Wildfire Wednesdays #112: Fire Prevention

Hello and happy Wednesday, FAC NM readers!

Did you know that of all the wildfires which ignite in the U.S. annually, nearly 90% are human-caused? We’ve heard Smokey Bear telling us to extinguish our campfires (around 44% of all human-caused ignitions start with escaped campfires), but prevention goes far beyond that narrative. Other common culprits include tossed cigarettes, burning yard debris, fireworks, hot exhaust pipes and chains or other items dragging from moving vehicles, agricultural burns, railroads, downed or sparking power lines, and more.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• An Overview of Fire Prevention

• Fire Restrictions and Forest Closures

• Upcoming events and announcements

Take care,

Rachel

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Fire Prevention

An Overview

Fire is a natural part of many ecosystems, but it is also capable of burning at high-intensity and decimating landscapes and communities. For this reason, we look to reduce the amount of fire on the landscape during times of the year when it is more likely to burn hot and out of control.

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Interested in learning about fire prevention versus suppression versus exclusion? Read more about the legacy of wildfire in the west and the differences in Wildfire Wednesdays #107.

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Fire prevention refers to stopping unwanted wildfires before they start, or ignite - in essence, treating the cause before you get the symptoms. There are two types of wildfire ignitions - natural (lightning and, in some places, volcanoes) and human-caused (both intentional and accidental). With human-caused wildfires accounting for the vast majority of fire starts in the U.S., fire prevention efforts focus on stopping the most common sources to reduce community wildfire risk. The Wildfire Risk to Communities website offers broad categories of prevention tools.

1. Education

“Wildfire prevention education efforts—such as public service announcements, brochures [and signage], social media campaigns, and presentations—can encourage behavior changes and are successful, cost-effective strategies to help decrease the number of human-caused wildfires.” Messaging, training, and school programs provide a good foundation for education. A full list of education program ideas from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group for federal and other fire prevention programs can be found on page 8 of the National Wildfire Prevention Strategy.

2. Regulation

“Regulatory strategies by local governments and land management agencies can be effective [fire prevention tools]. For example, burning regulations and permit systems can be based on current fire danger and historical patterns… Land use planning and zoning can be useful for regulating high-hazard land uses such as sawmills and propane farms.”

3. Enforcement

“Increased patrols by fire service professionals and regular inspections [of equipment or operations that throw sparks such as chainsaws, powerlines, trains, etc.] in fire-prone areas are effective strategies to reduce human-caused wildfires.” Requiring and checking permits and fining and ticketing individuals or businesses who are not following restrictions and regulations are additional enforcement measures. Local forestry and Forest Service personnel can assist with identifying successful techniques.

Needs and Resources

The number one tool on the above list, wildfire prevention education and awareness, is an important component of fire prevention. Although investments in fire prevention have shown to be highly effective at reducing preventable human-caused ignitions, a 2021 report by the Forest Stewards Guild, Investing in Wildfire Prevention, detailed the ways in which many organizations tasked with fire prevention may not be adequately investing time and resources in public education and targeted staff time. Research is ongoing to identify how public education and outreach efforts related to ignition reduction can be improved in human-caused wildfire hotspots in the Southwest; in the meantime, here are a few resources to learn about preventing unwanted wildfires.

• Prevention How-Tos: Smokey Bear returns to teach us about preventing unwanted wildfires as a result of campfires, backyard debris burning, and equipment use and maintenance.

• Sparky - fire resources for kids: the National Fire Protection Association has created kid-friendly resources on fire preparedness and prevention to education and empower all members of our community.

• Wildfire risk visualizer: navigate to your county on the map to see the number of human caused wildfires organized by type (of activity that sparked the fire) and month. Understanding the most prevalent ignition sources helps us to communicate the risk to our communities more effectively.

• Identify hotspots: a majority of human-caused wildfires start close to population centers (cities, towns, and camps), along travel corridors (roads and trails), and close to recreation sites (campgrounds and trailheads). Resources such as Risk Factor can provide general information about an area’s relative risk of impact by fire, flooding, and more based on topography, vegetation, and possible ignition sources.

• Wildfire Outreach Materials: from the U.S. Fire Administration and FEMA, these materials provide easy-to-share information on fire prevention and preparation. Review the social media graphics, publications, and more to learn about easy prevention techniques and to share them with your community!

• One Less Spark: the national campaign offers comprehensive and easy-to-share resources for prevention education including fliers, videos, graphics, and more. The NM Forestry Division produced a 30-second video of the same name covering wildfire prevention basics.

• BLM Fire Prevention: this video from the Bureau of Land Management summarizes many of the fire prevention resources listed above. While the narrative focuses on the impacts to rangelands, the prevention techniques are applicable regardless of ecosystem type or location.

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Restrictions and Closures for Prevention

Know Before You Go

Preventing human-caused wildfires is a shared responsibility for all New Mexicans and visitors to our state. The following are some simple tips to remember when living, working, or recreating in fire-prone areas across New Mexico.

Restrictions
To reduce the risk of human-caused fires, many state and federal agencies will issue fire restrictions at varying levels during times of high fire danger. Some areas may be closed entirely until the risk of wildfire decreases significantly.

Screengrab of the NIFC Fire Restrictions Map. Click on the image to view the interactive map.

Before planning a trip to a National Forest (the USDA Forest Service Southwest Region office can be reached at 1-877-864-6985), National Park, or other public lands, check with the managing agency, local fire department, or local government for possible fire restrictions. The New Mexico Fire Information website and NIFC Fire Restrictions Map are also excellent resources.

Read more about Red Flag Warnings and other notices of high fire risk conditions in Wildfire Wednesdays #111.

Closures
Wildfire risk can become severe enough during the warm and dry season to warrant excluding people - including recreationists, contractors, researchers, and more - from an area entirely to prevent unwanted fire starts. These exclusions are called closures and they most commonly occur on National Forests and State Parks. They are often put in place because the vegetation is so dry and the temperatures so high that even everyday activities such as driving pose a risk.

New Mexico Wild has a good round-up of resources to find current closures in the areas you are thinking of visiting and NM Fire Info posts area closures as they are announced around the state. Just like researching fire restrictions before you go, the best way to find up-to-date closure information is by calling the managing agency or fire response organization in the area.

Other prevention tips
Visit New Mexico Forest Division’s prevention webpage to learn more about fire prevention tips and tricks.

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Upcoming Events and Announcements

Webinars

Friday, June 2, 12:00 - 1:00pm: Fire in the Southwest, Past and Present – Fire Season 2022 Overview and 2023 Outlook
A researcher examines trends in the largest fires in the Southwest of 2022, and a meteorologist explores the fire season outlook and expectations for fire weather behavior in 2023.

Workshops

November 6-10, 2023: 6th National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop
Save the date for this national gathering of fire management professionals working in in local, state, Tribal and federal agencies and organizations as well as non-governmental organizations and private companies. Hosted by the National Fire Leadership Council, the workshop will focus on peer-to-peer learning centered around a shared framework for the future.

Resources for Residents

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group just released a report on Standards for Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface. This publication, which highlights preparedness aspects of Fire Adapted Communities, provides comprehensive fire mitigation information, recommendations, and standards to be used by professionals, practitioners, and the public across the country.

Wildfire Wednesdays #111: Red Flag Warnings

Happy Wednesday, FAC NM community!

Imagine you’re sitting down to your first cup of coffee in the morning and notice that it looks a little windy outside. You pull out your smartphone and open the weather app to check the forecast. There, at the top of the application, is an alert which reads “Red Flag Warning” from the National Weather Service. What does that mean?

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday will break down severe summer weather alerts, what they mean for fire risk, and how to prepare for Red Flag days.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• What are Red Flag Warnings?

• The geographic scope and learning more about Red Flag Warnings

• Recommended actions on Red Flag days

Be well,

Rachel

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Red Flag Warnings

What are they?

The origin of the name, Red Flag Warning, is a literal one, according to Tamara Wall of the Desert Research Institute: “If there was… high fire danger, local fire stations would go and run a red flag up the flagpole. It was a very visual, kind of pre-mass communications way to signal to people in the area that it was a high-danger day” (NPR, 4/14/23).

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), which issues these alerts in conjunction with local and state agencies, a Red Flag Warning is part of a weather forecast which indicates a local increase in fire danger risk in the next 12 to 24 hours. This increased risk is due to a combination of critical fuel conditions and critical weather conditions (warm temperatures, very low humidities, and strong winds). This means that if a wildfire starts, the conditions are right for it to spread rapidly and be difficult to contain. Red Flag Warnings differ in timing from a fire weather watch, which warns of the possible development of those conditions in the next 72 hours.

This combination of temperature, humidity, and wind conditions creates what is called critical fire weather. When you see a Red Flag Warning, that also means that critical fire weather is currently or will soon be occurring. The alert, whether online, on the news, or on your weather app, will usually indicate how long the Red Flag Warning is forecast to last. Fire management personnel take Red Flag Warnings into account and may respond by changing staffing numbers or preemptively moving resources into a certain region to be prepared for a potential ignition. During extended periods of high risk, local authorities may consider policy decisions like banning campfires or closing specific areas (see ‘What you should do’, below, for more information).

Indication of fire weather

Resource and image adapted from the Northwest Fire Science Consortium.

The four critical weather elements that produce extreme fire behavior are low relative humidity (RH), strong surface wind, unstable air (an incoming or outgoing storm system that creates a significant temperature differential between the land surface and lower atmosphere), and drought (NWCG, Critical Fire Weather). In the Southwest, drought becomes an important precursor to critical fire weather by drying out live vegetation as well as logs, sticks, needles, and grass on the ground, therefore increasing fuel availability. These weather elements, combined to create an unusually dry airmass for the region and season, produce extreme fire behavior when a fire does start.

Drought serves to pre-dry flammable material (fuel) and weakens live vegetation by decreasing the amount of water available, making it more susceptible to pests, disease, and mortality. Warm temperatures and low humidity (moisture in the air) further dry fuels, priming them to burn just like cured firewood. Unstable air creates erratic and often strong winds at ground-level, providing ample oxygen to fire starts and quickly fanning the flames to push the fire through those cured fuels. In this way, fires burn hotter, climb up into the forest canopy, and move faster. As the fire gets bigger, it will begin to pre-heat the vegetation and fuel ahead of the flaming front, enabling it to burn even faster and eventually create its own weather.

With summer and the transition to our monsoonal precipitation pattern rapidly approaching, we should note that light monsoons can produce gusty wind, low RH, and lightning without much precipitation.

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The geographic scope of Red Flag Warnings

How Red Flag Warnings are forecast

There are several contributing factors for when it comes to issuing a Red Flag Warning, but primary guiding criteria include relative humidity of 15% or less combined with sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, of 25 mph or greater. Both conditions must occur simultaneously for at least 3 hours in a 12 hour period, according to the National Weather Service. 

Meteorologists are moving toward being able to consider how all forecasted weather elements combine to create hazardous conditions, even if they don’t fit the criteria individually. Maybe the RH isn't quite as low as 15%, but the temperature is extremely high and the winds are high, which could lead to dangerous fire weather conditions.

Local forecasts inform the national NWS Fire Weather Outlook forecast by feeding into fire weather composite maps and short-wave ensemble forecasts. For local Red Flag Warning alerts, however, meteorologists look at forecasted temperature, incoming and outgoing storm systems (high- and low-pressure systems) with their potential for wind, the likelihood of wet or dry lightning, the dryness of fuels based on recent precipitation and season, and how local terrain will interact with wind and potential ignitions (YouTube: Forecasting Fire Weather in the US).

While Fire Weather Watches may be issued with meteorologists forecasting up to 8 days in advance, Red Flag Warnings are only issued when the severe fire weather conditions meeting the criteria for these Warnings are expected to begin in the next 12-24 hours.

Local alerts

As described in the previous section, fire weather forecasts are specific to a certain geographic area based on storm systems, temperature, terrain, and winds. Accordingly, Red Flag Warnings are site-specific, which means that one part of the state (e.g. the eastern plains near Las Vegas) may be under a Red Flag Warning while another part (e.g. Santa Fe on the other side of the mountains) is not.

