Wildfire Wednesdays #17 - Living with Wildfire Webinar - Pinon Juniper Synthesis - Home Hardening Webinar

Hello FACNM Members,

Although we’ve been getting monsoon rains in parts of New Mexico, the accompanying lightning has also led to more natural ignitions of wildfires. For the most part, these fires have been suppressed quickly by firefighters since they are accompanied by moisture that slows the spread, but it shows that we truly are living in fire adapted ecosystems where wildfires have always had a place! This week spend some time catching up on webinars or take a deep dive into the fascinating world of Pinon-Juniper landscapes.

This week we have:

• Bachechi Open Space Webinar Recording – Living and Adapting with Fire, presented by your blog writer Gabe Kohler of the Forest Stewards Guild

• Pinon Juniper Synthesis –  Ecology, Ecohydrology, Restoration, and Management

• Upcoming Home Hardening Against Wildfire webinar- Tahoe Home Retro Fit Workshop

Best, Sam 

Living with and Adapting to Wildfire

In case you missed it, check out this webinar recording titled Living and Adapting with Fire. As part of Bachechi Open Space’s Backyard Science webinar series, this talk features an introduction to the fire ecology of various forested systems (bosque and mountain areas) that are common to northern New Mexico. Explore what it means for landscapes and houses to be fire adapted. Understand the ways communities can learn to live safely within areas where fire can run wild. Presenter, Gabe Kohler, is a program coordinator with The Forest Stewards Guild that works on increasing engagement with Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico (FACNM).

To Check out the webinar recording , visit https://www.facebook.com/BachechiOpenSpace/

Pinon-Juniper Management Synthesis

The Synthesis reviews the history of Pinyon and juniper woodlands, to provide the basis for understanding their ecology. Photo: R.Miller, Oregon State University

If you are live or work in Pinon Juniper landscapes this new synthesis will provide fresh insight into this important forest type. “This synthesis is a comprehensive review of the current knowledge of both persistent and newly expanded pinyon and juniper (PJ) woodlands that will be of interest to managers, researchers, and the public,” says Jeanne Chambers, a Research Ecologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station and synthesis coauthor. Although this synthesis focuses on the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, much of the information will be applicable to New Mexico. Besides the full length report the authors and their partners have created a series of briefing papers on specific topics. Dive into the world of PJ in the links below!

• Science You Can Use – Overview of the PJ Synthesis  

• Ecology Fact Sheet

• History Fact Sheet

• Eco Hydrology Fact Sheet

• Management and Restoration Fact Sheet

• The ecology, history, ecohydrology, and management of pinyon and juniper woodlands in the Great Basin and Northern Colorado Plateau of the western United States. RMRS-GTR-403 – Full Document 

Upcoming Home Hardening against Wildfire Webinar- Tahoe Home Retro Fit Workshop

Jul 28, 2020 06:30 PM

Join experts from California and Nevada for this workshop hosted over zoom about retrofitting your home to be more resistant to wildfires.

Click here to register

Speakers include:

Christina Restaino - Assistant Professor and Natural Resources Specialist with University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Director of the Living With Fire Program.

Susie Kocher - Forestry Advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension Central Sierra and is a registered professional forester

Stephen Quarles - University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and the retired Chief Scientist for Wildfire and Durability, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety Research Center.

Wildfire Wednesday #16 - Backyard Science Webinar Series - Business Resiliency to Wildfire

Hello, FACNM

It’s the blog’s sweet sixteen today and at least in some parts of the state we’re finally getting some relief from the heat this week with some (hopefully monsoonal?!) storms. If the storms do strengthen and turn into monsoons we may be in for a reprieve from fire season, which will make a wonderful birthday present for this blog! If monsoons are coming this week or a month from now, we’ll welcome the change in the season, and a transition to work on different aspects of fire adaptation, because unlike a monsoon storm, adaptation to fire doesn’t happen all at once, but bit by bit!

Best, Sam

This week we have:

• Bachechi Open Space Webinar – Living and Adapting with Fire, presented by your blog writer, Gabe Kohler of the Forest Stewards Guild

• Business Resilience and Wildfire – read more about preparations for business resilience in the face of wildfire

Living and Adapting with Fire - Back Yard Science Series Webinar

presented by Bachechi Open Space

Tune into the Backyard Science Series this Saturday, July 18th, at 2:00 pm for a webinar titled Living and Adapting with Fire. This talk will feature an introduction to the fire ecology of various forested systems (bosque and mountain areas) that are common to northern New Mexico. Explore what it means for landscapes and houses to be fire-adapted. Understand the ways communities can learn to live safely within areas where fire can run wild. Presenter, Gabe Kohler, is a program coordinator with The Forest Stewards Guild that works on increasing engagement with Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico (FACNM).

To check out the talk this Saturday, visit https://www.facebook.com/BachechiOpenSpace/

Business Resilience and Wildfire

Living in a fire-adapted community means many things, but what does it mean for businesses and local economy? Wildfires pose a serious threat to a community’s continuity, and can have devastating effects on the small businesses that depend on it. As we know all to well with the current crisis, business resiliency and risk mitigation strategies help to defend communities from losses, and are especially important for small businesses as they experience the most risk due to wildfires. With the current increasing frequency and severity of wildfires across the region, people are coming together to collaborate and create strategies to keep businesses open in light of fires. In May of 2019, the Island Park Sustainable Fire Community in Idaho held a workshop to tackle this challenge; check out the link below! There may be some lessons for the current crisis here too.

https://fireadaptednetwork.org/business-resilience-round-up-fire-adaptation/

Wildfire Wednesdays #15 - Homeowner Mitigation Webinar - Invasives and Fire - Common Ground

Hi FAC Members,

The goal of our first Wildfire Wednesday newsletter was to provide curated resources to New Mexicans despite social distance. We have seen positive strides toward this goal. Thank you all for continuing to help grow this network and to share this information with your friends and loved ones. We are truly stronger together.

This edition of Wildfire Wednesday includes:

• A webinar by Sarah McCaffrey focused on what motivates homeowners to mitigate fire risk

• A look into the connection between invasive species and fire ecology

• An article describing how increasing wildfire risk is agreed upon across political lines

• Upcoming webinar tomorrow on wildfire response and recovery

Sincerely,

Gabe

What Motivates Homeowners to Mitigate Wildfire Risk?

USFS Research Social Scientist, Sarah McCaffrey

If you watch one webinar recording about wildfire preparedness this year make it last week’s keynote address from The Bill Lane Center for the American West, where Sarah McCaffrey takes an informed look at how landowners respond to outreach for wildfire mitigation. This webinar looks past “the imagined public” and uses rigorous social science methods to investigate what actually motivates homeowners to mitigate wildfire risk.

To view the webinar recording and learn how to improve your outreach to homeowners, click here.

Invasive Species and Fire Risk

Fire ecology investigates the complex strategies of flora and fauna employ to survive wildfire. We commonly think of ponderosa pine trees that grow thick bark to resist the impacts of fire. A deeper investigation though shows that these trees not only just survive fire but also perpetuate more fire by dropping flammable needles that allows fire to spread.

A wildfire moves through tamarisk (salt cedar).

In contrast other species like Cottonwoods that grow along rivers or sage brush on plateaus have different less harmonious relationships with fire. In these areas fires occurred much less frequently for many reasons but in part because the leaves that drop from sage and cottonwoods are less flammable than ponderosa needles.  

Now invasive species have changed this equation. In the case of sage ecosystems, cheatgrass has moved in. Cheatgrass is very flammable and will quickly recolonize an area after a fire, long before sage has a chance to reestablish. There is a similar story occurring in our bosques where invasive species such as tamarisk and Russian olive trees that are very flammable have invaded areas, and changed the fire ecology by adding fuel to the system, leading to fires that cottonwoods are often unprepared for.

Cheatgrass is an invasive species that often out competes native species and is highly flammable.

In both cases there are diligent restoration efforts occurring across the US to restore these ecosystems. However, make sure to take a look right around your home or property too. Just as these flammable invasive plants threaten our iconic sage flats and cottonwood galleries, they also are a wildfire threat near your home.

