Date: May 10, 2012
Lincoln NF to Burn Slash Piles Near Cloudcroft
Sacramento Ranger District to Burn Slash Piles Near Cloudcroft
CLOUDCROFT, NM (May 10, 2012) - Fire officials on the Sacramento Ranger District will begin burning slash piles in the Cloudcroft area starting the week of May 14, 2012. With the recent moisture received on the District, weather conditions are expected to meet the criteria for prescribed burning.
As part of the Prescribed Fire Plan on the District, slash piles will be burned on approximately 200 acres in Cox Canyon along NM Highway 130, and on approximately 138 acres along NM Highway 244 near Silver Springs. Ignition will occur only when weather conditions permit and other established criteria are being met.
The slash piles that will be burned were generated from logging and thinning projects on the District. Prescribed burns such as these pile burns serve to reduce fuel loads and promote forest health.
The public can expect to see and smell smoke in and around the area, to include James Canyon, Cox Canyon, Pierce Canyon, Sunspot, Cloudcroft, and in the area of NM Highway 244. Smoke and fire activity will be closely monitored by fire officials.
Smoke may be visible for several days during and after ignition operations. As always, firefighter and public safety are the top priority.
For additional information about these prescribed burns or the Lincoln National Forest, please contact the Sacramento Ranger District Office at (575) 682-2551, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also find us at www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LincolnUSForest.
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Date: April 27, 2012
Prescribed Fire Planned In Gila National Forest
Prescribed Fire Planned on Wilderness Ranger District
Mimbres, NM—The Wilderness Ranger District (RD) of the Gila National Forest plans on conducting the Lincoln-Terry prescribed fire beginning May 8th through May 14, 2012. Objectives of the prescribed fire are to improve wildlife habitat, watershed conditions and reduce accumulations of fuel such as brush, dry grasses, and small trees.
The planned project is located in the Lincoln Canyon area on the east side of New Mexico State Highway 35 and off Forest Road 150, and the McKenna Mesa area. Planned total acreage for the burn is 5,500.
“Success of the project will result in reduced fire danger and encourage growth of new vegetation”, stated Robert Gallardo, District Fire Management Officer (FMO) for the Wilderness RD.
Prescribed conditions including weather and resources available will be evaluated before the burn is implemented to ensure the safety and success of the project.
Smoke from the project may be visible during early morning and evening hours in the Mimbres Valley and the Lake Roberts area, but is expected to lift and lessen as day time temperatures increase.
Firefighting personnel will be monitoring and overseeing the prescribed fire until it is completed.
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Date: April 25, 2012
Fireworks, Open Burning, and Smoking Banned on State Trust Lands
Fireworks, Open Fires, and Smoking Are Banned on State Trust Lands
SANTA FE, New Mexico – New Mexico State Land Commissioner Ray Powell made a public announcement today that fireworks, open fires, and smoking are prohibited on state trust lands until further notice.
“Severe drought conditions coupled with high winds, and dense fuel loads can combine to produce catastrophic fires like we saw last year in New Mexico,” said Commissioner Powell “It is important to do what we can to prevent human-caused fires on our state trust lands.”
In 2011, fires such as the Las Conchas Fire and the Track Fire, which both burned on state trust lands, demonstrate a trend of increasingly large and potential severe fires in our state. Last year, more than 3,000 acres of forest on state trust land burned at high severity. About 140,000 acres of state trust land were impacted by fire during 2011 with a majority of acreage in grasslands. More than 110,000 acres were impacted by human-caused fires.
“Healthy forests and grasslands ensure healthy watersheds, wildlife habitat, sustainable agriculture, a viable tourism industry, and a high quality of life for all New Mexicans. It is important that each of us takes responsibility for protecting the health of our natural world by being responsible stewards of our land, and this is particularly important during severe drought conditions,” said Powell.