The National Weather Service provides information on the scope of Red Flag Warnings. This information may be found in the alert itself (a text box showing what cities or areas are covered by the alert), or can be found by visiting the NWS weather hazards map (right).

Click to visit the Red Flag map from the National Weather Service

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What you should do

How to respond to a Red Flag Warning

Spread the word!

Educate your friends, family, and neighbors on what Red Flag Warnings are, what they mean, and how to respond when they see the warning pop up. Additionally, remind those in your household of the following practical steps to take on Red Flag days.

Research the scope of the Warning and restrictions for your area

Visit the NWS interactive weather hazard map to determine the area covered by a particular Red Flag Warning. Once you know if your current (or planned) location is under a fire weather watch or Red Flag Warning, visit the local city or county webpage to find out if that area is also under current fire restrictions or burn bans.

Begin your fire restrictions research by clicking on the image to visit the Southwest Area Fire Restriction map, hosted by the National Interagency Fire Center and the SW Coordinating Group.

Local municipalities may issue burn bans for a single day or several days at a time. These usually indicate that residents should refrain from certain activities, such as burning debris piles and cooking over open fires. State and National Parks as well as National Forests, however, may enter into fire restrictions for long periods of time. These restrictions indicate a prolonged (seasonal) period of dangerous fire weather and visitors to these public lands should refrain from building fires outside of designated fire rings or pits, using chainsaws, and more, based on the level of restriction. During the warm months, it is always a good idea to visit the webpage of your destination park or forest prior to leaving so that you are aware of any restrictions in place.

Adjust your behavior accordingly

• DO NOT burn debris piles.

• If you are allowed to burn in burn barrels in your area, cover them with a weighted metal cover, with holes no larger than 3/4 of an inch.

• DO NOT throw cigarettes or matches on the ground or out of a moving vehicle. They may ignite dry grass or debris and start a wildfire.

• If outdoor fires are allowed, make sure to extinguish them properly. Drown fires with plenty of water and stir with a shovel to make sure everything is cold to the touch with bare skin. Dunk charcoal in water until cold. Do not throw live charcoal on the ground and leave it.

  • Never leave a fire unattended. Sparks or embers can blow into leaves or grass, ignite a fire, and quickly spread.

• Avoid parking a recently driven vehicle on dry grass or other areas with vegetative cover.

• Ensure that no chains or hanging metal are dragging from your vehicle or tow-behind trailer which could cause a spark.

Prepare your home

Before leaving home for the day, make sure that all house and car windows are closed and bring flammable materials like outdoor cushions inside the home or garage.

Create defensible space (including removing dead vegetation from around the house and clearing debris from gutters, around doors, and under porches).

Plan for possible ignitions or evacuations

Photo courtesy of Sonoma County Emergency Management Department.

• Prepare your go-bag

• keep your phone charged

• make sure you know where your loved ones — especially people with disabilities or mobility issues — are during the day

• make a plan for what to do with any pets or livestock in case of an evacuation.

Wildfire Wednesdays #110: Community Wildfire Preparedness Day 2023

Happy Wednesday, FACNM community!

This Saturday, May 6th is national Community Wildfire Preparedness Day! This is a great opportunity to reach out to your friends, family, and neighbors and engage them in conversation and action to reduce your wildfire risk. Wildfire does not stop at the fence lines and the more that we can work together with those in our communities, the more effective our wildfire risk reduction efforts will be.

This Wildfire Wednesdays includes:

• Information about Community Wildfire Preparedness Day

• Ideas for action for this Wildfire Preparedness Day

• A webinar with New Mexico State Forestry Division with information about upcoming funding opportunities

Best,

Gabe

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a national campaign that encourages people and organizations everywhere to come together on a single day to take action to raise awareness and reduce wildfire risks.

It is held in the United States and Canada on the first Saturday in May. Prep Day is focused on what residents can do on and around their home to help protect against the threat of wildfires.

Plan your Project

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day encourages people to come together to take action to reduce wildfire risks. This year, Preparedness Day is focused on what residents can do on and around their home to help protect against the threat of wildfires. The Prep Day toolkit provides a list of project ideas, safety tips, and more, to help guide you towards event day.

Click here to download the toolkit.

Ideas for Action on Wildfire Prep Day

Click here to download the action guide!

This “menu” describes different projects that FAC members have organized in tandem with the National Fire Protection Association’s National Community Wildfire Preparedness Day. In addition to project overviews, the menu provides information about costs, equipment, planning needs, etc.

For more information, click here.

Upcoming Webinars

Webinar: State of the State - 2023 Forestry Division updates, Wildfire Defense Grants, and fire preparedness resources

Thursday, May 11, 2023 3:00 PM 4:00 PM

Click here to register!

On Thursday, May 11th, Jacob Pederson with NM Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department – Forestry Division will join FAC NM to discuss the role of Forestry Division before, during, and after fire.

To hear about the Prescribed Fire Act and certified burner training, Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) summer proposal preparation, and how the Forestry Division is innovating, leading, and staying involved with fire preparedness and recovery efforts, please register below or join us on Facebook Live. This webinar is presented in concert with EMNRD.

Job opportunity closing soon: Fire Adapted Communities Manager

Fire Adapted Communities Manager

Apply by April 30th!

The Forest Stewards Guild, a member of the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition and FACNM, is hiring a full-time project manager to facilitate the implementation of a $1.3 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant award advancing Fire Adapted Communities in New Mexico. This Santa Fe-based position will support projects described in the 2020 Santa Fe County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Ideal candidate:

Should have strong project management skills, including experience coordinating collaborative partnerships, budget and match tracking, strong organizational and facilitated leadership skills, a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, knowledge and experience in forestry or wildfire mitigation, and the ability to think strategically. As project needs are identified, the Project Manager will collaboratively develop solutions to move project outcomes forward.

Duties may include:

• Lead collaborative efforts to build and sustain the strength of the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition;

• Support the Fireshed’s Neighborhood Ambassador program by recruiting ambassadors and interfacing with the Coalition;

• Expand wildfire mitigation efforts in the Wildland Urban Interface by working with and supporting landowners and contractors;

  • Conduct home hazard assessments, high priority fuel mitigation treatments, and public outreach;

• Support the Guild’s program of work, as needed.

Next steps:

Interested applicants should visit the job positing on Smart Recruiters and click “I’m Interested” to submit a one-page cover letter, resume, one-page writing sample, three professional references, and earliest available start date.

Read the full position description, review the compensation and benefits package, and apply online by midnight on Sunday, 4/30/23!

Wildfire Wednesdays #109b: Preparing for Fire Part II

Happy Wednesday, FACNM readers!

After a busy week, we’re back with more information on getting ready for wildfires in Part II of our Preparing for Spring Ignitions Wildfire Wednesdays blog series. Part I can be found here. As the days get longer, warmer, and windier, we will continue discussing how to prepare and stay informed for ignitions, smoke, and flames in 2023.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• Staying informed during a wildfire

• Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) awards

• Job announcement: Fire Adapted Communities Manager

• CWPP Assistance Program application information

• Upcoming events and opportunities for engagement

Take care,

Rachel

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During a Fire - Staying Informed

Be aware of active incidents

Notification systems can alert residents of risks and evacuation needs during emergencies. Emergency management agencies, counties, and even individual cities have developed local emergency alert systems which send notifications to cell phones and computers in the area based on a device’s location data.

CodeRED alert system allows state and local agencies to deliver geo-targeted, time-sensitive information to individuals who have registered to receive alerts. Notifications can be sent via email, SMS, voice, mobile app push notifications, Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), and more depending on the severity of the situation.

Nixle is another alert system preferred by some local agencies to provide real-time text notifications of natural disasters, severe weather, missing persons, and more. You can opt in by texting your zip code to 888777.

Emergency management alert system used by each county in NM, courtesy of NMSU. Click to view PDF.

Ready.gov provides information on different types of emergency alerts, what purpose they serve, and how to sign up. Visit the website to learn more.

Local registration: certain counties around New Mexico have developed emergency notification systems which allow incident managers to alert residents to an emergency in their area. Below are links to sign up for some of the most heavily populated parts in the state, or you can search online by county to find information for your area.

• San Miguel County

• Taos County

• Torrance County

• Doña Ana County

• Sandoval County

• Bernalillo County

• Santa Fe (City)

• Los Alamos County

• Colfax County

• Grant County

Air quality and other important alerts

For all residents, especially those who are sensitive to or at-risk for respiratory hazards, summer wildfire smoke can present a serious nuisance and a health hazard. The first step toward protecting yourself and your family is to be in the know when the air in unhealthy to breathe.

AirNow is a collaborative effort of governmental and local air quality agencies to provide educational and real-time resources on air quality, wildfires, and more. The site provides interactive Air Quality Index (AQI) maps, Fire and Smoke maps, and information on using AirNow during wildfires.

IQAir AirVisual website and app provide real-time air quality information based on sensors close to your location. The app also provides air quality forecasts and health recommendations to reduce your risk during times of high-exposure to pollutants. This software may be linked to personal IQAir air quality monitors for best accuracy.

PurpleAir is another source of real-time local air quality information provided on a publicly available map. It pulls data from a network of air quality monitoring sensors to provide alerts of the density of PM2.5 pollutants in a given area.

Best practices for healthy lungs

Wildfire smoke effects on sensitive population:

• Lung or heart disease: individuals with heart disease, chest pains, lung disease, and asthma are at an increased risk from wildfire smoke. 

• The elderly: elderly individuals are also highly susceptible to wildfire smoke due to an increased risk of heat and lung diseases.

• Children and infants: children and infants have airways that are still developing and breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults. Children are more at risk since a majority of their time is spent engaging in activities and play. 

Take steps to reduce risks to your health:

• Check local Air Quality Index (AQI).

• View and download Clean Indoor Air info: informational sheets to guide you to clean air indoors during wildfire smoke events.

• Limit outdoor exposure: Staying indoors as much as possible during wildfires can help reduce your risk of health complications from smoke. Limiting or abstaining from outdoor activity is advised when smoke from wildfires is present.

Diagram of the multiple layers which make up a HEPA filtration system and the particulates that each layer is designed to capture.

• Keep indoor air as clean as possible: If advised to stay indoors from high levels of wildfire smoke, keep all windows and doors closed. Use an air conditioner or HEPA filter if you have one but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner or filter, seek shelter in a designated evacuation center or away from wildfire smoke activity. Learn about FACNM’s HEPA loan program.

• Follow advice from your healthcare provider: If you are sensitive to smoke from wildfires, or experience trouble breathing from smoke, contact your healthcare provider immediately.  

Ash clean-up:

• Do not use leaf blowers.

• Do not allow children to play in the ash.

• Wait until conditions improve to clean up ash.

• Use a damp cloth and spray areas lightly with water, direct the ash-filled water to the ground areas, and away from the runoff system.

• Take your vehicle to the car wash and wash toys that have been outside in the ash.

• Due to its corrosive nature, avoid skin contact with the ash by wearing gloves and long-sleeved shirts.

• If you have existing heart or lung conditions, avoid doing ash clean-up yourself or anything else that stirs the particles back up into the air.

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Expanding Fire Adapted Communities

CWDG Grant awards and employment opportunity

A 1.3 million dollar grant awarded to the Forest Stewards Guild (the Guild) will go toward reducing the wildfire hazard for Santa Fe, Pueblo of Tesuque, Pueblo of Nambe, and surrounding communities. Under the eligibility terms of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG), this funding will support projects described in the 2020 Santa Fe County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Over the next five years, the Guild and partners in the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition will engage in Community Wildfire Mitigation by conducting over 500 home hazard assessments and completing more then 125 acres of high priority fuel mitigation treatments. The Coalition will work to elevate public outreach and education while simultaneously increasing the number of Fireshed Ambassadors. Expansion of the Fireshed Ambassador program, which is based on the knowledge that neighbors are influenced by neighbors and that volunteer community leaders can multiply the efforts of subject matter experts, will foster Fire Adapted Communities. This work will be facilitated by a new Fire Adapted Communities Manager based in Santa Fe.