Fire Science Brief: Pentimento: Fuels Reduction and Restoration in the Bosque of the Middle Rio Grande

Cheat grass advice from Waterwise LLC in Santa Fe

Attacking Invasive Cheatgrass at Its Root

Fighting Fire with Native Plants

The 2017 Eagle Creek Wildfire in the Columbia River Gorge

Common Ground: Agreement on Increasing Wildfire Risk Crosses Political Lines

A recent article from the Blue Mountain ecoregion in Northeastern Oregon provides useful insight into how political views may create a stumbling block for forest and fire management and suggests alternative ways of communicating the need for wildfire mitigation.

Despite overwhelming scientific and experiential data, climate change remains a divisive factor in forest and fire management. Beliefs about climate change are found to be strongly linked to a person’s political leanings. However, beliefs about future wildfire risks were found to be largely independent of political beliefs and people accurately agree about the rising frequency of large wildfires and expect this trend to continue. This finding presents an opportunity to engage diverse stakeholders in developing policies to mitigate increasing wildfire risk without invoking politicized beliefs about climate change.

To learn more about these findings, click here.

Tomorrow: Virtual Wildfire Series: Webinar on Response and Recovery

Jul 9, 2020 03:30 PM

The Bill Lane Center for the American West is hosting a panel discussion on the human dimensions of wildfire response and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our panelists Luke Beckman from the Red Cross, Alma Bowen from Nuestra Comunidad, and Charles Brooks from the Rebuild Paradise Foundation will discuss the challenges and best practices for evacuations, shelters, planning and coordination, and recovery efforts in our new reality.

https://west.stanford.edu/events/virtual-wildfire-series-response-and-recovery

Wildfire Wednesdays #14 - Fire Prevention - Smoke Resources - Hummingbirds and Fire

Hi FACNM Members,

With The Fourth of July this weekend, many people are excited to get out of their homes and recreate outdoors. I know I am. This is not a typical year -- fire danger and the risk of covid-19 remain high. Fireworks, campfires, and large groups put American lives at risk this Fourth of July. We support you in encouraging your friends and families to find alternative ways to celebrate The Fourth this year.

This edition of Wildfire Wednesday includes:

• Fire prevention messages that you can share on social media to encourage your friends and family to recreate responsibility this year.

• An introduction to the smoke resources page on FACNM

• An article that looks at the connection between hummingbirds and wildfire in fire adapted landscapes

Stay safe,

Gabe

Please Help us Prevent Wildfire! Use these social media posts!

Please help prevent wildfire by sharing these messages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or over email. If this simple step prevents one wildfire, it could save lives and will help keep our first responders safe during the 2020 fire season. Just add the flyer as a photo and use our suggested caption, or create one of your own. Then, like and follow the FACNM Facebook page so we can see your post!

Recreate Safely

Click Here to Download this Flyer!

Suggested Caption: Click Share and Help Prevent Wildfire: We all need your help to prevent wildfires this summer. The statewide average of human-caused wildfires in New Mexico is 48% of all wildfires and most of these fires can be prevented. Don’t drag chains, check spark arrestors on vehicles and equipment and for information about preventing wildfires over The Fourth of July weekend, visit https://nmfireinfo.com/   Suggested Hashtags: #recreateresponsibly #preventwildfire #nmfire #fireadaptednm

Know Before You Go

Click Here to Download this Flyer!

Suggested Caption: Click Share and Help Prevent Wildfire: Know Before You Go! Before you make plans to have any smores over the campfire check for current fire restrictions.  Campfires and fireworks are not allowed on most public and private land throughout New Mexico. For more information, call the Fire Restrictions Hotline: 1-877-864-6985 or visit https://firerestrictions.us/nm/ 

Suggested Hashtags: #recreateresponsibly #preventwildfire #nmfire #fireadaptednm 

Do Your Part, Don’t Let A Wildfire Start

Click Here to Download this Flyer!

Suggested Caption: Click Share and Help Prevent Wildfire: Firefighters and first responders are needed more than ever to keep America safe . Prevent wildfires by following fire restrictions, postponing debris burning, and using campfire alternatives.  

Suggested Hashtags: #recreateresponsibly #preventwildfire #nmfire #fireadaptednm 

Protecting yourself from Smoke during COVID

Smoke preparedness to protect you and your family has taken on a new importance with the compounding impacts of the respiratory illness from the coronavirus pandemic. Although not wildfire smoke specific, recent scientific studies from Italy and the UK (Conticini et al., 2020 & Travaglio et al., 2020) suggest that air pollutant exposure worsens COVID-19 symptoms and outcomes. This research is part of the reason why land managers have adjusted their tactics this year to try and limit smoke impacts on communities as much as possible. (see our interview with an FMO for more)

However, even with fire fighters doing their best, it is impossible to avoid smoke impacts from wildfires. If you are predisposed to respiratory ailments the best thing to do is prepare ahead of time, by monitoring smoke forecasts from www.airnov.gov and setting up a clean air room in your home to escape the effects of smoke. To do this, prevent smoke from entering and filter the air if possible. 

This page from the CDC captures some FAQs about wildfire smoke and the corona virus outbreak. Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19: FAQs

If you are thinking about setting up a Cleaner Air Shelter for your community the CDC has also released guidance: COVID-19 and Wildfire Smoke Cleaner Air Spaces

For much more information on how to prepare for smoke please visit our website. There we have information about protecting yourself from smoke, selecting an air cleaner, and more.

FACNM Smoke Resources  

The Forest Stewards Guild is also now restarting out HEPA Air Cleaner Loan Program in some locations with new policies to limit the spread of COVID-19.

FACNM Air Cleaner Loan Program  

Hummingbirds and Wildfire

Hummingbirds are some of the most beloved birds to observe; whether you are an avid bird watcher, a professional ornithologist, or simply a nature lover, these beautiful birds spark joy for all. As residents of fire-adapted ecosystems, you might wonder how our colorful friends fare with wildfire. The Forest Service released a literature review this year that summarizes the studied effects of fire on species of hummingbirds throughout the United States (see link below). In their paper, Alexander and associates found that most species of hummingbirds respond positively to fire, and that many hummingbird species show higher abundance in burned forests compared with unburned areas. In their review, Alexander et al. remark that while unnaturally severe fires pose serious risks, the positive benefits these hummingbird species are receiving from less severe fires are likely connected with the health of local fire-adapted plant and insect populations. Turns out, hummingbirds are among a wealthy community of fire-adapted organisms that benefit from natural, historically consistent fire.

To read more, click here!

Upcoming Webinars

Wildfire Series: Response and Recovery

The Human Dimensions of Wildfires

Thursday, July 9, 2020 - 2:30pm

Register for the Zoom Webinar

Join us for a panel discussion on the human dimensions of wildfire response and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our panelists Luke Beckman from the Red Cross, Alma Bowen from Nuestra Comunidad, and Charles Brooks from the Rebuild Paradise Foundation will discuss the challenges and best practices for evacuations, shelters, planning and coordination, and recovery efforts in our new reality.

Panelists

• Alma Bowen, Executive Director, Nuestra Comunidad

• Charles Brooks, Executive Director, Rebuild Paradise Foundation

• Luke Beckman, Division Disaster State Relations Director, American Red Cross

Moderator

• Rebecca Miller, PhD Candidate, E-IPER

Wildfire Wednesdays #13 - FACNM Leader Profile - Forest and Wildfire Trivia Game - Wildfire Preparedness Pages

Hello FACNM Members

The same as every year around this time we are seeing and smelling smoke in the air from wildfires in Arizona, New Mexico, and beyond.  Until monsoon season begins and brings some long-awaited relief from the heat we can expect more wildfires to start.  As we wait for monsoons remember to keep up your preparedness or use the smoke in the air as a chance to remind some of your neighbors that now is as good a time as any to prepare for wildfire.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday includes:

• A profile of a FACNM leader in the Timberlake Ranch community in Northwestern New Mexico.

• Forest and Wildfire Trivia Game, to be played over zoom!

• FACNM and Fireshed Preparedness Pages

Best, Sam

FAC Leader Profile: Mary Jo Wallen, Timberlake, NM

Enthusiasm and personal connection to the outdoors are powerful resources. By sharing these passions we can inspire others to take action towards a more wildfire adapted future.

To learn how FACNM leader Mary Jo Wallen got interested in wildfire mitigation and community organizing, click here.

