest Strategy web site: http://www.swstrategy.org/library.htm Fire Risk Reduction and Recovery Efforts in Arizona and New Mexico Page 2 Contents Topic Page Summary 4 Taos Zone 5 Santa Fe Zone 7 Albuquerque Zone 9 Gila-Las Cruces Zone 13 Lincoln Zone 16 Northern Arizona Zone 21 Central West Zone 23 White Mountain Zone 25 Southeast Zone 27 Funding Sources 29 Registered Participants List 32 Fire Risk Reduction and Recovery Efforts in Arizona and New Mexico Page 3 Summary Background In late 2000, the Regional Executive Com- mittee of the Southwest Strategy decided that a regional- level workshop was needed to assist in implementing the National Fire Plan. The Southwest Strategy Coordination Office worked with state and federal fire management officials to plan a working meeting that would incorporate the best practices from government fire officials, regional execu- tives, tribal members, and outside organizations. The team prepared the Fire Risk Reduc- tion and Recovery Workshop for March 7 & 8, 2001 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A Tribal Consultation Briefing on the National Fire Plan was held on March 6, 2001 at the Red Rock State Park facility in Gallup, New Mexico. The consultation briefing and the workshop were not substitutes for federal and state agen- cies to working with tribal and local communities. Instead, these meetings represented the initial steps of beginning the dialogue on implementing the National Fire Plan at the Fire Management Zone level. The purpose behind the workshop and the briefing was to strengthen the fire risk reduction and recovery coordination, communication and collaboration that currently exists in the southwest. Participants About 100 participants attended the briefing in Gallup and about 250 participants attended the meeting in Albuquerque. In Albuquerque, the meeting participants were grouped into ‘break out sessions’ by Fire Management Zones to discuss common jurisdictional and planning issues related to reducing the risk of wildland fuels to communities. The break out sessions were each facilitated with a ‘road map’ for the workshop participants to identify opportunities for increasing their coordination and collaboration to implement the National Fire Plan. Each zone produced a series of recommendations and next steps, along with organizational information. The notes from these sessions make up this report. Participants included Federal and state line officers and staff, tribal and local government officials, conservation districts and Resource Conservation and Development council mem- bers and environmental organizations. Over forty Federal agency staff assisted in coordinating these events and acting as re- source specialists on such items as contracting, planning, community involvement, fire suppression, endangered species and cultural resources consultation. These individuals and the participants at both the briefing in Gallup and the workshop in Albuquerque de- serve thanks from residents in Arizona and New Mexico. It is these interested and moti- vated individuals who are working to ensure a fire safe future for all of us. Fire Risk Reduction and Recovery Efforts in Arizona and New Mexico Page 4 Taos Zone This break out session was facilitated by Rita Richardson, Bureau of Land Management. USDA Forest Service: Carson National Forest Bureau of Land Management: Farmington Office, Taos Field Office Bureau of Indian Affairs: Jicarilla Agency US Fish and Wildlife Service: Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge New Mexico Forestry Division: Chama District, Cimarron District Pueblo of Taos, Jicarilla Apache Tribe The Taos Zone Coordination Center is located in Taos, NM at the Forest Supervisor’s Office on the Carson National Forest. The greatest concern that this zone identified is to work on promoting educational opportunities with private property owners about forest health, hazardous fuels buildup and risk reduction. The discussion noted that there is great local leadership and a team can create local education oppor- tunities. The participants decided to use expand the zone board to include wildland fire prevention individuals. Current and Planned Zoned Efforts Project Name: Upper Red River (Carson National Forest/Red River Village/State Forestry) Planning Stage Needs 1. Silvicultural work (mark what needs to be cut). 2. Have a central repository for data, e.g. projects, contract information. 