Read more about the grant award, the FAC Manager position, and how the Guild plans to decrease fire risk in the greater Santa Fe area on the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition webpage.

Read about all five CWDG proposals, totaling $11,482,174, which have been funded across the state on the US Forest Service grants webpage under “New Mexico”.

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CWPP Assistance Program

Fire departments and partnering agencies encouraged to apply

Managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), this Community Wildfire Protection Plan Assistance Program aims to provide resources for updating or developing CWPPs and engagement efforts to six departments/agencies in communities at high-risk of wildfire. Each department will be responsible for reaching out to local interestholders, evaluating the plan per IAFC subject matter expert assistance and guidance, and ensuring community engagement.

There will be additional funding of up to $6,000 for a community engagement day and a required in-person tabletop evaluation of the CWPP at the end of development. This project will require a significant time commitment and dedication from department personnel, participation with interested community members, and a dedicated CWPP writer.

Timing  
April 30, 2023 – Applications due.  
Mid-May 2023 – Selected departments are notified. 
June-July 2023 – In-person kick-off meetings to be completed. 
July 31, 2024 – CWPP Evaluation Tabletop must be completed. 
August 31, 2024 – Closeout reports are due to IAFC. A template will be provided.

Contact Derek Bullington at Derek.Bullington@iafc.org or (703) 537-4832 with any questions.

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Upcoming events

Demonstrations

April 25 and 27, 10am - 4pm: Biomass Removal Demonstration Event, public open house, Flagstaff, AZ.
Dr. Han-Sup Han of ERI, in collaboration with Coconino County, UofA Cooperative Extension, and RMRS, will lead a one-week trial beginning April 24 testing the performance of an Air Curtain Burner for biomass disposal and a CharBoss for biochar production. Takes place at the Coconino County Public Works Facility at 600 E Commerce Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86004.

Webinars

April 21 at 12pm: Santa Fe National Forest Prescribed Burning Webinar, live on Facebook.
Join the Santa Fe National Forest leadership team as they discuss the use of prescribed fire on the national forest. Specific topics will include practices and procedural changes following the national 90-day pause on prescribed burning and implementation of the seven tactical changes from an operational basis. Held in partnership with FAC NM.

May 11 at 3pm: 2023 Forestry Division updates and fire preparedness resources, Zoom and Facebook Live with New Mexico Forestry Division.
Jacob Pederson with NM Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department – Forestry Division joins FAC NM to discuss the role of Forestry Division before, during, and after fire. Specific topics may include the Prescribed Fire Act and certified burner training, Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) summer proposal preparation, and how the Forestry Division is innovating, leading, and staying involved with fire preparedness and recovery efforts.

Smoke from the 2019 Museum Fire near Flagstaff, AZ. Photo courtesy of Melanie Colavito, NAU.

May 11 at 12pm: Public Experiences and Perceptions with Wildfire and Flooding, Zoom webinar with the Southwest Fire Science Consortium.
Gain insights into public perceptions on wildfire and post-fire flooding with suggestions on how to improve information exchange! The research presented provides insights into public experiences with and perceptions of wildfires, post-wildfire flooding, and forest management more broadly over time, and offers suggestions for improving the exchange of information between and among agencies and the public to facilitate mutual understanding and enhance adaptive capacity for future wildfires and flood events.

Wildfire Wednesdays #109: Preparing for Spring Ignitions

April 6, 2023 marked the one year anniversary of the wildfire declaration for what would become New Mexico’s largest in recorded history: the Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Complex. Many communities were, and are still, devastated by the immediate and post-fire effects, flooding, and massive impact to their way of life. Learn more about the fire, what is being done to recover, and reflections from a state representative one year later..

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Happy Wednesday, FAC NM readers!

The strong spring winds and warming temperatures that have blown into New Mexico over the past few weeks let us know that wildfire season is just around the corner. In preparation, we will be presenting new information, as well as revisiting some Wildfire Wednesdays of the past, to discuss how to get ready and stay informed for ignitions, smoke, and flames in 2023.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• Preparing your home for wildfire

• Safeguarding important records

• Upcoming webinars and learning opportunities

Be well and enjoy the blooms,

Rachel

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Preparing Your Home for Wildfire

The Home Ignition Zone includes the immediate (0-5’), intermediate (5-30’), and extended (30-100’) hazard zones extending out from your home. Creating defensible space and reducing structural ignitability may mean working with your neighbors to clear debris and thin around your home.

Reducing Structural Ignitability
The Home Ignition Zone encompasses the concepts of home hardening and defensible space. Home hardening involves consideration for the materials used to build a structure, while defensible space involves clearing an area between a structure and the vegetation around it. By working on these two components, risk of home and structure loss to wildfire can be meaningful reduced.

Defensible space

Checklist from NMSU and Firewise® on defensible space actions that can be taken annually

Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building (such as your home) and the flammable grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surrounds it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it helps protect your home from catching fire - either from embers, direct flame contact, or radiant heat. Proper defensible space also provides firefighters a safe area to work in and potentially to defend your home.

Simple defensible space tasks to get you started on protecting your home include:

• clearing the 0-5’ home ignition zone immediately around the structure of all flammable materials including plants, mulch, grass, leaves, and debris,

• removing flammable materials from under your deck, and

• trimming trees.

Read more about home hardening and creation and maintenance of defensible space for homeowners, renters, and other residents on the FACNM Wildfire Resident Resources page, through NM Forestry Division, and in Wednesday blogs #101 and #91.

Home hardening

Home hardening addresses the most vulnerable components of your house with building materials and installation techniques that increase resistance to heat, flames, and embers that accompany most wildfires. Laboratory research and evidence from post-fire assessments have demonstrated that local ignitability of the home itself and the nearby landscaping are major factors determining home survivability in a wildfire. In fact, most homes ignite due to the ember storms that accompany a large wildfire, rather than the wildfire itself, and this home hazard assessment can help you evaluate whether your place of residence would benefit from home hardening.

Home hardening brochure courtesy of Santa Clara County FireSafe Council’s home hardening webpage

Simple home hardening measures to get started include:

• installation of fine mesh screens over existing home vents,

• moving outbuilding further away from your home, and

• ensuring that the bottom 6 inches of your home’s siding is covered with a fire resistant material.

Review the guidelines for home hardening and learn more about why homes burn, and what you can do to retrofit yours to be more resilient against wildfire, in this 2017 FAC Net article.

Meaningful projects you can complete in as little as 10 minutes

Even small actions can have a big impact on fire outcomes for your home, family and community. Whether you have 10 minutes or 10 hours to dedicate to wildfire preparedness, use that time increase your safety, strengthen community resilience and improve fire outcomes. Not sure where to start? Review the list of quick fire preparedness project ideas from the national Fire Adapted Communities learning network.

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Safeguarding Important Records

Keeping important documents with you when evacuating, or storing them digitally in cloud based storage can help support you in the wildfire recovery process.

Record keeping for fire safety

Evacuating your home during a wildfire is chaotic, stressful, and harried - and in the rush to get to safety it can be easy to forget to pack your important documents and records that serve as proof of your own identity as well as the legality of your belongings. Below are 10 items that you should be sure to keep safe, if applicable, and how to store them ahead of time.

1. Insurance Info
   If you are a homeowner and your home goes through a fire, one of the very first things you’ll have to deal with is insurance. CBS recommends safe storage of “current insurance policies and agent contact information,” adding: “you’ll need this information right away if your house suffers damage in a fire.”

2. Property Deed and Car Title
   These prove you own what you own! The deed to your property and title to your care are necessary if you’re selling or refinancing your house or property or transferring the title for estate-planning purposes.

3. Medical Documents
   Documentation of your medical insurance - forms and copies of your insurance card - as well as “a list of your (and your family’s) doctors, prescription medications, and contact information for all pharmacies you use,” are important documents to keep safe for continuity of medical care, according to Legalzoom. “You may need these to get new supplies of medications you use on a regular basis.”

4. Birth Certificates
   A birth certificate is needed to obtain a passport, get a driver’s license or a marriage license, apply for government and private benefits (such as insurance and retirement benefits), enroll in schools or the military, and more. If you’re a parent, you also need your child’s birth certificate as proof of age to sign them up for elementary school or Little League. It’s not too difficult or expensive to get a copy of your birth certificate, so you can keep multiples in secure storage spaces such as safe deposit boxes and with family.

5. Passport
   A passport serves as proof of citizenship, will stand in for all ID purposes if your primary identification is stolen or lost, allow you to travel to other countries and back home, and come in handy whenever something requires two or more forms of photo ID.

6. Social Security Card
   Your social security card is needed to apply for a job or a driver’s license, register for college classes, possibly to apply for insurance or Medicaid, but your SSN (social security number) is needed in far more everyday situations.

7. Wills
   Most lawyers weighing in from the American Bar Association recommend keeping original wills in a law office’s safe or personal safety deposit box. Copies of the will may be kept in fireproof safes of the client as well as the executor, meaning that you should ensure that your will is kept safe in three different locations.

8. Financial Documents
   According to Legalzoom, you’ll want such things as “important papers related to investment accounts, retirement plans, bank accounts, and associated contact information” protected, whether or not your home is ever destroyed.

9. Other Legal Documents
   CBS lists other types of documents that you’ll want to keep well-protected: “powers of attorney, living wills, and health care proxies - both for yourself and for anyone else for whom you are designated attorney-in-fact or health care surrogate.”

10. Photos
    In addition to having your most treasured photos in your home evacuation kit, Legalzoom recommends keeping “CDs or an external hard drive containing digital copies of all family photos” - or other treasured photos - in your safe. Cloud storage, or off-site (online) storage that's maintained by a third party and an alternative to storing data on-premises, is a good alternative to keeping photos in a safe and is usually free to users (with some amount limits).

Document storage

From FAC Net’s Ideas for Wildfire Preparedness Day, one major preparatory action should be protecting your assets. These include:

Google Drive is one example of a cloud storage platform that you can use to backup your important documents digitally. Be sure to look around to find a platform that meets your specific needs.

• Backing up your important documents and photos to cloud storage to reduce the amount of physical material you would want to take if you need to evacuate. 

• Conducting an insurance check up to ensure your coverage is up to date and sufficient.

• Creating a video walk through of your home or an inventory list of belongings and upload it to cloud storage (e.g. Google Drive) instead just on your computer’s hard drive. 

• Securing renter’s insurance if you do not already have coverage and need it. 

Several of the points on this list point to the need to backup important files to cloud storage. Anything that you can’t afford to lose should be digitized and stored in a disaster-resistant location. We already talked about what cloud storage is in the section above, so now we’ll dive into how to find the right fit.

Price and security: many cloud storage options are free to users, with some amount limits. This article reviews some of the most secure cloud storage options and their costs. The amount of security needed will also vary depending on what type of digitized materials you are uploading to the cloud - family photos are important but not sensitive, while copies of social security cards, property deeds, and financial documents should have encryption and security at front of mind. Consider talking to your financial institution, legal executor, and other professionals in your life about storage options that they recommend.

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Upcoming Webinars

Southwest Fire science

13 April at 12pm MDT: How wildfire policies governing management of natural ignitions have evolved over the past century - Zoom webinar with NAU’s Scott Franz.
Review of the history, policies, and challenges behind “managed wildfire”, the fire management strategy of leveraging natural ignitions for resource objectives and community benefit.

11 May at 12pm MDT: Public Experiences with Wildfire and Flooding: A Case Study of the 2019 Museum Fire - Zoom webinar with a panel of researchers with NAU.

2 June at 12pm MDT: The Year Past and the Year to Come: 2022 Southwest Fire Season Overview and 2023 Fire Season Outlook - Zoom webinar with staff from the National Weather Service and Forest Stewards Guild.

Keep an eye on the Southwest Fire Science Consortium event page for more information and registration.

Local news

21 April at 12pm MDT: Use of prescribed fire on the Santa Fe National Forest - Facebook Live with Santa Fe National Forest staff and the Forest Stewards Guild.
A USFS panel will lead a discussion on 1) practices and procedural changes resulting from the 2022 national 90-day pause on prescribed burning, and 2) implementation of the seven tactical changes from an operational basis. The conversation will be moderated by FACNM.