Forest and Wildfire Trivia game!

Esme Cadiente at the Forest Stewards Guild put together a fun social distancing activity that you can play with your friends and peers. Forest and Wildfire trivia can be played over Zoom, google hangouts, or any other platform that allows you to share your screen and computer sound. You must have Spotify to access the music round, and PowerPoint to access the visual round. There are five rounds of eight questions:

1. Forest, Fire and tree trivia

2. Music round – Spotify list

3. Visual round - PowerPoint

4. Fictional forests and fires

5. Visual Round PDF – you can work on this at any time

After each round, the quizmaster will read the answers aloud and participants will report back their scores. The quizmaster will keep an excel doc to track scores. You will need to choose a quizmaster to conduct the trivia and then invite participants to join! This is a great way to connect with neighbors and friends in a time when we can’t connect in the personal way we are used to. You may also learn something about forests and fires!

Use these three files to play:

• Quarantrivia -See The Forest – Word Doc instructions and questions

• Round 3. Quarantrivia -See The Forest Visual Round  - PowerPoint

• Round 5 .Visual Round PDF

Cheers,

Esmé

FACNM Preparedness Page 

To help guide your actions toward wildfire preparedness, take a look at the Fireshed’s wildfire preparedness page. This page features resources that can help keep your home safe from wildfire, including A home hazard assessment, a wildfire preparation factsheet by NFPA, 10 tips for wildfire risk reduction, and a webinar on how to prepare your Home Ignition Zone for wildfire season. The page also has an entire section devoted to wildfire resistant building materials that can help guide you through home construction or renovation.  

Remember, even small actions like picking up pine needles can make a big difference to prepare your home for wildfire!

To take a look at all the useful resources on FACNM’s Prepare page, click here.  

Wildfire Wednesdays #12 - What is a Red Flag Day - Fire Ghosts Book Discussion - Campfire Alternatives

Hello Fireshed Members,

Creating communities that are adapted to living in wildfire-prone landscapes requires capturing the hearts and minds of many New Mexicans. To support this effort, we need useful information to guide our actions and creative materials that compel us to reimagine our role in fire adapted landscapes.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday features resources to guide our wildfire preparedness actions as well as some creative approaches to help us reimagine what it looks like to live within a fire adapted landscape.

• A lesson in Fireline Factors: What does Red Flag Warning mean?

• An discussion focused around the book Fire Ghosts, that finds glimmers of beauty and enlightenment in the increasing destruction of wildfires in an era of climate change.

• Creative campfire alternatives for camping during fire restrictions

Best,

Gabe

What are Red Flag Warnings? 

By Porfirio Chavarria, City of Santa Fe Wildland Urban Interface Specialist

The National Weather Service defines Red Flag Warnings as:

A term used by fire-weather forecasters to call attention to limited weather conditions of particular importance that may result in extreme burning conditions.

Still scratching your head?  Here’s three bullet points to understand what a Red Flag Warning means. In addition to an area being in a dry spell for at least a week and in high to extreme fire danger, the criteria for the issuance of a Red Flag Warning by the National Weather Service is:

• Sustained wind average 15 mph or greater

• Relative humidity less than or equal to 25 percent and

• Temperature of greater than 75 degrees F.

Red Flag Warnings are issued for specific geographical areas delineated by the National Weather Service.  These areas are referred to as, “forecast zones”.  As with any imaginary line drawn on a map, fires and weather don’t recognize those lines.  But, they do help us make sense of and identify commonalities within those lines to tell a story.  In this case, a story about the potential for increased fire behavior. 

This is all well and good but, “How do I know if there is a Red Flag Warning in my area?”. Your local television and radio stations will also relay that information during their news casts.  The local National Weather Service Office website, weather.gov/abq  is an excellent source for a quick visual, and you can click on the links to get the detailed text forecast.

In summary, Red Flag Warnings mean the weather is hot, dry, and windy.  Any fire that starts under those conditions has the potential to spread quickly, and easily overwhelm firefighting resources. 

Get the alerts and create a wildfire action plan. When a Red Flag Warning is issued for your area Get Ready, and be Set, because you may need to Go!

Fire Ghosts, a virtual discussion with the authors Patricia Galagan & Philip Metcalf (d) hosted by Collected Works

Jun 25, 6:00 PM Online Event

Patricia Galagan, one of the authors of Fire Ghosts, a new book chronicling the Las Conchas fire and beauty and enlightenment found in the aftermath, will be in conversation with essayists William deBuys, Craig D. Allen and curator of photography at the New Mexico Museum of Fine Art, Katherine Ware and Ernie Atencio, regional director of National Parks and Conservation association (co-sponsors of the event)

For More information and to join the conversation please visit

https://www.collectedworksbookstore.com/events-1/philip-metcalf-patricia-galagan-fire-ghosts

Campfire Alternatives: Creative Ways to Follow Fire Restrictions and Still Have Fun

You can still have fun camping without a campfire. Although everyone prefers campfires, in a time where there are fire restrictions just about everywhere in New Mexico, it is a great time to get creative and test your outdoor skills by trying some of these creative campfire alternatives.

For extra outdoors points, brainstorm your own fun after-dinner activities that you can do while you are out in the woods with your friends and family.

One of my favorites is going to sleep early. Ha!

Click here to check out a video and blog post by Leave No Trace for some ideas to get you started.

Wildfire Wednesdays #11 - Fire Season Heats Up - Wildfire Risk to Communities - WUFS Summit

Hello FACNM Members,

Things are heating up in the Southwest. This last week was a big one for wildfire starts across New Mexico, and with that in mind, we have compiled some helpful resources for you to stay informed and active in conversations about your community’s wildfire hazard.

As fire season progresses, it is never too late to do some simple mitigation work around your house and we encourage you all to look back at some of our early posts for some simple ways that you can get involved.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday includes:

• A 2020 fire season update and nmfireinfo.com and inciweb.nwcg.gov where you can get up-to-date information about active wildfires across the state.

• A webinar recording about how to use the new Wildfire Risk to Communities online map viewer.

• A call for presenters and save-the-date for the Wildland Urban Fire Summit this fall in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Stay safe,

Gabe

Fire Season Heats Up

Uvas Fire- This photo was taken on Jun 7th of the ~1000 acre Uvas fire near Las Cruces. Photo from Inciweb

We had 6 active wildfires reported over last weekend (6/5-6/7) and a couple early this week. As fire season heats up, you must know where to find accurate and up-to-date information about the wildfires that are occurring across the state.

The best place to find information about active wildfires across New Mexico is  NMFireInfo.com . This website is an interagency effort by the State of New Mexico, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management to keep New Mexican's informed about current significant wildfires, fire restrictions, and helpful links to wildfire prevention information. Click on the +Follow tab in the lower right corner of NMFireInfo.com to sign up to get an e-mail when new NMFireInfo.com posts are added. 

Once an incident transitions from a new start to a larger fire that needs long-term management they are added to Inciweb.  This interagency website provides the public with a single source of incident-related information and provides in-depth information such as maps, photos, and an archive of press releases. Click here to visit InciWeb

Wildfire Risk to Communities Webinar

Previously on the blog, we announced the new Wildfire Risk to Communities viewer created by the US Forest Service and partners. Now you can view a recording of the webinar in which the creators of the website and the fire risk analysis explain how to use the new tool and all of its functions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivWol9_NEMs&feature=youtu.be

Wildfire Risk to Communities is a new free, easy-to-use website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk. This website serves as a starting point to help community leaders be able to assess and reduce risk to homes, businesses, and other valued resources. Use this website to start conversations with neighbors, family members, and anyone else in your community about wildfire.

Check it out: https://wildfirerisk.org/

Call for Presenters for 2020 Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS)

This year’s Wildland Urban Fire Summit will center around the theme, “All Lands, All Neighbors for Wildfire Resilience.” As a diverse network that bridges between agency officials, non-governmental organizations, private landowners, and many others, your work as a FACNM Member is well-suited to this year’s summit theme. We hope you will all take a look at the attached Call for Presentations and consider sharing some of the wildfire adaptation work you are doing in your community.

Presentation ideas need to be submitted by July 31st, 2020 and the Summit is planned for October 22-23, 2020. Please save these dates.

To read the full Call for Presentations, click here.