3. Tie in the needed fire hazard reduction work with the potential products and potential work force to do work. 4. Need coordination with collaborative forestry (state-wide?) to reduce workman’s compen- sation for each individual group. Partners: Community of Red River, State of New Mexico, Private landowners Leverage Opportunities: 1 of 20 Communities at Risk (NM). Watershed priority for forest, com- munity support, could be value-added contracting opportunities (e.g. small diameter/ post-peeler?) Project Name: Copper Hill Project (BLM) Active Stage Needs 1. Get employees on board to do work 2. Refill positions 3. Personnel available (Rocky Mountain Youth Corps) but have no supervisor to lead project 4. Controlling public access 5. Protecting remaining stand Partners: Rocky Mountain Youth Corps Leverage Opportunities: Project is limited by time, though future opportunities exist with sur- rounding communities. Fire Risk Reduction and Recovery Efforts in Arizona and New Mexico Page 5 Project Name: County-wide assessment of Rio Arriba County Planning Stage Needs: 1. Grant money to do planning and contract work. Partners: Rio Arriba County, Fire Marshall, State Forestry, Northern Pueblos, Forest Service, BLM, Communities of Espanola, Chama, La Montaña de Truchas, La Madera Leverage Opportunities: Community-based forestry groups Next Steps for the Taos Zone Short Term 1. Red River Demonstration Project 2. Public outreach at every phase 3. Media, Public Service Announcements coordination 4. Fire Risk studies 5. Video of reducing fire risk and fuels reduction 6. Using the existing Zone Board beyond suppression to include prevention Long Term Identify economic opportunities for interested and nearby communities. Conduct long-term economic viability discussions with business community, community forestry groups and others. Interagency Coordination Opportunities 1. NEPA work 2. Personnel shared positions 3. Shared contracting 4. Shared Survey Work (archaeological, T&E, silvicultural, etc.) 5. Centralized communication emergency response & local/federal Employment: attract and retain skilled personnel 1. Address high cost of living (stipend? housing complex?) Comprehensive training program Increased community awareness and participation network 1. Increase effective communication through website to post information, contracting infor- mation and community bulletin boards 2. Public education/interaction 3. Outreach/education to similar constituencies. (possibly a mobile education/outreach SWAT team) Monitoring component of program 1. Social and economic criteria 2. Ecological criteria (have we reduced hazard fuels sufficiently?) New Zone Projects Outreach/Education/Private Landowners Taos Canyon WUI Rio Arriba Risk Assessment Create Reimbursement Vehicle Fire Protection (i.e. staff, equipment & planning) Cost Share Thinning Dollars Fire Risk Reduction and Recovery Efforts in Arizona and New Mexico Page 6 Santa Fe Zone This break out session was facilitated by Reese Fullerton, New Mexico Consensus Council. USDA Forest Service: Santa Fe National Forest National Park Service: Bandelier National Monu- ment, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Fort Union National Monument, Pecos National Historic Park, Southwest Support Office US Fish and Wildlife Service: Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge Bureau of Indian Affairs: Northern Pueblos Agency Bureau of Land Management: New Mexico State Office New Mexico Forestry Division: Las Vegas District, State Office Pueblo of Picuris, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo of Tesuque, Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo of San Ildefonso, Pueblo of San Juan, Pueblo of Santa Clara The Santa Fe Zone Coordination Center is located in Santa Fe, NM at the Forest Supervisor’s Office of the Santa Fe National Forest. The Santa Fe Zone identified the need for resource managers to speak with one voice. It also identified the need to make sure communities are protected and that communities are involved in the planning process for reducing wildland fire risk and for integrating an economically sustainable component back into many forest dependent communities. In addition to promoting community involvement, the zone discussion also touched upon the personal responsibility of land owners. By promoting positive dialogue with land owners and communities on wildland fire protection, the message about reducing hazardous fuels on private land can also be distributed. This break out session decided that the most sensible approach to take was to work on improving watershed health, rather than focusing on cutting trees. The group also identified contracting compliance and early on the ground coordination as important factors to consider