Wildfire Wednesdays #108: Legislative Updates

Happy Wednesday, FACNM community,

This week is Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week and the theme for this year is “Preparing Together.” After a year that produced the most destructive wildland fires in New Mexico’s history, it’s important to look forward to the upcoming fire season. As families, neighborhoods, communities, and shared partners across the southwest, we resolve to remind ourselves to be conscious of fire, and to help spread that message of awareness. This year, New Mexico is preparing together.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesdays will focus on sharing some legislative updates. Collective action initiatives, like FACNM, have the ability to amplify issues and interests into the policy sphere and effect change from the top-down. While FACNM has not typically delved into the policy sphere, an important starting point for influencing this type of change is to be aware of existing legislation and initiatives that relate to fire and forestry work. With that in mind, this week’s Wildfire Wednesday will focus on sharing updates from our partners at New Mexico State Forestry Division about recently legislation.

Please stay tuned for a webinar this May for a FACNM webinar with New Mexico State Forestry Division where we will share updates on recent legislation.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday includes a bit of information on the following:

• Senate Bill 206 to create a Forestry Division Procurement Exemption

• Senate Bill 9 to Create Legacy Permanent Funds 

• House Bill 195, Forest Conservation Act Amendments 

Best,

Gabe

SB 206 - Forest Restoration Procurement Code Exemption

Click here for the full fact sheet from New Mexico State Forestry Division

What does SB 206 do?

SB 206 will provide the Forestry Division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) with a narrow exemption from the state procurement code.

The exemption will be only for contracts that distribute federal grants to non-governmental entities when selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or Department of the Interior through the federal agencies’ own competitive application and selection processes.

The Forestry Division serves as the fiscal agency for grant programs established by federal legislation but eligible applicants are not receiving funds because of a conflict with the state procurement code.

SB 206 fixes this problem and makes sure wildfire prevention and forest restoration grants can be distributed to eligible NGOs.

• In 2022 alone, more than $250 million of federal funding was available for forest restoration and community wildfire protection projects with NGOs as eligible applicants. More than $1 billion of federal funding for these programs will be available over the next 10 years.

• The narrow procurement code exemption in SB 206 will allow the Forestry Division to rely upon the federal agencies’ application and competitive selection processes and enter and administer contracts with NGO subgrantees selected by the federal agencies through those processes.

• Without this narrow procurement code exemption, the Forestry Division is unable to contract and administer subgrants for NGO entities the federal agencies have selected through the federal agencies’ own application and selection processes.

• The proposed exemption would not reduce transparency or oversight because it is narrow and limited to circumstances where there is a robust federal selection process.

To download the full fact sheet about SB 206 from New Mexico State Forestry Division, click here.

Senate Bill 9 - Creating Legacy Permanent Funds 

What is the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund?

Click here for the full fact sheet from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office

The Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund will be the first state fund solely dedicated to conserving our state’s land and water. Because New Mexico does not have a dedicated state funding stream for land and water conservation, we often have trouble raising federal matching dollars for programs that could better protect communities from wildfire, flood and drought, safeguard our water supplies for urban and rural areas, support our agricultural communities, and grow our outdoor recreation economy.

The Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund will change that, dedicating state funding for existing land and water stewardship programs through a historic investment that will leverage millions of federal dollars and reach all 33 counties and Tribal communities. This will help preserve our cultural heritage and outdoor traditions, leaving a legacy for our children to hunt, fish, farm, ranch, and enjoy the lands and waters the way our ancestors have for generations.

How will it work?

The Fund will not create new programs – instead, it will provide a stable source of funds for programs already administered by six state agencies: the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Economic Development Department, the New Mexico Environment Department, the Department of Game & Fish, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. These programs have a proven track record of success and are popular in local communities. However, they have never been funded to their full potential. Approving the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund will boost funding for important programs in the following manner:

• EMNRD will receive a 141% overall increase, including a 71% increase for Forest and Watershed Restoration Act programs and consistent funding for Natural Heritage Conservation Act programs for the first time.

• NMDA will receive a 331% overall increase, including a 158% increase in Soil & Water Conservation District funding, a 51% increase in funding for the Healthy Soils Program, and consistent stateappropriated funding for the Noxious Weed Management Program.

• NMED River Stewardship program will receive an 83% increase.

• EDD Outdoor Recreation Division will receive a 450% overall increase, with a 44% increase for the Outdoor Equity Fund and a 470% increase for Special Projects and the Outdoor Infrastructure Fund.

• DCA will receive the first consistent state funding for Cultural Properties Protection Act programs.

• DGF will receive consistent state appropriations for the Game Protection Fund that will be in addition to receipts from license fees and federal grants.

HB 195 - Forest Conservation Act Amendments

Why do we need the forest conservation act?

Click here to download the full fact sheet from New Mexico State Forestry Division

The Forest Conservation Act (FCA), which dates to 1939, is the “organic act” for the Forestry Division within EMNRD. Minor updates to the FCA were made in 1959, 1961, 1967, 1979 and 1987. More than 35 years have passed since the last updates to the FCA, which as currently written is overly focused on commercial forestry and fire suppression.

The 2022 wildfires and post-fire floods provided clear evidence that the needs of New Mexico’s forests are broader than timber production and putting out fires. For example, the FCA does not clearly authorize the Division’s current work on forest health, forest and watershed restoration, or post-fire recovery.

Furthermore, the proposed amendment is also needed to memorialize that the State of New Mexico is authorized to accept federal funding assistance to states under the federal Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. The FCA currently cites two federal laws – the Cooperative Forest Management Act and the Forest Pest Control Act – that have been repealed.

What does the HB 195 accomplish?

HB 195 will update the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) to:

• cite the correct federal laws that provide federal forestry funding assistance to states;

• strike outdated language that conflicts with current state and federal policies;

• and strike definitions that are not used. forest fire suppression rehabilitation and repair; post-fire slope stabilization, erosion control, riparian restoration, seeding and reforestation of burned areas; and forest conservation and forest health.

The amendments in HB 195 will also recognize that the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), Forestry Division is the contracting agent for the state for:

• The amendments will also recognize that the Forestry Division has authority for forest fire suppression and rehabilitation and repair as part of its existing authority to suppress forest fires.

• Finally, HB 195 will clarify the grant of authority to the Forestry Division to include conserving forest and forest resources and providing technical assistance to mitigate and adapt to changing climatic conditions.

The amendments will also recognize that the Forestry Division has authority for forest fire suppression and rehabilitation and repair as part of its existing authority to suppress forest fires.

Finally, HB 195 will clarify the grant of authority to the Forestry Division to include conserving forest and forest resources and providing technical assistance to mitigate and adapt to changing climatic conditions.

Wildfire Wednesdays #107: Legacies of Land Management - Fire Exclusion vs. Fire Suppression

Happy Wednesday, FACNM community!

Last month we covered the difference between two parts of the fire management triangle - ignitions prevention and fuels reduction. Today we will be discussing the last piece of that triangle - fire suppression - and how it differs from fire exclusion. The West has a long and complicated history with both suppression and exclusion, and this history influences how hot, fast, and frequently wildfires burn in the current day.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• A brief history of wildfire in the West

• Differences between fire exclusion and fire suppression

• Upcoming webinars and workshops

Take care as spring rolls in,

Rachel

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Wildfire in the West

European colonization

Homo sapiens, and before them Homo erectus, have been using fire for more than 400,000 years​. Indigenous peoples across the continent have been using fire since at least 12,550 BCE for a range of objectives such as hunting, crop management, increased plant yield, pest management, fire hazard reduction, and warfare, ​as well as managing fuels around communities. Early Americans selectively controlled fires burning close to or threatening their communities but left others to burn uninhibited. As explained by the Karuk Tribe Climate Change Projects, “unlike widespread conceptions of fire as ‘bad,’ fire is an essential component of [our] cultural practice and ecosystem health. Fire is medicine. Fire is referenced in our creation stories and is part of our world renewal ceremonies.”

“Prairie Fires of the Great West” by Currier & Ives, 1871. Image sourced from Library of Congress.

Western expansion brought an uptick in fire activity due to land clearance, logging, agriculture, and railroads during Euro-American settlement, reaching a peak in the mid-1800s. Close to the end of that century, widespread domestic livestock grazing reduced grassy fuel loads, compacted soils, and greatly reduced fire frequencies. Landscape fragmentation from trail and road building and a sometimes-violent prohibition of indigenous burning practices further limited the spread of fire. By the 1890s, Euro-American settlement-colonization resulted in an emphasis on suppression of wildfires. (Long-term perspective on wildfires in the western USA)

The Big Burn

1905 marked the creation of the U.S. Forest Service, whose primary purpose was to "to sustain healthy, diverse, and productive forests and grasslands for present and future generations". Wildfire was seen as a threat to those productive forests. This mode of thinking was solidified five years later with "The Big Burn" in 1910, the largest wildfire in U.S. history which burned 3 million acres in two days and killed 87 people in eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana. The Big Burn prompted the conservation of America's forests and the creation of public lands but also ensured that over the next 90 years, suppression became the default land management approach to wildfire. This strategy was cemented into federal policy in multiple instances, the most notable of which was the US Forest Service’s 1935 implementation of the so-called “10:00 AM Policy”, dictating that all wildfire ignitions should be contained and extinguished by 10 o’clock the morning after they began.

As years passed and fires were both excluded from the landscape and actively suppressed, organic fuels accumulated on the forest floors, trees encroached into areas which were previously maintained as meadows by naturally occurring fire, and the West became increasingly more flammable.

Recognition of fire as a natural process

In 1968, the Park Service began to allow lightning-started "prescribed natural fire" to burn within predefined management units in the wilderness, a model which is still in play today. By the late 1980s, the departments of agriculture and the interior were reconsidering the fundamental importance of fire's natural ecological role, but it wasn't until 1995 that the Forest Service introduced legislation allowing lightning-caused fires to burn in wilderness. In 2000, the National Fire Plan was introduced to strike a balance between actively responding to severe wildland fires and their impacts to communities and ensuring landscape restoration through sufficient hazardous fuels reduction and firefighting capacity for the future. Fourteen years later, the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior worked with a collaborative interdisciplinary team to establish the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy "to safely and effectively extinguish fire when needed; use fire where allowable; manage natural resources; and as a nation, to live with wildland fire.”​ This 2014 document informs current central fire preparedness and response through three tenants:

1. Restore and maintain resilient landscapes

2. Create Fire Adapted Communities (FAC)

3. Safe and effective wildfire response

“In recent decades the U.S. government has officially accepted the idea of restoring fire to public lands wherever doing so will not endanger firefighters or nearby residents. That means using planned burns to clear overgrown lands and letting some wildfires in remote areas burn under supervision instead of putting them out.” Land managers face an increasingly complex set of circumstances as they try to reintroduce fire in a controlled manner to the fire-starved West: “residential development has spread into fire-prone areas, creating pressure to protect exurban homes, and climate change has made some areas, especially the West, hotter, drier and more fire-prone.” (Jennifer Weeks, The Fire Historian)

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Fire Exclusion vs Fire Suppression

Fire suppression

Fire suppression refers to a range of operations used to extinguish a wildfire or prevent or modify the movement of unwanted fire. Firefighters control a fire's spread (or put it out) by removing one of the three ingredients fire needs to burn: heat, oxygen, or fuel. They remove heat by applying water or fire retardant on the ground or by air. They remove fuel by cutting and digging to remove burnable vegetation with hand tools, by using heavy equipment like bulldozers to clear large areas of brush and trees, and by deliberately setting fires to rob an approaching wildfire of fuel (fighting fire with fire). (US DOI)

Image courtesy of Alex Poli.
Shrubland fire near Carnuel, NM, 2022.