Wildfire Wednesdays #10 - Ambassador Programs Nationwide - FACNM Leaders - COCO Grant Opportunity

Hello FACNM Members,

FACNM helps us learn from the experiences of communities across the state and inspires action towards a more wildfire adapted future. In many ways, communities serve as a toolbox full of perspectives, experiences, and creative approaches to new problems. The broader the perspectives and experiences in our FACNM communities, the more robust our toolbox becomes, and the stronger and more resilient we are.

With this in mind, this week’s Wildfire Wednesday focuses on approaches that we are using to build our community toolbox and bring in new voices to the conversation about wildfire preparedness.

This Blog Contains:

• An article about how ambassador approaches are making progress on wildfire adaptation nationwide

• An introduction to the FACNM Leader Program

• The Coalitions and Collaboratives Action, Implementation, and Monitoring Grant Opportunity

Best,

Gabe

An Ambassador by Any Name Doth Broaden Wildfire Resilience

Porfirio Chavarria shares a fire scenario with a neighborhood. A Fireshed Ambassador did all of the work to bring neighbors together to learn about their wildfire risk and what they can do to reduce their risk.

A recent blog post by Rebecca Samulski, of Fire Adapted Colorado, describes the many ways that volunteer neighborhood leaders have been effective at motivating community wildfire mitigation nationwide. Across the country, these volunteer neighborhood leaders go by different names. Here in New Mexico we have a statewide program of FACNM Leaders and a Santa Fe-specific program of Fireshed Ambassadors.

To learn more about how these ambassador approaches are being used across the country, click here to read Rebecca’s recent blog post on FAC Net.

Fire Adapted New Mexico’s (FACNM) Leader Program

Fire Adapted Communities Leaders help to bring their community together to work collaboratively.

FACNM’s Leader program recognizes that action needs to be motivated from the grassroots scale and tailored to individual communities. By motivating their communities and sharing resources, FACNM leaders have an outsized impact in helping their communities improve their fire adaptation.  

We are actively building a network of FACNM Leaders across the state and we need more volunteers. If you are concerned about the wildfire risk in your community and want to do something please join us.

As a FACNM Leader, you will bring together your community to work collaboratively on wildfire preparedness, mitigate wildfire risk to your homes, and promote and support each other’s efforts. Your FACNM network and your fellow FACNM Leaders will be there to support you along the way.

To learn more, click below:

https://facnm.org/leaders

Coalitions and Collaboratives Action, Implementation, and Monitoring (AIM) Grant Opportunity

Coalitions and Collaboratives works to foster on-the-ground conservation efforts that protect and restore natural resources and local communities by supporting collaborative conservation organizations, who produce collective impacts through stakeholder driven efforts.

Coalitions and Collaboratives (COCO) is releasing another round of AIM funding. The Pre-Application has been modified from the previous round to be less cumbersome. Attached below is the Request for Proposal, Pre-Application/Concept Paper, and an Example of the Strategic Value question.

Request for Proposal

Examples of Strategic Value Statement

Pre-Application Concept Paper

You can access the Round 5/Summer 2020 grant information on COCO's website: https://co-co.org/get-involved/grants/aim-grant/.

COCO hosted an informational webinar today Wednesday, June 3 at 1:30 MDT. A recording of the webinar will be posted on the website above.

Wildfire Wednesdays #9 - Fire Science Briefing Papers - SWFSC - Dr. Craig Allen Presentation

Hello all,

In the past two months we’ve shared a wealth of tips about preparing for wildfire, but becoming fire adapted is more than just doing, it’s also about understanding the role of wildfire in the forests, shrublands, and grasslands where we build our homes.

So today we’re taking a brief look into the wider world of wildfire. In New Mexico wildfire plays a varied role depending on the landscape, the conditions of the vegetation that burns, and the weather. Sometimes that role is crucial and beneficial and other times it causes serious harm.

We’re highlighting a few of the many resources available in New Mexico to take a dive into this fascinating world. Understanding the importance of the role of fire in our ecosystems and that wildfires won’t be going away is vital to becoming a fire adapted community.  

All the best, Sam

This Blog Contains:

• Briefing Papers on wildfire science topics from the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition

• Southwest Fire Science Consortium: Developing dialogue between fire scientists, managers, and the public

• Dr. Craig Allen presents: “The State and Fate of our Mountain Forests in New Mexico and the West.”

Fire Science Briefing Papers from the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition

With Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition the Forest Stewards Guild has produced a series of Briefing Papers to highlight and summarize important research in fire ecology topics. These papers have focussed on fire history, the impacts of wildfires on birds, and post-fire forest conversion to name a few. Each briefing paper was produced in collaboration with a scientist or professional in the field. Click the link below to check out these recently published papers.

https://www.santafefireshed.org/briefing-papers

The Southwest Fire Science Consortium (SWFSC)

The SWFSC helps bridge the gap between science and fire management decisions. The goal is to see that the best available science is used to make management decisions and that scientists and researchers are exploring questions that managers need to be answered. By advocating for and funding dialog between managers and researchers, the SWFSC fosters two-way collaboration. This process has demonstrated the power to solve the challenges of fire management and has generated a wide range of useful resources, including in-person events, webinars, factsheets, whitepapers, and more.

Click here to explore the practical resources on the SWFSC webpage!

Dr. Craig Allen Video Presentation:

“The State and Fate of our Mountain Forests in New Mexico and the West.”

We’re excited to share this video of Dr. Craig Allen who addressed a full house at the New Mexico Land Conservancy this winter when we could still gather.

Video of Craig Allen, Ph.D., is now available

“The State and Fate of our Mountain Forests in New Mexico and the West.”

Our first NMLC speaker event on January 28 was a success – a full house – thanks to our speaker that night, place-based ecologist, Dr. Craig Allen who generously dedicated an evening. Click the button below for a link to a video of his slide presentation, including an introduction from NMLC’s Executive Director, Scott Wilber, and ending with an interesting Q&A session.

Click Here To See The Video!

Wildfire Wednesdays #8 - Wildfire Prevention - Fire Restrictions- Recreation Guidelines - PG&E Penalty

Hi FACNM Members,

With Memorial Day weekend right around the corner people are eager to get outside after months of staying home, so this week we are dedicating Wildfire Wednesday to Wildfire Prevention.

In New Mexico, nearly half of the wildfires since 2000 have been human caused. People start wildfires in a variety of ways, including vehicle exhaust pipes, cigarette butts, dragging chains, and poorly extinguished campfires. The amount of human caused wildfires is closely correlated with summer holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day when many more people are out (Guild 2018). With that in mind, please be safe this Memorial Day weekend, always check for fire restrictions before you recreate outdoors.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday includes:

1. Fire prevention messages to be posted and shared on social media

2. Some helpful links to check fire restrictions across the state

3. COVID Outdoor Recreation Guidelines from the State of New Mexico

4. A recent court decision holds PG&E  accountable for the Camp fire that burned through the town of Paradise, CA and killed 85.

Stay safe,

Gabe

Please Help us Prevent Wildfire! Use these social media posts!

Please help prevent wildfire by sharing these messages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or over email. If this simple step prevents one wildfire, it could save lives and will help keep our first responders safe during the 2020 fire season. Just add the flyer as a photo and use our suggested caption, or create one of your own. Then, like and follow the FACNM Facebook page so we can see your post!

Recreate Safely

Click Here to Download this Flyer!

Suggested Caption: Click Share and Help Prevent Wildfire: We all need your help to prevent wildfires this summer. The statewide average of human-caused wildfires in New Mexico is 48% of all wildfires and most of these fires can be prevented. Don’t drag chains, check spark arrestors on vehicles and equipment and for information about preventing wildfires over Memorial Day Weekend, visit https://nmfireinfo.com/   Suggested Hashtags: #recreateresponsibly #preventwildfire #nmfire #fireadaptednm

Know Before You Go

Click Here to Download this Flyer!

Suggested Caption: Click Share and Help Prevent Wildfire: Know Before You Go! Before you make plans to have any smores over the campfire check for current fire restrictions.  For more information, call the Fire Restrictions Hotline: 1-877-864-6985 or visit https://firerestrictions.us/nm/ 

Suggested Hashtags: #recreateresponsibly #preventwildfire #nmfire #fireadaptednm 

Do Your Part, Don’t Let A Wildfire Start

Click Here to Download this Flyer!