Powell appealed to agricultural lessees to maintain a clear area around improvements such as buildings and structures from debris and excessive dry and flammable materials and to avoid open flames during windy conditions. He also appealed to lessees to use extreme caution when driving motorized vehicles in areas with dry vegetation.
Efforts on state trust land are ongoing to reduce forest fuels and risk of high severity fires, while improving ecosystem function and health. Over the past two years, more than 4,000 acres of state trust land were treated with prescriptive tree thinning programs.
In 2012, the State Land Office requested $890,000 in legislative funding for tree thinning programs to continue over the next two years. The request did not pass. Since then, increased oil and gas lease revenues have helped the agency’s revenues to exceed original projections. About $200,000 will be gleaned from the Land Maintenance Fund to cover tree thinning efforts this year. Since fuel reduction treatments will need to continue, the agency will again ask the 2013 State Legislature for money to fund tree thinning programs.
Collaboration between the State Land Office, State Forestry, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the New Mexico Association of Counties will continue to address measures to reduce wildfire risk statewide.
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Date: April 24, 2012
Santa Fe County Issues Burn Ban
Santa Fe County Issues Burn Restriction Ordinance
Santa Fe, NM - An Emergency Ordinance Declaring Hazardous Fire Conditions and Imposing Restrictions on Open Fires, Smoking and Other Ignition Sources has been approved by the Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners.
Ordinance 2011-6 prohibits:
Open fires of any kind;
Open burning of vegetation or rubbish;
Littering on public roadways/areas with ignited smoking materials;
Campfires;
Smoking within a County park campground or any wild land area, except within an enclosed vehicle or in a building which is specifically authorized for such and is exempt from the NM No Smoking in Public Facilities Act;
Use of off-road vehicles, motor bikes, or other motorized apparatus within county parks, campgrounds and wild land areas;
The issuance of licenses or permits for open burning of any kind.
All open burn permits that have been issued for the next 60 days are now void. Residents will need to obtain a new permit once restrictions have been lifted.
Any individual,firm, partnership or other entity found violating this emergency ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment for up to ninety (90) days or a fine not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300.00), or both. Each act shall constitute a separate violation.
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Date: April 18, 2012
Prescribed Fire Planned for Gila National Forest
Indian Peaks Prescribed Fire Planned On Black Range Ranger District
Truth or Consequences, NM; April 18, 2012— The Black Range Ranger District (RD) on the Gila National Forest will use prescribed fire to treat approximately 3,200 acres. Given the proper weather conditions, the project will start April 30, 2012. Project duration will vary depending on current weather and on-site fuel conditions, and burning will typically occur Monday through Friday.
This prescribed fire project is located north of N.M. State Highway 59 between Albion Peak, Corduroy Canyon, and Forest Road 231 to the west.
Objectives of this project are to continue the role of fire within the ecosystem and reduce hazardous fuels build-up on the ground.
When driving within the project area, please exercise caution as fire personnel and equipment will be present and working on or near NM 59. Drivers are also advised to use caution as smoke may reduce visibility along area roads.
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Date: April 16, 2012
Carson NF Prescribed Burn
Carson National Forest Prescribed Burn
April 16, 2012 – Taos, N.M. The Jicarilla Ranger District will begin implementation of the 233-acre Carrarcas Rim/Eul Prescribed Burn on Tuesday, April 17, contingent on favorable weather and available resources.
This project is being conducted to clean up old litter and duff to regenerate grass, forbs and browse species.
Smoke will be visible from Colorado along the San Juan River, Navajo Reservoir, and Jicarilla Apache Nation, west and north of the Jicarilla Ranger District.
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05-10-12
Lincoln NF to Burn Slash Piles Near Cloudcroft
04-27-12
Prescribed Fire Planned In Gila National Forest
04-25-12
Fireworks, Open Burning, and Smoking Banned on State Trust Lands
04-24-12
Santa Fe County Issues Burn Ban
04-18-12
Prescribed Fire Planned for Gila National Forest
04-16-12
Carson NF Prescribed Burn
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