Fire suppression is needed to protect homes, businesses, recreation and cultural sites, and other values that could be at risk of loss when a wildfire burns through. Suppression puts an emphasis, first and foremost, on firefighter safety, while taking into consideration a plethora of other factors - location, timing, fuel type, resources available, and more. While the technology to assist with wildfire suppression decisions (such as PODS) is advancing, so is the cost; the total cost of wildfire suppression in 2021 was over $2.8 billion.

A coordinated effort to minimize the threat of wildfires made fire suppression the default response by federal, state, and local entities for decades, resulting in the near eradication of wildfires from the landscape. However, successful wildfire suppression has resulted in accumulated fuels that lead to larger and more severe wildfires in the long-term—what is known today as the “wildfire paradox.”

Fire exclusion

According to the US Forest Service, Fire exclusion is “the effort of deliberately excluding or preventing fire in an area regardless of [whether] the fire is natural or human caused.” Fire can be excluded through a number of intentional actions such as wildland fire control lines and environmental planning which designates some areas as protected activity centers. It can also be excluded unintentionally through activities such as landscape fragmentation and heavy grazing which removes all of the fine fuels, such as grasses and shrubs, necessary to carry low-intensity fire across the landscape.

“There have been marked human influences on western wildfires since Euro-American settlement, including increased ignitions (e.g., from forest clearance, agriculture, logging, and railroads), and fire exclusion. Other significant impacts on vegetation and fire occurred indirectly, such as changes in plant succession pathways and the introduction of nonnative species.” (Long-term perspectives on wildfires) As ecosystems have evolved with fire, so too have the plants and animals. Human activities have altered many of the relationships between fire and plants and animals.

“The impact of fire exclusion on vegetation structure and composition [combined with drought, pests, and disease] leads to fuels that, when ignited, burn hotter, spread faster, last longer, and cover more area than they did under more natural conditions.” (NIFC, Communicator's Guide for Wildland Fire Management) The exclusion of fire from the landscape also creates a situation of denied access for indigenous and traditional communities to spiritual practices and traditional foods, puts cultural identity at risk, and infringes upon political sovereignty.

The takeaway

“There is growing recognition that past land use practices, combined with the effects of fire exclusion, has resulted in heavy accumulations of dead vegetation, altered fuel arrangement, and changes in vegetative structure and composition. When dead fallen material (including tree boles, tree and shrub branches, leaves, and decaying organic matter) accumulates on the ground, it increases fuel quantity and creates a continuous arrangement of fuel. When this occurs, surface fires may ignite more quickly, burn with greater intensity, and spread more rapidly and extensively than in the past.” (NIFC)

While wildfires must be suppressed sometimes in some locations, land managers are recognizing that we cannot continue to suppress our way out of increasingly severe and lengthy fire seasons. Mindful reintroduction of ecologically appropriate fire to fire-adapted landscapes, creation of resilient and fire-ready communities, and other climate resiliency work are all part of the solution.

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Upcoming Opportunities

Webinars

The Skinny on Smoke - Outlooks, Education and Awareness
Join us as Air Quality Specialist Kerry Jones discusses various facets of smoke projections, including what goes into generating seasonal outlooks and fire weather forecasts, the weather conditions that are most conducive to fire and to smoke, and how determinations of air quality are made along with the decision to send air quality advisory alerts out to the public.

When: Thursday, March 16, 2023, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Where: Virtual Zoom event - register now

Strategies to reduce wildfire smoke in frequently impacted communities
The SW and NW Fire Science Consortiums and Forest Stewards Guild present a one-hour webinar with USFS speaker Rick Graw on proactive and adaptive land management strategies to reduce wildfire smoke in frequently impacted communities. This webinar focuses on research from the Pacific Northwest but is applicable to land managers and fire adapted communities practitioners everywhere.

When: Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Where: Virtual Zoom event - register now

Workshops

Ready, Set, Go! Wildfire Preparedness Workshop
Join us to take positive steps toward building a Fire Adapted Community! This workshop will feature information about wildfire risk in the Santa Fe Fireshed, a presentation by representatives from the Wildfire Research Center, a mini-training on how to conduct a home hazard assessment, what to include in a Ready, Set, Go kit, and much more. Get information and help from experts from the Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition, Forest Stewards Guild, City of Santa Fe Fire Department, and Villages of Santa Fe. This workshop is free and open to the public.

When: Saturday, March 18, 2023, 10:00am - 12:30pm
Where: Christ Church Santa Fe PCA, 1213 Don Gaspar Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87505

Wildfire Wednesdays #106: Smoke Exposure Mitigation

Hi FACNM Community,

As seasons begin to change, and Spring brings warmer and windier weather, it is a good time to think ahead and prepare for the realities of the upcoming fire season. Smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires is a serious concern as it can cause or exacerbate health conditions for some people living in fire-adapted communities. Living in northern New Mexico we must accept that wildfire and smoke is inevitable but there are measures we can take to reduce our risk and health effects.

To support you in smoke exposure mitigation, this Wildfire Wednesdays includes the following:

• General info about AQI and PM 2.5

• Air quality information - Airnow.gov and Purpleair.com

• Smoke exposure mitigation

  • General air filtration

  • FACNM’s HEPA filter loan program

• Smoke forecasting webinar with air quality specialist Kerry Jones - March 16th

Stay Safe,

Gabe

Wildfire Smoke Basics

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant material. The gases and fine particles can be dangerous if inhaled. In wildfires, carbon monoxide is mainly a risk to people (like firefighters) who work near smoldering areas. Smoke can irritate your eyes and your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. The amount and length of smoke exposure, as well as a person’s age and degree of susceptibility, play a role in determining if someone will experience smoke-related health problems. If you are experiencing serious medical problems for any reason, seek medical attention immediately.

Air Quality Index (AQI)

Think of the AQI as a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For example, an AQI value of 50 or below represents good air quality, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.

For each pollutant an AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to an ambient air concentration that equals the level of the short-term national ambient air quality standard for protection of public health. AQI values at or below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.

The AQI is divided into six categories. Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. Each category also has a specific color. The color makes it easy for people to quickly determine whether air quality is reaching unhealthy levels in their communities.

Particulate Matter and PM 2.5

The particulate matter (also called “PM”) in wildfire smoke poses the biggest risk to the public’s health. The potential health effects vary based on the type of plants burning, atmospheric conditions and, most importantly, the size of the particles. Particles larger than 10 micrometers usually irritate only the eyes, nose and throat. Fine particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller (PM2.5) can be inhaled into the deepest part of the lungs, and may cause greater health concern.

Air Quality Information Sources

The first step to mitigating your smoke exposure is getting up-to-date, accurate information about air quality in your area. To support you in finding the best available data, we would like to introduce Airnow.gov for local AQI information and purpleair.com for information

What is Airnow.gov?

AirNow is your one-stop source for air quality data. Our recently redesigned site highlights air quality in your local area first, while still providing air quality information at state, national, and world views. A new interactive map even lets you zoom out to get the big picture or drill down to see data for a single air quality monitor.

AirNow reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI), a color-coded index designed to communicate whether air quality is healthy or unhealthy for you. When you know the AQI in your area, you can take steps to protect your health.

Click here to visit, airnow.gov.

What is Purpleair.com?

PurpleAir makes sensors that empower Community Scientists who collect hyper-local air quality data and share it with the public. PurpleAir's sensors measure particle pollution (PM2.5) both indoors and outdoors.

PurpleAir is built on the ideal of sharing data and by doing this, empowering individuals to effect change. All public PurpleAir data is available to download under various licenses from private, not for profit use to educational and commercial use.

Click here to visit purpleair.com.

Smoke Exposure Mitigation

One of the best ways to reduce the impact of smoke is by reducing the amount of smoke that enters your building and filtering harmful particles from the air. If you have a central air conditioning system in your home, set it to re-circulate or close outdoor air intakes to avoid drawing in smoky outdoor air.  Upgrading the filter efficiency of the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system and changing filters frequently during smoke events greatly improves indoor air quality.  

Smaller portable air cleaners are a great way to provide clean air in the areas where you spend most of your time. Essentially these are filters with an attached fan that draws air through the filter and cleans it.  These cleaners can help reduce indoor particle levels, provided the specific air cleaner is properly matched to the size of the indoor environment in which it is placed, and doors and windows are kept shut. They should be placed in the bedrooms or living rooms to provide the most effectiveness. 

When air quality improves, such as during a wind shift or after a rain, make sure to use natural ventilating to flush out the air in your building. 

The Winix 5300-2 and 5500 is what FACNM uses for our HEPA loan program

Selecting a Filter - For either portable filters or HVAC filters make sure to select a filter that is true HEPA or has a MERV rating of 13 or higher. These ratings refer to the size of particles that the filter will remove from the air and in this case they are certified to remove particles down to .3 microns in size. This is the minimum needed to remove the small harmful particles in smoke.

When selecting a portable filter, the other rating to pay attention to is CADR or Clean Air Delivery Rate. This refers to the volume of air that passes trough the unit. A CADR of 200 means the unit provides 200 cubic feet of clean air per minute, and often this number is equated to the room size that it will effectively purify the air in. In a 300 sq foot room a filter with a rating of 200 CADR will cycle the air through the filter 4-5 times per hour. While any filter will provide clean air those with lower CADRs will simply work more slowly. Lastly, make sure to avoid filters that claim to produce ozone to destroy pathogens, as ozone is a respiratory irritant. 

More information about filters and guides to selecting one can be found in the Resources section below.  

Face Masks - Face masks can be an effective way to reduce your exposure to smoke when they are fit correctly and are the proper rating. Make sure the mask you use is rated at least N95 or N100 and that you take care to fit it properly. These masks will filter out the small particles that are the most hazardous to your health. Paper masks only filter out large particles and will not provide the filtration needed to protect you from smoke. 

HEPA Filter Loan Program

With support from the New Mexico State University, the national Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network, and the Forest Stewards Guild, FACNM is pleased to offer this pilot HEPA Filter Loan program. These filters are available to smoke sensitive individuals during periods of smoke impacts in some areas of Northern New Mexico, but we hope to expand to more areas soon. We have a small amount of portable air cleaners that will filter the air in a large room such as a living room or bed room. These will be distributed on a first come- first served basis for predetermined time periods. You will need to provide contact info and come to office listed for your area to sign for the filter and pick it up.  Please look over the HEPA Air Filter Check-Out Contract.

To view contact information for the HEPA loan program in your area, visit the FACNM smoke page.

For general information about the program contact Gabe Kohler at the Forest Stewards Guild at gabe@forestguild.org.

Upcoming Events

Webinar: The Skinny on Smoke - Outlooks, Education and Awareness

Thursday, March 16, 2023 2:00 PM 3:00 PM

Click here for full event information and to register.

Where there is fire there is smoke, and where there is smoke there are potential impacts on air quality!

How do we know when, where, and for how long our communities are likely to be exposed?

In this one-hour presentation, Air Quality Specialist Kerry Jones will discuss various facets of smoke projections, including what goes into generating seasonal outlooks and fire weather forecasts, the weather conditions that are most conducive to fire and to smoke, and how determinations of air quality are made along with the decision to send air quality advisory alerts out to the public.

Please join us to learn about the operational side of smoke forecasting, followed by a facilitated Q&A session where attendees may pose their questions to the presenter.

When: Thursday, March 16th from 2-3pm MT
Where: Zoom and FACNM Facebook Live
Who: Kerry Jones, USFS Air Quality Specialist

Wildfire Wednesdays #105: Fire Prevention vs Fuels Reduction

Hello and happy Wednesday, FACNM community!

Fire management comes with a vast vocabulary of unique or unusual terminology. For individuals who are not exposed to these terms every day, exact definitions and usage can be pretty confusing. Having a clear understanding of terminology is important for cross-disciplinary discussion, public education, and to foster a common understanding of what goes into fire management. Today we will be distinguishing between and delving into two sides of wildfire management - fire prevention and fuels reduction.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• The fire management triangle - before and during a fire

• Differences between fire prevention and fuels reduction

• Common questions and misinformation

Be well and stay warm,

Rachel

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The Fire Management Triangle

What is wildland fire management?

Colorado State Forestry defines fire management as the “activities concerned with the protection of people, property, and landscapes from [severe] wildfire and the use of [ecologically appropriate] burning for… forest management and other land use objectives, all conducted in a manner that considers environmental, social and economic factors.”