Suggested Caption: Click Share and Help Prevent Wildfire: Firefighters and first responders are needed more than ever to keep America safe . Prevent wildfires by following fire restrictions, postponing debris burning, and using campfire alternatives.  

Suggested Hashtags: #recreateresponsibly #preventwildfire #nmfire #fireadaptednm 

Current fire restrictions in New Mexico

Currently there are 74 different fire restrictions in place issued by the State of New Mexico, Counties, Pueblos and Tribes, and Federal agencies including NPS, USFS, BLM, BIA. These fire restrictions are in place to prevent human started wildfires that threaten firefighters and the public.  

It’s safe to assume that if you choose to recreate outdoors this Memorial Day weekend, campfires will be forbidden where you’re going. In addition, things such as fireworks, smoking outside of designated areas, welding, and driving off road through dry vegetation are prohibited in many circumstances as well.

To check on fire restrictions across New Mexico and in a specific locations please visit: https://firerestrictions.us/nm/

On this site you can click on the map at the top of the page to see the fire restrictions that apply to your area or scroll through all restrictions that have been issued state wide or by jurisdiction.

State of New Mexico - COVID Outdoor Recreation Guidelines

Be Safe, Respectful While Enjoying the Outdoors

#RecreateResponsibly, New Mexico

The State of New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division has issued some guidance for recreating while minimizing the potential to escalate  impacts.  all know the solace and comfort that spending some time outdoors can provide and it’s possible to get out here and stay safe too.

You can read the full guidance here but check out the ten rules below. The second rule is  about preventing wildfires!

Ten rules for New Mexicans looking to get outside:

1. The health of others should still be your top priority. Bring a mask whenever you recreate and put in on when approaching other groups. Practice physical distancing.

2. Forget about campfires. There are statewide fire restrictions in place. Check this site for details on fire bans before you go on a trip.

3. Avoid crowded trailheads. Have a back-up plan if your favorite spot is too crowded. Remember, the State Parks that are open are operating under limited, day-use only capacity.

4. Check for closures. Check the land management agencies’ websites before venturing out to recreate. Many of these places are closed right now to protect both recreationists and staff.

5. Practice Leave No Trace principles. Pack it in, pack it out. Protect your fellow outdoor recreationists. Protect the natural resources.

6. Be prepared. Many developed recreation sites (including bathrooms) remain closed. Be self-sufficient by bringing in your own snacks, waters, and trash bags.

7. You can only camp overnight at dispersed, remote campsites. All public and private developed campsites remain closed.

8. You can book some outdoor guided trips and coaching sessions. You must still adhere to all group-size limits and physical distancing rules. Don’t go out if you are sick. If you are not exhibiting symptoms, wear a mask to protect your guide or coach.

9. Gear rentals can resume. So long as the equipment is properly and thoroughly sanitized between uses.

10. Public gatherings, events, and camping in developed sites are still banned.

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) holds PG&E accountable for Wildfires

The electrical grid is one of the key sources of human-caused wildfires. A recent court decision holds public utilities accountable for wildfires started by faulty infrastructure.

In California, PG&E  is being required to pay a $1.93 billion penalty for starting wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that included The Camp Fire that burned through Paradise, CA. Hopefully, this decision sends a strong message to public utilities that they are accountable for wildfires created by faulty infrastructure. Still, with the windy and dry conditions in New Mexico this time of year, it is essential that we all play our part and report unsafe conditions to our electric utility providers.

To read the full story, click here.

Webinar Recordings:

Did you miss the FACNM Home Ignition Zone Webinar? View the recording of the Webinar here: https://facnm.org/prepare

Wildfire Wednesdays #7 - Ready, Set, Go! - Wildfire Ready Rap - Film Festival

Hello!

With the sunny days and high winds this spring we’ve seen more and more Red Flag (high fire danger) days and a few wildfires starting across New Mexico. As we barrel along toward summer, it’s important to continue to do everything you can to prepare for wildfire.

Best, Sam

In this Blog we have:

• The Ready Set Go! Program, an all-inclusive wildfire preparedness program.

• “Wildfire Ready Rap” by Ready Raccoon, not much more to say about this, it’s awesome!

• The Wild and Scenic Film Festival with a short film about prescribed fire in the Southern US

• Upcoming webinars and webinar recordings

Ready, Set, Go!

The Ready, Set, Go! program empowers residents living in the wildland urban interface with the knowledge they need to be better prepared for responding to a wildfire in their community. Each step of the program addresses wildfire preparedness at a different stage. The Ready stage is to proactively reduce the risk of wildfire impacts to your home through mitigation techniques like defensible space, keeping gutters clean, and planting fire resistant landscaping around your home. The Set stage is to be prepared to leave your home quickly in the event of an evacuation order. Actions in the Set stage include putting together a “go bag” with important papers, medications etc. The final stage is to GO! and follow the evacuation order when/if it comes. Have an evacuation plan ready, know where you and your family will meet up if you get separated and don’t wait to leave.

Click the links below to learn more:

Santa Fe County - Ready, Set, Go!

National Ready Set Go Program

To learn more about Santa Fe County’s Ready Set Go program and detailed instruction about creating a Go-Bag join us for tomorrows webinar:

Ready Set Go Santa Fe and Go-Bags Webinar

May 14, 2020 10:00 AM in Mountain Time

Click here to register!

“Wildfire Ready Rap” by Ready Raccoon

Ready Raccoon is Butte Fire Department’s wildfire preparedness mascot and now he’s got a theme song. Ready Raccoon will be out dancing and grooving to the song below at community gatherings and events in California. He’s designed this song to not only inspire people to dance, but remember that it’s always good to be prepared in case of a wildfire! This song is awesome!

“Wildfire Ready Rap” Webpage

Wild and Scenic Film Festival by the Santa Fe Watershed Association

The Santa Fe Watershed Association is hosting its annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival streaming to your home this year! Of particular interest to our members is the film Into the Black -

Into the Black film description:

Human ignited ‘prescribed burns,’ are an essential technique to mimic natural processes that maintain and restore critical habitats. With extensive efforts to restore large areas of native habitats, partnerships are critical to provide the capacity necessary to implement fire on the scale needed.

Visit the website below for more information.

https://www.santafewatershed.org/wild-and-scenic-film-festival/

Webinars

Did you miss the FACNM Home Ignition Zone Webinar?

View the recording of the Webinar here: https://facnm.org/prepare

Upcoming Webinars:

Ready Set Go Santa Fe and Go-Bags from the Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition

May 14, 2020 10:00 AM in Mountain Time

Click here to register!

In this hour-long webinar Remington Gillum, the wildland Specialist at Santa Fe County will present on the Ready, Set, Go Program, an all-inclusive program to prepare you and your family for wildfire. Ann Church of Villages of Santa Fe will then show you how to construct a Go-Bag, an evacuation bag that contains a supply of items you would need to safely evacuate your home.

Wildfire Wednesday #6 - The Power of Network Approaches - Firewise Planting Guide - Supercomputer Fire Modeling

Hi FACNM Members,

Hopefully, the beautiful spring weather, blooming flowers, and longer days are giving you the boost you might need to get outside and make progress towards your wildfire preparedness goals or to connect with those in your community. With all the uncertainty we may be feeling right now, working outdoors and connecting with our peers (from a distance) can provide much-needed solace.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• A story about the power of our connections during times of struggle and change from the national Fire Adapted Community Learning Network (FAC Net).

• A Firewise planting guide to help make your landscaping and gardening ready for wildfire.

• Supercomputing Challenge winners from the New Mexico School of Art build a computer model to predict fire risk.

• Upcoming Webinars

  • Next Tuesday May 12th -The Home Ignition Zone - What to do to prep your home for fire season!

 From my kitchen table to yours,

Gabe

Can your connections save your event from unexpected catastrophe?

Annie with her parents at a Chelan County Fire District 3 ceremony.

Interested in why we have the word Network in our name? Because connections matter. Connections between people, ideas, challenges, and solutions are critical to foster the learning environment we need to accelerate change. Connections are happening locally in New Mexico and nationally. The Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network (FACNM) was initially inspired by the national Fire Adapted Community Learning Network (FAC Net). Take a few minutes to read this interview of Annie Schmidt from FAC Net by Travis Dodson of the Wildfire Lessons Learned Center and find out how your network might save your next field trip!