At its core, fire management describes all potential actions for controlling or guiding when, where, and how a wildland fire burns. It takes into consideration what ‘values’ would be at risk were a wildfire to burn through a given area, the ecological impacts of wildfire, and the human factors involved - from ignition to suppression to post-fire recovery.

Fire management activities include: pre-suppression, readiness, fuels management, training, prevention, suppression, prescribed fire, fire analysis and planning, rehabilitation, public affairs, and other beneficial efforts. These activities generally fit into two categories - pre-fire and during fire - and can be broken into three distinct branches: fire prevention, fuels reduction, and fire suppression.

What tools do we have?

Fire prevention, or the activities associated with reducing unplanned human-caused ignitions, and fuels reduction, or the management of organic fuels through removal or modification, are generally implemented before a wildfire happens. Fire suppression, or the containment and extinguishing of a fire, is implemented as a wildfire is burning.

Fire prevention: Activities intended to reduce the incidence of unplanned human-caused wildfires [and the risks they pose to life, property or resources], including public education, law enforcement, personal contact, and other actions taken to reduce ignitions. (NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire)

Fuels reduction: Manipulation, including combustion, or removal of fuels [vegetation and organic debris] to reduce the likelihood of ignition and/or to lessen potential damage and resistance to control. The act or practice of controlling flammability and reducing resistance to control of wildland fuels through mechanical, chemical, biological or manual means, or by fire in support of land management objectives. (CSFS Forestry & Wildfire Glossaries of Terms)

Wildland fire suppression: An appropriate management response to wildland fire that results in curtailment of fire spread and eliminates all identified threats from a particular fire. All wildland fire suppression activities provide for firefighter and public safety as the highest consideration, but minimize loss of resource values, economic expenditures, and/or the use of critical firefighting resources. (NIFC, Wildland Fire Management Terminology)

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Distinguishing Between Fire Prevention and Fuels Reduction

Both involve pre-fire work, so what is the difference?

Fire prevention

An example of signage intended to raise awareness of the risks of human ignitions and simple prevention techniques.

Wildfires are started either by natural causes (usually lightning) or by human activity. People start wildfires in a wide variety of ways: vehicle exhaust pipes, cigarette butts, poorly extinguished campfires, burning debris piles, and sparking equipment such as chainsaws are all common causes. Other human-caused ignitions come from arson, fireworks, powerlines, and more. With nearly 90% of unplanned ignitions being started by humans, simply reducing the spark can make a big difference in reducing unwanted wildfires.

Fire prevention, which focuses on stopping a fire before it starts, is accomplished primarily through education. Research has shown that human ignitions tend to be clustered, or occur most commonly, around cities, roadways, and busy recreation areas such as trailheads and campgrounds. Fire prevention efforts seek to inform the general public of the ways in which fires are started, the impacts of those fires as they burn, and how they can be prevented. In general, prevention programs most likely to be effective are those that give people information and tools that enhance their perception of their power, as individuals, to prevent wildfires.

Read more about fire prevention in the 2018 report on reducing human-caused ignitions in New Mexico, a 2021 report on investing in wildfire prevention, the DOI’s 10 tips to prevent wildfires and NM Forest Division’s fire prevention tips.

Fuels reduction

“When vegetation, or fuels, accumulate, they allow fires to burn hotter, faster, and with higher flame lengths. When fire encounters areas of continuous brush or small trees, it can burn these ‘ladder fuels’ and may quickly move from a ground fire into the treetops, creating a crown fire… [The objective of fuels reduction] is to remove enough vegetation (fuels) so that when a wildfire burns, it is less severe and can be more easily managed.” (NPS, What is Hazard Fuel Reduction)

(Left) an overcrowded forest with plentiful ladder fuel, (Right) a resilient forest following fuels reduction thinning treatments.
Photos courtesy of NPS.

Fuels reduction aims to thin out living and dead vegetation from forested areas to reduce the total amount of fuel that is available for a fire to burn. It also is designed to create breaks in the fuel type and arrangement (e.g. reducing ladder fuels) so that even if a fire starts, it cannot quickly move from the ground level into the tree canopy. These goals may be accomplished through ecologically-based forest thinning (the mechanical removal of shrubs and small trees), mastication, chipping, and prescribed fire (the purposeful introduction of fire under favorable conditions).

Fuels reduction is not intended to stop the forward progress of a wildfire as soon as it hits the treatment area; instead, fuels reduction treatments are designed to reduce the growth of fires that ignite in treated areas, moderate fire behavior by reducing crown-to-crown movement when a flaming front encounters a treated area, and enable fire management activities (containment and suppression) by giving firefighters a safe space to directly interact with the fire.

A feller-buncher thins small-diameter trees from an overgrown forest.
Photo courtesy of USFS.

Wildfire ecologists almost universally support fuels reduction — especially in forests that used to flourish under frequent ground fires, such as the ponderosa pine forests of the Southwest. Fuels reduction is also an effective pre-fire treatment in wildland-urban interfaces and in home defensible spaces. Read more about fuels reduction in the High Country News article, Does thinning work, a Forest Service article on thinning the forest for the trees, and an NPR interview with UNM professor Matthew Hurteau.

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Continuing the Conversation

Common questions and misinformation

Still have questions about fire management and what can be done to prevent or control a fire before it happens? Refer to the resources below for more information.

• Revisit our September 2022 blog post on counteracting wildfire misinformation, which includes examples of common ecological restoration myths and the facts to correct them.

• Read 10 common questions (and their answers) on adapting western US forests to climate change & wildfires.

• Review an ERI working paper summarizing key insights on the 18th - 21st centuries’ unprecedented, human-caused fire exclusion and its impacts on fire-dependent forest landscapes in western North America

• Scan the Western Environmental Law Center’s fact sheet on 8 key points to adapting forests to wildfire and climate change.

Wildfire Wednesday #104: Asset-Based Community Development

Hello FACNM Community,

Each community across New Mexico has a unique set of strengths and and challenges. These unique characteristics are what gives our communities identity. Many of us are proud of where we are from or where we live because of these local identities. As we work towards a more fire adapted future, it is important that we work with the strengths and challenges of our individual communities rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. This process takes time and local leadership, but it leads to better outcomes in the end. This week’s Wildfire Wednesday will focus on Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) to support local leaders in working documenting their community’s strengths and challenges in hopes of working with them. This framework is brought to us from the national Fire Adapted Communities learning network (FAC Net) and the Fire Learning Network.

This Wildfire Wednesday includes:

• New Mexico Counties Wildfire Risk Reduction grant funding announcement

• Information on Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD)

• Information about Upcoming Events

  • Community Resiliency Fairs - Mora, Las Vegas, Buena Vista, Sapello, and Chacon

  • SW Tribal Fire & Climate Virtual Workshop

Stay Safe,

Gabe

Asset-Based Community Development - Overview

Asset-based Community Development (ABCD) is a specific path for identifying and connecting a community’s assets so that they use and grow their capacity to change on their own terms. “Community” can refer to a neighbor-hood, a village or district, a residential development or a town—an area that residents recognize as “theirs.” Asset mapping is used in ABCD in a facilitated, participatory and inclusive process through which a group of residents identify the individual, associational and institutional assets in their neighborhood or community, then use them in envisioning and taking practical steps toward community improvement. The group usually produces a map (that locates assets geographically) or an inventory (that lists assets in a document or database). Either of these should be a “living document”—periodically updated to include new people, associations and institutions and their assets.

In this blog post, we share an abbreviated set of steps for ABCD to serve as an introduction to the framework. For the full guide on Asset-Based Community Development, click here to explore FAC Net’s full page of community engagement resources, including the whole ABCD series.

What Do Community Assets Look Like?

Community assets are usually identified according to the following three categories because each type has different kinds of assets, all of which are important.

• Individual assets are skills (machine repair, emergency response or bookkeeping), talents (music, baking, note-taking) and abilities (listening, physical strength, inclusivity).

• Associations are any informal, voluntary group of residents. Their assets might include local knowledge and traditions, communication and networking, and event organization.

• Institutions are formal organizations with employees and buildings. Their assets might include professional contacts, meeting space, employment opportunities and equipment.

How Do You Start?

Telling stories in a small group is a good place to begin. Ask questions like these—“What are good community experiences that we have had in the past? What do we already have that works well? Why does it work well?”—and notice the people, places and organizations that come up. The fun and meaningful work of identifying the assets you already know of, and engaging with others to discover their assets, leads to exploring potential interconnections. Connecting assets creates excitement and new possibilities, opening opportunities for new relationships and new action.

For a full overview, click here.

Asset-Based Community Development - Next Steps

Situation Assessment

Situation assessment is Step 1 in an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) process that helps people connect their strengths to create new opportunities for living well where periodic wildland fires are expected. Situation assessment is a good place to start if you do not already have partners in the area where you will be working. It allows you to learn directly from community members about their strengths and challenges. It also gives you a way to identify people who enjoy meaningful community involvement and who are natural collaborators. Once you have people to work with, you will be ready for Step 2 in asset-based community engagement: asset mapping with community “connectors.”

Steps for a Sitiuation Assessment

• Define the task but be flexible.
  Set a geographic boundary, a period of a few months, and a target number of interviews. Plan time before and after interviews to explore the area and chat with store owners, restaurant waitstaff, librarians, artists and others about their experience of fire.

• Use the “snowball” method.
  Start with just a couple of key contacts instead of a complete list. End each interview by asking who else you should talk to.

• Welcome different types of fire-related experience and interest.
  Look for and welcome diverse opinions and expertise. You may learn as much from a rancher, a school administrator and a bicycle race promoter as from a battalion commander and a forest health activist.

• Consider where to meet, for how long.
  Expect to spend about an hour per interview, so meet someplace comfortable. Conference rooms are likely to emphasize professional position while restaurants offer a more social feel.

• Ask questions, don’t discuss.
  Focus on understanding your interviewee without adding your own commentary. Ask clarifying questions, but do not correct any misconceptions about fire at this point. Instead, learn about why and how they came to their present understanding.

• Take notes.
  Hand-written notes tend to seem less intrusive than a recording app. Just note down the story outlines and the assets mentioned—any individuals, groups or organizations that are described positively. Stop taking notes if a story becomes personal.

• Start as you mean to continue.
  Focus on the positive (asking questions about assets and not getting bogged down by problems), send thank-you notes, and keep personal information confidential to set up good working relationships for the future.

For a full description of the situation assessment process, click here.

Asset-Mapping with Connectors

Identifying Connectors in Your Community

Connectors should be people who are interested, and perhaps experienced, in some aspect of wildland fire preparedness, response or recovery. But they need not be professional experts or recognized leaders. Connectors may be a retired Forest Service archeologist, someone from a small college, a mental health counselor, a chef, the owner of a small farm, and so on. Shared interest in fire may bring them together, but their social smarts make them successful at mobilizing the community’s fire-related assets

The Process

Invite the connectors together in a comfortable, informal environment—a restaurant or library, or at a kitchen table. Tell each other stories about what you care about related to fire, and why. The community’s problems and opportunities will naturally arise. Facilitate the conversation by writing down all assets, the individuals, groups and organizations that are mentioned positively.

Ask the connectors to collaborate with their acquaintances to identify more of the community’s fire-adaptive assets. Reconvene on a schedule that works for everyone to share what you are finding and the ideas that are emerging.

Capture the assets simply and easily on a community asset map or inventory; ensure that it is shared with everyone who participates and is updated frequently.

Enjoy! As people recognize their community’s strengths, project ideas will flow. Focus on enabling the creativity that occurs, rather than limiting the scope of imagination to existing programs or plans. The connectors will work within the community to devise opportunities for people and organizations to contribute what they do best. Down the road, the experienced fire practitioners located through asset-mapping will help ensure that more ambitious projects are safe and consistent with best practices.

For more information on asset-mapping with connectors, click here.

Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Funding - New Mexico Counties

The New Mexico Association of Counties is pleased to announce the 2023-2024 Wildfire Risk Reduction Program for Rural Communities that assists at-risk communities throughout New Mexico in reducing their risk from wildland fire on non-federal lands.

Funding for this program is provided by the National Fire Plan through the Department of the Interior/Bureau of Land Management for communities in the wildland urban interface and is intended to directly benefit communities that may be impacted by wildland fire initiating from or spreading to BLM public land.

Grant funding categories include:

• CWPP Updates up to $20,000/project

• Education and Outreach Activities up to $15,000/project

• Hazardous Fuels Reduction Projects up to $75,000/project

Project proposals require a minimum 10% in-kind cost share and must be completed within the 12-month award timeline of July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024.

Applications are due to the local BLM field office for signature(s) by Friday, March 3, 2023, and the completed application(s) with all signatures are due to NMAC by 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 7, 2023. Please contact Aelysea Webb at (505) 395-3403 or awebb@nmcounties.org for more information.

Upcoming Events and Offerings

Community Resilience Fairs

SW Tribal Fire & Climate Virtual Workshop

February 10 -- February 24 -- March 10 (2023)

9-11am MST  |  Zoom 

Please REGISTER - click here

Goal:  Increase tribal capacity around wildland fire and climate change impacts across the Southwest.

Participants: Tribal fire and natural resource professionals and non-tribal professionals that support tribal fire and climate resilience. Please share with others who may have interest.

Topics (based on participant interest):

• Indigenous perspectives and resources on fire, climate change & adaptation

• Identifying capacity needs and partnership options for managing wildland fire in the face of climate change (including MOUs and other agreements

• Opportunities and challenges with burning (permitting, burn plans, cultural burning, cross-jurisdictional coordination, etc.

• Hazard response (FEMA, public safety, emergency operation plan/management) and risk reduction

• Post-fire: restoration, flooding, and economic impacts 

• Expanding an ongoing conversation & support network

• Assessment and monitoring of actions and strategies

• Other interests (please share when you register - see link above)

Format: Virtual (Zoom) will enable greater participation across the Southwest landscape.  Each tribal-led workshop session will include a mix of topical presentations and peer learning and exchange.

Cost: Free

Wildfire Wednesdays #103: Community Wildfire Protection Plans

Hello and happy Wednesday!

In autumn of 2022, the US Forest Service announced the creation of Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG). This funding is intended to help at-risk local communities and Tribes plan and reduce wildfire risk by prioritizing at-risk, low-income, disaster-impacted communities. A key requirement for CWDG eligibility is the possession of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the intended geographic area. For communities just beginning the process of wildland fire hazard planning, creating a CWPP can act as both a roadmap for action and a huge first hurdle to getting started.

This week’s blog offers resources to learn about the history of CWPPs, the key elements for inclusion in a plan, suggestions for forming a collaborative and jumping into the CWPP writing process, and an invitation to attend a CWDG listening session to learn about and inform future CWPP implementation funding opportunities.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features information on:

• CWPPs: the basics

• A listening session series on CWDG funding

• The FAC NM spring webinar series, beginning today (1/18) at 2pm MST!

• Upcoming webinars from the SW Fire Science Consortium

Take care and stay warm,

Rachel

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Community Wildfire Protection Plans

Where it began: the Healthy Forest Restoration Act

In 2001, the National Fire Plan legislation brought renewed focus on engaging communities in federal wildfire mitigation efforts. As a result, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA) directed the Secretary of Agriculture (National Forest System lands) and the Secretary of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management lands) to plan and conduct hazardous fuel reduction projects on Federal lands. HFRA focuses attention on four types of land:

• The wildland-urban interfaces (WUI) of at-risk communities,

• At-risk municipal watersheds,

• Where threatened and endangered species or their habitats are at-risk to catastrophic fire and where fuels treatment can reduce those risks, and

• Where windthrow or insect epidemics threaten ecosystem components or resource values.

Image courtesy of A. Evans, Forest Stewards Guild

The legislation contains a variety of provisions aimed at expediting the preparation and implementation of hazardous fuels reduction projects on federal land and assisting rural communities, States and landowners in restoring healthy forest and watershed conditions on state, private and tribal lands. Through this language, the bill encourages communities to go through the collaborative process of planning, prioritizing and implementing hazardous fuel reduction projects, ultimately resulting in community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) to reduce their wildland fire risk and promote healthier forested ecosystems.

Communities who have developed CWPPs have done so using many different processes, resulting in plans with varied form and content. Due to the vagueness of the legislative language, communities have the freedom to develop CWPPs that are relevant to their local conditions and allows for the development of resource capacities that communities are using to produce diverse plans that build on local context to achieve broad policy goals of wildfire hazard reduction.

Read a summary of implementation actions enabled through the HFRA and how the bill’s language has enabled flexibility with authoring and customizing CWPPs.

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Elements of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan

“Community Wildfire Protection Plans have become the primary mechanism for evaluating risk due to their emphasis on community involvement and assessment of local resources. CWPPs are also an important planning document used by emergency responders and citizens to plan for and respond to wildfire emergencies. Local leaders and governmental entities find CWPPs valuable for the purposes of identifying critical needs and prioritizing funding” (NM EMNRD, 2021).

Click on the image to access FEMA’s CWPP creation template.

A CWPP has five main sections:

1. Community Risk Ratings

2. Priority Fuel Reduction (vegetation treatments)

3. Priority Actions (evacuation planning, education outreach, etc.)

4. Reduction of Structural Ignitability

5. Adoption and Signatures

Community Risk Ratings
Risk ratings are specific to distinct communities. They are usually calculated using a computer-based (GIS) wildfire risk model and must be categorized as either high, medium, or low. Models may include a number of different risk factors, each given a weight which corresponds to their importance, such as:

Fuel hazards (vegetative fuels present)
Risk of wildfire occurrence (locations of previous wildfires)
Essential infrastructure at risk (homes, businesses, power, communication facilities, etc.)
Other community values at risk (areas with scenic, recreational, economic or cultural value)
Local preparedness and firefighting capability (road access, distance from fire stations, distance from water sources)

Where appropriate, these ratings should reflect and align with national Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) objectives and goals.

Priority Fuel Reduction
A CWPP must identify and prioritize areas for hazardous fuel reduction treatments and recommend the types and methods of treatment that will protect one or more at‐ risk communities and essential infrastructure. This identification will likely be based on a combination of community risk ratings and social and economic values (tourism hot spots, areas of cultural importance, business hubs, etc.). Prioritizing fuel reduction creates a collaborative map for which areas will receive treatment in what order and why.

Priority Actions
After identifying the areas at greatest risk and greatest need for action, the next step in developing a CWPP is to select community wildfire risk reduction priorities. These actions may include fuel treatments, restoration projects, outreach and education, evacuation planning, and more.

Reduction of Structural Ignitability
In additional to priority fuel reduction projects and risk reduction priorities, a CWPP should identify actions that homeowners, residents, and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures throughout the area. This part of the plan may include guidelines for home hardening, creation of defensible space, and funding mechanisms for this work throughout high-priority communities.

Adoption and Signatures
The HFRA requires local governments, local fire department(s) and the state entity responsible for forest management (EMNRD) to sign off on the final contents of a CWPP. Additional signatories on your CWPP may include collaborators involved in the creation of the plan and key individuals from communities which will be impacted.

Other important CWPP elements may include a 1-2 year Action Plan, accomplishments since the last CWPP (for plan updates), and WUI Mapping, Hazard Mapping, and lots of spatial analysis.

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Upcoming Opportunities

Spring FAC NM Webinar Series

Fire Adapted New Mexico is kicking off its spring webinar series with an informational presentation by Gabe Kohler of the Forest Stewards Guild on FAC NM’s new membership structure.

January 18 @ 2pm MST: Revitalizing Membership in FAC NM

An interactive webinar on the network’s revitalized membership structure and improved tools, resources, and facilitation for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. This presentation will cover new levels of involvement in the learning network, upcoming workshops and grants available to members, and future plans for network growth and other continual learning opportunities.

Keep an eye on the FAC NM Events webpage for announcements and registration for our mid-March and mid-May webinars!

Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Webinars

What: The CWDG Program will conduct a series of Listening Sessions to solicit feedback and comments on the program and provide opportunities to share recommendations for how to improve CWDG in the future.

When: January 18th, 19th, 20th and 26th.

There are Listening Sessions scheduled for each of four Notice of Funding Opportunities, but you may to attend whichever Listening Session suits your schedule.

Sign up through the Wildland Fire Learning Portal by enrolling in the 2023 Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Listening Sessions course, or visit this link: https://wildlandfirelearningportal.net/course/view.php?id=1908

Southwest Fire Science Consortium Monthly Webinars

January 18 @ 12pm MST: Geomorphic Recovery and Post-Fire Flooding Implications from the 2019 Museum Fire

Image courtesy of webinar presenter Rebecca Beers

A presentation providing a detailed multi-year documentation of geomorphic change and recovery in the Museum burn scar throughout multiple post-fire flow events and damage to downstream areas identified to be at risk. Flood mitigation structures were constructed on the floodplain below the Museum scar; the impact of 2022 monsoonal runoff on these structures is currently being evaluated in context with watershed recovery and will be available for future discussion.

January 31 @ 3pm MST: Wildfire and Climate Change Adaptation of Western North American Forests: A Case for Proactive Management

Image courtesy of John Marshall

Three experts will tell the story of forest change since colonization, and share insights and answer questions about how we might steward a legacy of forest change and mitigate climate change impacts. Following their presentations, the speakers will lead a discussion on reframing management direction and current barriers to increasing the pace and scale of forest adaptation.

Wildfire Wednesdays #102: Wildfire and Wildlife

Hi FACNM Community,

As we all know, the forest is home to more than just our human communities. These cold winter months when we spend more time at home provide a great opportunity to learn about how we might improve the balance between wildfire management and wildlife management. This is complex and there is no silver bullet to managing wildfire in a way that supports all species in a positive way. There will always be winners and losers with any type of management action — even when we take no action.

This Wildfire Wednesdays will provide some resources for you to better understand the effects of wildfire and wildfire risk reduction treatments, such as thinning and RX Fire, on wildlife.

This newsletter includes:

• An overview of the effects of wildfire on wildlife from The Wildlife Professional

• A New Mexico-Specific Science Synthesis of Forest and Woodland Treatment Effects on Wildlife

• Upcoming and recorded webinars related to fire and wildlife

Stay safe,

Gabe

Wildfire! Toward Understanding Its Effects on Wildlife — from The Wildlife Professional

Wildlife professionals know many North American ecosystems are fire-adapted and require fire to shape their structures, functions and processes, which in turn shape wildlife habitats and populations in important ways. Over the past century, however, synergistic effects of fire exclusion, livestock grazing, timber harvest and land development have led to conditions where many wildfires are larger and burn with greater intensity and severity than they did in the past.

To better understand the overarching effects of wildfire on wildlife species, read this article from The Wildlife Professional.

Assessment of Forest and Woodland Treatment Effects on Wildlife

In 2019, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish worked with the Forest Stewards Guild to complete a science synthesis of the effects of forest and woodland treatments on wildlife species. This guide is helpful to understanding how wildfire risk reduction treatments through thinning and prescribed fire may effect various wildlife species in across a range of forest types.

This guide may be useful for New Mexico landowners that want to manage their forest for a particular species of concern. Click here to access the New Mexico science synthesis.

For specific information about the effect of wildfire on birds, check out this Science You Can Use briefing paper titled “Birds and Burns.”

Webinars Related to Wildfire and Wildlife

Upcoming

Fueling Collaboration: Fire and Wildlife

8:00 Pacific / 9:00 Mountain / 10:00 Central / 11:00 Eastern  (1.5 hr)
The third panel discussion of season 3 of the “Fueling Collaboration” series from eastern JFSP Fire Science Exchanges and USFS Northern and Southern Research Stations will be moderated by Lauren Pile Knapp (register).

Recorded

The Effects of Prescribed Fire on Wildfire Regimes and Impacts

Presenter: Dr. Molly Hunter, USGS SW Climate Adaptation Science Center, Research Manager / Joint Fire Science Program, Science Advisor

To access the webinar, click here.