Have a few extra minutes and want to get the full story, read Annie’s interview of Travis here!

New Mexico Locust in bloom

Firewise Planting Guide

Spring is here in New Mexico! As you’re thinking about landscaping this year, consider this guide from New Mexico State University: Fire Wise Plant Materials. It is a complete guide to making your landscaping and, thus your home more resistant to wildfire. There are general tips as well as an exhaustive guide of plants that are fire resistant, what elevations you can plan them in and other details.

Supercomputing Challenge Winners Model Fire Risk in the Santa Fe Fireshed

Supercomputing Challenge 30th annual Expo Presentation, a finalist project is one that, after being read by many judges, is deemed worthy to present in the category to be considered for higher honors.

Students from the New Mexico School for the Arts recently won first place in this  year's Supercomputing Challenge by modeling forest fire risks in the Santa Fe Fireshed. Their report, titled “It’s ‘Bout To Get Lit Up In Here: Modeling Forest Fire Risks in Northern New Mexico” details the creation of a computational model that predicts forest fire movement. They then ran the fire spread model using the data from the forests above Santa Fe. Given the current Covid restrictions their finalist presentation was held online, so you can view it here.

Webinars

The Home Ignition Zone - What to do to prep your home for fire season

May 12, 2020 01:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Click here to register!

In this 60 minute webinar Sam Berry of the Forest Stewards Guild will show you how to prepare your home for fire season. Research has shown that there are simple and easy actions you can take in the areas closest to your home to drastically lessen the chances of it catching fire in a wildfire. Tune-in to learn about the Home Ignition Zones and find out what you can do!

Wildfire Wednesday #5 - FACNM Leader Profile - Building Fire Resistance - Wildfire Coloring

Welcome to Wildfire Wednesdays #5. We hope you’ve been enjoying all the wonderful spring weather and taking some time to be outdoors. With that beautiful weather, we’ve experienced a few red flag (high fire danger) days in the last week. I hope you are feeling prepared for this year’s fire season, and if not we have some resources to help!

Best, Sam

This week:

• A profile of a Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network (FACNM) leader in the Zuni Mountains area and how his community is working towards fire adaptation.

• Fact sheets about making your home more fire resistant to wildfire from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.

• Wildfire Coloring Sheets from the Smokey Generation

• Upcoming Home Ignition Zone Webinar

FACNM Leader Profile

Ron Schali, one of our FACNM leaders from Timberlake Ranch in northwestern New Mexico, has been working with FACNM leader Mary Jo Wallen and the Timberlake Fire Mitigation and Forest Health Committee to make incremental progress toward wildfire preparedness. Ron shared three simple and effective pieces of advice for building support in your community:

• Start with the low-hanging fruit.

• Find projects that already have support and people on board and use those to build momentum toward areas that may be more challenging.  

• Show off your completed projects as educational tools to get others interested.  

To read the whole interview with Ron and learn about the Timberlake Community’s approach, please click here.

NFPA Wildfire Resistant Building Fact Sheets

Check out this video to see how the IIBHS conducts its research by simulating a wildfire and learning how houses ignite.

Once you have removed the leaves and needles from the first five feet around your home, where should you start with changes to the building itself? The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety has created a great series of fact sheets that address specific aspects such as decks, roofing materials, and vents. These guides offer in-depth information and what can be done to make your home more fire-resistant.

You can find the fact sheets on our website on the Prepare page:

https://facnm.org/prepare

For more information please join our webinar on how to make your home less vulnerable to wildfire!

The Home Ignition Zone - What to do to prep your home for fire season

May 12, 2020 01:00 PM Mountain Time

Click here to register!

Wildland Fire Coloring Sheets from the Smokey Generation

To help out with all the kids (and adults) at home these days, every day for a month the Smokey Generation (an awesome wildfire oral history project) created a coloring sheet that focuses on an aspect of wildland fire from around the world. Each sheet has a small fact about wildland fire and a link to more information. As a bonus, many of the sheets are translated into Spanish, French, Catalan, and German!

http://thesmokeygeneration.com/coloring-sheets

Upcoming Webinars

The Home Ignition Zone - What to do to prep your home for fire season

May 12, 2020 01:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Click here to register!

In this 60 minute webinar Sam Berry of the Forest Stewards Guild will show you how to prepare your home for fire season. Research has shown that there are simple and easy actions you can take in the areas closest to your home to drastically lessen the chances of it catching fire in a wildfire. Tune-in to learn about the Home Ignition Zones and find out what you can do!

Wildfire Wednesdays #4 - Meet an FMO - Go-bag Essentials - Interactive Risk Viewer

Hi FAC Members,

By making incremental progress toward adapting our communities and forests to the natural process of wildfire we can make the celebration of Earth Day last year round!

 This week we are excited to share:

• An interview with a Forest Service Fire Management Officer  about how we can all support first responders during the 2020 fire season.

• Go-Bag essentials to prepare your family for the event of any evacuation.

• An interactive wildfire risk viewer to start conversations with your community about the potential effects of wildfire.

Stay safe,

Gabe

Jon Boe – Fire Management Officer, Santa Fe National Forest

Meet one of the many people that go to work every day to manage fire on and around our National Forest lands! In our interview with Jon Boe, we gained a unique perspective about how the 2020 fire season may look differently than in previous years.

Click here to read the entire profile.

You can help keep our first responders safe by following Jon’s recommendations for this year:

To be prepared for wildfire during the 2020 fire season:

• Be engaged and alert to receive messages about wildfires. The sooner you know about a fire the more prepared you can be.

• Have a plan for evacuating your family and all your animals.

• Be cautious with ditch burning and pile burning. When these fires get out of hand, you’re putting firefighters at unnecessary risk.

To help prevent wildfires:

• Be aware of and respect current burn bans, restrictions and closures to protect firefighters. Visit https://firerestrictions.us.nm/ for more information.

• Leave-no-trace on national forests while public-use facilities are closed and trash collection is suspended. https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/

• Follow state-ordered social distancing measures while on national forests https://cv.nmhealth.org/

Create a Go-Bag

Previously in this blog we’ve talked about alerts and ways to receive notice of an evacuation but when the notice comes what will you take with you? A Go-Bag is an evacuation bag that contains a three-day supply of items you would need to safely evacuate your home. These bags are prepared in advance, before an emergency, and are kept in an easily accessible place.

When creating your Go-Bag add these essentials:

• Cash and extra credit cards,

• Medications and prescription glasses,

• Water and non-perishable food,

• Personal toiletries and clothing,

• Flashlight and batteries,

• First-Aid kit, and

• Pet necessities.

Visit this page for details about how to prepare https://facnm.org/evac

Interactive Risk Viewer

Wildfire Risk to Communities is a new free, easy-to-use website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk. This website serves as a starting point to help community leaders be able to assess and reduce risk to homes, businesses, and other valued resources. Use this website to start conversations with friends, neighbors, family members, and anyone else in your community about wildfire.

Check it out: https://wildfirerisk.org/

Upcoming Webinars

SWFSC: Fire season review for 2019 and a 2020 outlook

Apr 29, 2020 01:00 PM Mountain Time

Click Here to Register!

The purpose of this webinar is to review 2019 fires and look ahead toward conditions for 2020. Dr. Zander Evans presented an overview of the largest fires in the Southwest during 2019. He will share summaries of forest types and burn severities for each of the fires. In addition, Rich Naden, Fire Weather Meteorologist with the Southwest Coordination Center, will discuss the fire season outlook for 2020 in the Southwest, and Terrance Gallegos and Brent Davidson of the US Forest Service will discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the upcoming fire season.

Preparing your home for wildfire and addressing the Home Ignition Zone

Mid-May TBD

Stay tuned fore more details

If you have a topic you’d like us to cover in a webinar please let us know!

Wildfire Wednesdays #3 - Meet an Ambassador - Assess the Hazard - Upcoming Webinars - This Old House -

Hello,

We are all in this together and it is more important than ever that encourage those around us (from a distance) to prepare for wildfires. Although things are fluctuating quickly and a lot is unknown, we can be sure that fire season on its way.  

Creative approaches to wildfire preparedness during social distancing are all the rage this year and we’ve got the tools you need to lead the way for your friends and neighbors. With that in mind, please share these resources and feel free to use any part of the newsletter to post or send!

This week in the blog:

• a profile of Pam Ryan, a community Fireshed Ambassador,

• Planning tips to prepare your home for wildfire,

• Upcoming webinars, and

• “This Old House” episodes where they visit Paradise, California after the Camp fire.

• Campfire Ban on US Forest Service lands.

From my kitchen table to yours,

Gabe

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Pam Ryan - Profile of a Fireshed Ambassador

We’re beginning a series of profiles of people that inspire us in their creativity and determination in their wildfire adaptation work and we hope they inspire you too!

Today we’d like to introduce Pam Ryan, one of our Fireshed ambassadors. The Fireshed Ambassador Program is a sister effort of our FACNM Leader program in the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed area.

Pam finds being an ambassador rewarding in the simple ways she can open people’s eyes and get them thinking about fire mitigation, from her roadside chats with shears in hand, or during conversations with friends and acquaintances.

“You want to put the welcome mat out for firefighters not the wildfire, and that welcome mat is the 30 foot perimeter. People respond to that idea and it’s rewarding to be able to open their eyes.”   - Pam

Click below to read more of Pam’s story as a Fireshed Ambassador and how she’s prepared her family and neighborhood for wildfire.

Flammable debris under a canale.

Pam’s spring wildfire cleaning tip

“We adapt to changes around our homes pretty quickly. With cleaning for fire season you have to get small and zoom in to notice where there could be problems, it’s easy to overlook these areas but they could be a big deal if an ember ignites them.

For example, under the canales on my house there are rocks to break up the water hitting the ground. These become a trap for needles and leaves that get wedged in the rocks right next to your house. If you have one tree on your property you’ll find similar places around your house. It’s important to take a walk around your home and take notice of where the remnants of Fall have stuck, such as in corners or where stairs meet a portal.” - Pam    

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Home Hazard Assessment

The prospect of preparing your home for fire season can seem overwhelming, since planning for any disaster means imaging the worst. So, to get started the best thing to do is to create a plan and then begin with the easiest tasks, and luckily some of the simplest things can make the biggest difference! Check out these 7 things to get you started. (Click the image to make it larger)

To assist in making a plan we’d like to present the Home Hazard Assessment Guide. With this guide and the accompanying worksheet you can assess the areas of your home that could use improvement and then keep track as you work to improve them. This short guide covers all the areas that you might be concerned about that might cause your home to ignite.

Many organizations such as fire departments offer more in-depth assessments of your house, although these services may be limited this season.

Are you interested in setting up a webinar about how to prepare your home for wildfire for your community? Contact Gabe@forestguild.org for details.

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This Old House - Rebuilding Paradise

What better time to catch up on some television than during social distancing. Pop some popcorn and enjoy these episodes of “This Old House” that show the determination of the community of Paradise, CA to rebuild following the 2018 Paradise wildfire.

Seeing how the people of Paradise work together to rebuild their town is an inspiring example of the power of community connections and may boost your spirits during these unprecedented times. Share these episodes with your friends , family, and neighbors as an inspiring example of how communities can work together in the face of challenging times. 

To view all five episodes of “This Old House” click here.

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Upcoming Webinars

Join us virtually!

Southwest Fire Science Consortium: Fireseason review for 2019 and 2020 outlook

Apr 29, 2020 01:00 PM Mountain Time

Click Here to Register!

The purpose of this webinar is to review 2019 fires and look ahead toward conditions for 2020. Dr. Zander Evans presented an overview of the largest fires in the Southwest during 2019. He will share summaries of forest types and burn severities for each of the fires. In addition, Rich Naden, Fire Weather Meteorologist with the Southwest Coordination Center, will discuss the fire season outlook for 2020 in the Southwest, and Terrance Gallegos and Brent Davidson of the US Forest Service will discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the upcoming fire season.

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Forest Service Takes Steps to Reduce Human-Caused Wildfire during Global Pandemic

April 15, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, Southwestern Region today enacted a campfire restriction to protect the health and safety of employees and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. From April 15 through June 30, campfires are prohibited on all five national forests in New Mexico and national grasslands on the Cibola in Oklahoma and Texas. Forest Service officials are taking necessary steps to ensure first responders are available to safely respond to and manage incidents. This campfire restriction will prevent the drawdown of fire and medical resources to human-caused wildfires and reduce firefighter exposure to COVID-19 during the current pandemic. Read more about the bans here and here.

Wildfire Wednesdays #2 - Alerts – Fire Response – Detecting Fires

Hello all,

These trying times have shown us the power of our communities and networks to support one another. Our faith in the strength of networks and personal connections to affect change is the basis behind building the FACNM member and leader program.

With that in mind part of our intent with this blog is to create content that you can share with your community, neighborhood association, or any neighbor, friend, or relative. Please feel free to use any part of the newsletter to post or send. Just remember to add your own personal message, even if it’s a quick sentence or two, it’s the personal touches that help keep us going through this time of social distance!

Best, Sam

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Stay informed – sign up for emergency alerts and wildfire notices.

Example of an Alert Santa Fe message.

Local emergency alerts are a crucial way to stay informed about wildfires and any other emergency notifications. These alerts allow emergency managers to send you timely information such as wildfire evacuation notices by text, landline phone, or email. You must sign up for these services to get the full benefits, so please do so and encourage your friends and neighbors too!

Many counties throughout New Mexico offer an alert system that will send you the latest information. After you register, the information you provide gives critical knowledge to emergency responders such as where the gas shutoff is on your house or medical conditions of family members.

Please contact your county administration, emergency manager, or your local volunteer fire department to ask how to sign up for your local alert system. For example here is the sign-up page for emergency alerts in Cibola County and Bernalillo County. Even if your county does not have a dedicated emergency alert system, there is most likely a reverse 911 system that can send the most urgent alerts.

For wildfire specific information, NM Fire Info is the best way to receive updates across all jurisdictions in New Mexico. This site is regularly updated with wildfire and prescribed fire information and will send email updates or, you can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter.  

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Fire response during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Wildland firefighters prep for new guidelines to protect against virus spread – Santa Fe New Mexican - April 4, 2020, by Amanda Martinez

Wildfires and the Pandemic – What’s Ahead – Western Fire Chiefs Association response to the Pandemic.

Meeting the Challenges of Covid 19 –Letter from the director of the Office of Wildland Fire in the Department Of Interior and outlines their response to Corona Virus.  

The 2020 Fire Year: Managing risk in a pandemic – Letter from the Chief of the Forest Service

Forest Service Coronavirus (Covid-19) Updates – Nationwide guidance on Coronavirus impacts on Forest Service lands and operations

How The Coronavirus Could Hurt Our Ability To Fight Wildfires - Google Podcasts-  Interview with Kendra Pierre-Louis, a reporter on the New York Times, many of the concerns raised in this podcast are the ones addressed by the articles above.

We can expect our first responders to do everything they can this year to suppress wildfires, but it’s even more important than normal this year to do what we can to set them up for success. We can assist firefighters by preparing our homes and our families for wildfire and preventing human-caused ignitions.

First responders from every jurisdiction are making plans for how to fight wildfires while keeping firefighters safe this year in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the highest level the National Interagency Fire Center has convened three regional Area Command teams to develop plans and direction for fire response, while locally we are already in the beginning of fire season and agencies have made adjustments to their tactics to fight fires.

Listed here are several news articles and resources about how firefighters and agencies are preparing. This is a dynamic issue and we will continue to post relevant articles as they appear.

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Descartes Labs Advances Wildfire Detection across New Mexico

New Mexico’s ability to detect and respond to wildfires across the state will be improved through an innovative tool from Descartes Labs. Descartes Labs has built an automated, early-warning wildfire detector using satellite data that will be put to work in New Mexico during the 2020 wildfire season. The wildfire detector will alert the state’s Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department’s Forestry Division of wildfires in real-time.

At a time when first responders are adapting to a fire season with multiple hazards, this improvement in detection provides a powerful tool to respond to and suppress wildfires before they can spread.

We are excited to have the bright minds from Descartes Labs working toward improving our wildfire resilience across the state and look forward to seeing this new tool in action.

Read more about this breakthrough in New Mexico’s wildfire detection system.

Wildfire Wednesdays #1 – Staying Connected

Hello All,

We are excited to introduce our new weekly blog, Wildfire Wednesdays! We will miss seeing all of you at the events we had planned this spring so we’re trying something new to stay as connected as we can.

Even as the Coronavirus pandemic had made it more difficult to gather in person it has also shown how important it is to have a strong community that supports one another. A focus of ours is building Fire Adapted Communities that engage in the things you’d think of like making defensible space, but they also connect us and prepare us for any emergency. This happens by making neighborhood phone trees, signing up for emergency alerts, or simply reaching out to your neighbor and checking that they are adequately prepared for the uncertainty we are currently facing and of that of the upcoming fire season.

So, starting today we will be posting weekly blog posts on Wednesdays including things to do from home to prepare for fire, activities to pass the time, emergency preparedness tips, webinars about the upcoming fire season, and more. Please feel free to reach out to us if we can assist with anything and send resources or ideas you think others would benefit from or enjoy for the newsletter!

Best, Sam  

Gabe Kohler of the Forest Stewards Guild

P.S. To pull the curtain away some, the Forest Stewards Guild, a non-profit in Santa Fe, runs the communications for two networks here in New Mexico, The Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition, and Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network. For this newsletter series we will be combining forces of these networks. Myself (Sam, sam@forestguild.org ) and my colleague Gabe Kohler (gabe@forestguild.org) are very excited about this series. Please feel free to reach out to us.

Sam Berry installing interpretive signs.

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Staying Connected

The bright light in the challenges that lie ahead is that there are specific steps that we all can take to make our communities more resilient to wildfire, and most of us have the time at home right now.

Through creative and socially-responsible approaches we can share information with our friends and neighbors about the importance of wildfire preparedness and empower them to take action amidst a global pandemic.

We have compiled a list of resources to encourage and empower you to reach out to those in your community. The good news is that all actions that build community will help build your capacity to respond to or recover from wildfire or any other crisis, bonus points if you accomplish some wildfire mitigation too!

Here are some fun and effective ways for you to strengthen your community while social distancing:

1.       Host a virtual happy hour or coffee meetup for you and your neighbors and schedule one or two special guests that can provide expert opinions on wildfire related topics.

Create a relaxed atmosphere by taking turns with introductions, enjoying a nice beverage, and allowing people to get comfortable with the platform. Here are some suggestions on holding a virtual conversation. Virtual meeting platforms like Zoom or freeconferencecall.com are good options for this type of event.

2.       Set up a neighborhood text tree that lets you send an email via text.

Once your list is created you can rapidly share detailed emergency information in your neighborhood.

3.       Set up a group chat or Facebook group with your neighbors.

Encourage them to post pictures of the Wildfire preparedness work they are doing around their houses. Share these photos on the Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network Facebook page to help encourage action through our statewide audience.

4.       If you have other ideas or things you’re already doing to stay connected in you communities please let us know!

Adapting to Covid-19: Staying Active in a Time of Uncertainty

Hello FACNM Members,

We are all dealing with tough and uncertain times with the rapid changes due to Covid-19, and the networks that we’ve built are more important than ever. The Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico network makes us more resilient during emergencies and will help us navigate this situation.

Community Wildfire Preparedness Day Plans

Many of you had plans for community wildfire preparedness day that have most likely been postponed or altered, so we want to share this list of ideas for wildfire preparedness day with social distancing in mind. With the speed of change, some of the ideas on here that would have been appropriate a week ago may not fit the State of New Mexico’s current orders. Given that uncertainty, please use your best judgment and feel free to reach out if you want to talk with a Fire Adapted Communities coordinator. We can help with ideas and some video conferencing technology. You can reach us at gabe@forestguild.org or sam@forestguild.org.

Wildfire Season and Covid-19

This year wildfire response will be impacted since our first line response agencies will be strained and we need to take new precautions to protect our firefighters from Covid-19. Especially in our local communities, the first line of response will be less robust than it’s been in previous years. This puts even more emphasis than usual on doing what we can safely do to prepare ourselves and our homes for wildfire.

We will be coming up with materials and programs like webinars and videos to help, but in general, the important ideas are that same as always. Take advantage of extra time at home to add wildfire mitigation and household evacuation readiness to your spring cleaning tasks. Here are some ideas:

- Sign up to receive local emergency alerts.

- Set up a neighborhood text tree that lets you send an email via text. This allows for rapid and detailed sharing of emergency information in your neighborhood.

- Prepare your home as much as you can for wildfire. Visit the link for ideas, there is a lot we can do from home with no supplies like raking or moving wood plies.

- Prepare an evacuation kit or go bag.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. - Theodore Roosevelt

Best, Sam

FACNM response to Coronavirus

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve daily, the Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico Learning Network (FAC NM) is keeping a close eye on the unfolding events. As with preparing our communities for wildfire, all members of the network share an equal concern for stewardship of public health.   

The FACNM network and our partners are seeking opportunities to carry on our work while limiting chances for the spread of the virus. For the time being, we are postponing any events or gatherings planned through mid-May and possibly further. There are many opportunities to engage with the network remotely, such as our member webinars, website forums, and increased online content. FACNM is also able to help provide web conference call and webinar support if you need it to carry on an event you postponed or would like to plan a new event. Please email gabe@forestguild.org if you need help scheduling a virtual meeting for your community. 

 As we have a better understanding of this pandemic and its ramifications in our community, we will be in touch about our modified plans and measures to support wildfire preparedness.  In the meantime, please take all adequate precautions to protect yourself, loved ones, and the community as this event unfolds.   

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Incorporating bird needs into piñon-juniper woodland management - Webinar March 10th

The New Mexico Avian Conservation Partners (NMACP) is putting on a webinar about incorporating the needs of birds that use Pinion-Juniper as habitat.

Below is the Announcement from the NMACP:

The webinar will discuss actions that may help minimize negative impacts on numerous woodland bird species, including the following high priority species: Pinyon Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Gray Vireo, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Virginia’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Black-chinned Sparrow. 

Webinar Information:

Time: Mar 10, 2020 02:00-4:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada); the webinar will likely not take the entire two hours

 Join Zoom Meeting https://audubon.zoom.us/j/229863483  (more information at the bottom of this email.)

Recent litigation has prompted us to reach out regarding ways to incorporate bird conservation needs into forest and woodland management.  Most of you are likely aware of the injunction that has ceased timber activities in New Mexico’s national forests; the injunction cites an alleged lack of monitoring to determine timber activity impacts to Mexican Spotted Owl populations.  Many of you may not be aware, however, of litigation against the Utah BLM regarding some of their piñon-juniper removal practices; the plaintiffs cite impacts on the rapidly declining Pinyon Jay as one reason for their appeal.  More information may be found here: https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/blog/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument-forests. 

The New Mexico Avian Conservation Partners (NMACP) steering committee believes we can prevent additional litigation in the future by working together to incorporate bird conservation needs into woodland and forest management.  To help achieve this, the NMACP steering committee plans to provide the following resources over the next few months:

·         Updated species accounts for high priority forest and woodland birds including: Pinyon Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Grace’s Warbler, Virginia’s Warbler, and more; for each species, these accounts will outline the best available science, as well as NMACP steering committee habitat management recommendations; for a list of all bird species of conservation concern in New Mexico, please visit:   http://avianconservationpartners-nm.org/species-assessment-scores/

• Webinar regarding management of bird species of conservation concern in piñon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, and mixed-conifer forests

• Examples of projects that successfully balanced bird conservation with other goals

• Information regarding how to monitor for bird species of conservation concern

Please help us spread the word by forwarding this email to anyone you think may be interested.  All of the above resources will be provided through this listserv, so please also encourage colleagues to sign up by doing the following: send an email message to listserv@listserv.uark.edu; then, in the subject line and the body of the message, write: Subscribe NEWMEXALLBIRDGROUP-L firstname lastname

Topic: NMACP Webinar

Time: Mar 10, 2020 02:00-4:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada); the webinar will likely not take the entire two hours

 Join Zoom Meeting

https://audubon.zoom.us/j/229863483 

 Meeting ID: 229 863 483

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Meeting ID: 229 863 483