Prescribed fire can result in significant benefits to ecosystems and society. Examples include improved wildlife habitat, enhanced biodiversity, reduced threat of destructive wildfire, and enhanced ecosystem resilience. Prescribed fire can also come with costs, such as reduced air quality and impacts to fire sensitive species. To plan for appropriate use of prescribed fire, managers need information on the tradeoffs between prescribed fire and wildfire regimes.

Science and Management of Wildfire, Fish, and Water Resources in the Western US

Presenter: Dr. Patrick Belmont, Utah State University

To access the webinar, click here.

Wildfire has increased 20-fold in the last 30 years in the Western U.S., partly due to climate change and partly due to forest and fire management practices. At the same time, many water resources are drying up. And fish populations throughout the western US are struggling due to water diversions, instream barriers, invasive species, and dwindling flows. This talk integrated across these three big, converging problems, reframing the role of wildfire in western ecosystems, discussing how wildfire, fish, and water resource problems are interrelated, and proposing solutions that match the scale of the problem.

Wildfire Wednesdays #101: Winter Means Preparing for Wildfire

Happy Wednesday and Happy Solstice, FAC NM readers!

As we celebrate the longest night of the year and the official start to winter, next year’s summertime wildfires may feel like a far-flung dream. However, it is never too early to start gearing up for fire mitigation, both around your home and in your community. While fire preparedness is year-round, winter is actually one of the best times to tackle heavy duty fire preparedness tasks.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features information on:

• Creating defensible space

• FAC Net’s Guide to Starting a Chipping Program in Your Community

• A funding opportunity for FAC NM members to kickstart your community’s fire preparedness

• Fire guides: information on home hardening, fire preparedness checklists, and yard tips

• A video series on 7 Saturdays to a More Fire Resistant Home

Take care, happy holidays, and we look forward to connecting with you in the new year.

Rachel

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Creating Defensible Space

Don’t disregard it: defensible space requires maintenance

Winter is often the best time to take steps to defend against fire, such as thinning out dense patches of trees, removing flammable brush and weeds, and pruning the limbs of mature trees to reduce contiguous fuels. Thinning and pruning during the cold winter months can also help reduce pest and disease infection in your trees and shrubs.

Maintenance tasks such as clearing flammable debris from gutters and around the home, making sure there are no flammable materials like firewood or patio furniture near your structures, and keeping grass and weeds mowed to less than 4 inches are all things you can do in these winter months and as part of spring cleaning to keep your home protected.

Image courtesy of Western Fire Chiefs Association

Whether you are a homeowner, renter, or transient temporary resident, your home is located in an environment that is dynamic and constantly changing. Trees and shrubs continue to grow, plants die or are damaged, new plants establish and grow, and needles and leaves drop to the ground, forming duff. Like other parts of your home, defensible space requires upkeep and conscious decision-making about your space, such as the choice to plant native grasses.

New Mexico State University ACES college, Firewise®, and Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) are just a few of the entities which offer information and checklists to guide your creation of defensible zones and upkeep of defensible space.

Checklist from NMSU and Firewise® on defensible space actions that can be taken annually

“Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building… and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surrounds it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it helps protect your home from catching fire—either from embers, direct flame contact or radiant heat. Proper defensible space also provides firefighters a safe area to work in, to defend your home.”

- (CAL FIRE, Ready for Wildfire)

Graphic from WFCA’s webpage on How to Create a Firewise® Defensible Space for Your Home

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A Chip Off the Old Block

A Guide to Starting a Chipping Program in Your Community

From FAC Net: “As we say farewell to summer and winter settles in, and FAC practitioners start planning for next year, some of you may have chipping programs on your mind. Indeed, a chipping program is an important part of many fuels mitigation projects. To help you plan and dream, we have collected some insights from the field and a few practitioners to share here with you. This is hardly a comprehensive roundup, and it is not a prescriptive document as the thing that works best for you may be very different from some of your peers in the field.

When starting or revamping a chipping program, there are several things to consider, including  assessing need, funding, staffing, outreach and marketing, chipper selection, access and functional needs, chip dispersal and use, and program improvement year over year.”

• Assessing Need

• Funding

• Staffing

• Outreach and Marketing

• Chipper Selection

• Access and Functional Needs

• Chip Dispersal and Use

• Programmatic Involvement

Visit http://fireadaptednetwork.org/ under ‘blog’ or click the button below to learn more about starting a chipper program.

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Funding Opportunity

Application Period Open Now Through January 15:
FAC NM Microgrants for Fire Adapted Activities

FAC NM Leaders and Members are eligible to apply for grants of up to $2,000 for financial assistance with:

• convening wildfire preparedness events,

• enabling on-the-ground community fire risk mitigation work, or

• developing grant proposals for the sustainable longevity of their Fire Adapted Community endeavor.

Applications for Round 1 are open now and close on January 15th! Visit the FAC NM Resources page or https://facnm.org/microgrants to learn more and apply now.

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Tips and Tasks

Guidance on making your space fire adapted this winter

Home Hardening

Defensible space splits the area around your home or structure into treatment zones; you can think of internal and external home hardening and yard tasks as additional zones which are prime candidates for wintertime fire preparedness.

Home hardening brochure courtesy of Santa Clara County FireSafe Council’s home hardening webpage

Fire hardened does not mean fireproof; it means your home is prepared for wildfire and ember storms. Home hardening addresses the most vulnerable components of your house with building materials and installation techniques that increase resistance to heat, flames, and embers that accompany most wildfires.

Priorities text courtesy of Santa Clara County FireSafe Council

Yard Preparation and Considerations

An extension of defensible space, the tips and tasks are presented below can be done to prepare your yard and property for wildfire season now and throughout the year.

Property areas and considerations include: borders and hedges, dry vegetative debris, slash chipping, pests and disease, attics and crawl space vents, vegetation spacing, mulch, considerations for birds, holiday tree safety, and more.

Image courtesy of the ‘Tips and Tricks for the Yard’ webpage from SCC FireSafe Council. Visit the website for additional resources related to each yard area.

Inside and Outside the Home

Property protection booklet cover image courtesy of FEMA.

“Owning a property is one of the most important investments most people make in their lives. We work hard to provide a home and a future for ourselves and our loved ones... While you can’t prevent all wildfires from happening, there are some ways to secure your property to minimize damage and keep your home and your future safe.”

Click the image or download the PDF from FEMA to learn simple tricks for how to fortify your space this winter, inside and outside of the home.

Additional resources

Colorado State University and New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department offer an applicable collection of Fire Preparedness Resources for homes, pets, and family, and a Living with Wildfire Guide, respectively. Throughout the cold season, set aside some time to click through and visit these resources. An excerpt of topics includes:

• Avoiding Wildfire Damage: A Checklist for Homeowners (FEMA)

• Build a Kit (Ready.gov)

• Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors (Red Cross)

• Emergency Preparedness for Kids (Red Cross)

• Emergency Preparedness Starts at Home

• Farm and Ranch Family Stress and Depression: A Checklist and Guide for Making Referra

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7 Saturdays to a More Fire Resistant Home

A video series on easy and affordable steps to better prepare for wildfires

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) released a 7-part series with helpful information on and recommendations for how to prepare to live with fire. View episode 1 on defensible space below then visit PG&E’s YouTube page to learn more about affordable home hardening, preparing for evacuation, fire resistant landscaping, resilient interiors, and resilient communities.

Wildfire Wednesday #100: Revisiting Local Knowledge about Fire in Our Landscape

Hi FACNM Community,

We are excited to share our 100th Wildfire Wednesdays newsletter with you! 🎂 Over the years, we have used this bi-weekly blog as a forum for sharing resources and best practices across the state. We hope you have found it helpful in your work and we want to thank you for continuing to forward it along to coworkers, friends, family, and neighbors

As we move into the next 100 Wildfire Wednesdays, we want to encourage our readers to please reach out and share resources or success stories with us to highlight. Networks rely on a two-way flow of information and we would love to amplify the great work that you all are doing by featuring it in the Wildfire Wednesdays blog.

For this week’s Wildfire Wednesday we want to feature some local fire and forest science that can support our understanding about the ecological role of wildfire in New Mexico’s forests.

This week’s newsletter includes:

• A webpage of scientific research relevant to Northern New Mexico

• A (re)-introduction to the Southwest Fire Science Consortium

• An interactive webinar (12/15) focused on forest and fire science in the Santa Fe Mountains

Stay safe,

Gabe

A Sampling of Local and Southwest-Focused Scientific Articles and Forest Treatment Reports

Locally-relevant, up-to-date scientific information is essential for ecologically appropriate land management decisions. This includes decisions made on public land as well as those made on private lands — even in our backyards.

Since scientific findings can only be applied to specific context that they were designed for, there is a large amount of research related to fire and forestry. Some studies can provide us with broadly applicable findings, and others may only hold up when they applied to the specific forest that was included in the research. In much of Northern New Mexico, and especially in the Santa Fe Mountains area, we are fortunate to have a wealth of forest and fire science research that was specifically conducted in this landscape. To help provide our readers with some of the most locally-appropriate scientific studies for Northern New Mexico, the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition developed a webpage that provides a sampling of Local and Southwest-Focused Scientific Articles and Forest Treatment Reports.

Before you dig into the pile of publications listed on the webpage, start by reading these 5 topically diverse forest and fire research publications:

• Climate Change in New Mexico over the Next 50 Years: Impacts on Water Resources

• Native American Fire Management at an Ancient Wildland-Urban Interface in the Southwest United States

• Optimizing Forest Management Stabilizes Carbon Under Projected Climate and Wildfires

• Extreme water quality degradation following a catastrophic forest fire

• Fire history and fire–climate relationships along a fire regime gradient in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed, NM, USA

Next, you will find a broader list of northern New Mexico- and Southwest-focused forest and fire research articles as well as local forest treatment success stories below. Review at your leisure for additional science and practical information.

To view the full webpage of research articles, click here.

A (Re)-introduction to the Southwest Fire Science Consortium

The consortium is a way for managers, scientists, and policy makers to interact and share science. The goal is to see the best science used to make management decisions and scientists working on the questions managers need answered. The Southwest is one of the most fire-dominated regions of the US, and the Consortium is the only regional organization focused on fire research and information dissemination across agency, administrative, and state boundaries. The Consortium tries to bring together localized efforts to develop scientific information and to disseminate that to practitioners on the ground through an inclusive and open process. Please join the Consortium by attending a field trip or workshop, reading and sharing the materials on their website, and/or contributing to the fire conversation by submitting a proposal for an event or product.

To visit the Southwest Fire Science Consortium’s webpage, click here.

To view a list of publications and resources, click here.

Key objectives

• Disseminate current science and facilitate its use among scientists, practitioners, and managers

• Facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders

• Identify and develop knowledge relevant to practitioners, managers, and policy makers

• Develop methods to assess the quality and applicability of research

• Demonstrate research on the ground

• Build place-based adaptive management partnerships that promote adoption of fire science findings by fire, fuel, and land managers

• Develop mechanisms to assess new research, synthesis, or validation needs

Interactive Webinar: The Ecological Role of Fire in the Santa Fe Mountains

Click here to download and share the flyer!

To join the event, go to the Fireshed’s Facebook page on December 15th at 6pm! To view the event directly and RSVP, click here.

Presentations by subject matter experts with decades of forestry and fire science experience in the Santa Fe Mountains, including:

• Dr. Ellis Margolis, USGS

• Dr. Craig Allen, UNM

• Dr. Tom Swetnam

Craig D. Allen is a research scholar in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of New Mexico. He lives in Nambé. Ellis Margolis is a USGS research ecologist working with the Fort Collins research center with in-depth research experience in the Santa Fe Mountains. He lives in Santa Fe. Thomas W. Swetnam is Regents Professor Emeritus, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona. He lives in Jemez Springs.

2023 Microgrant Funding Opportunity

Spring 2023 Fire Adapted Communities grant funding: Apply now through January 15!

Calling all FAC NM Members and Leaders

Do you have an interest in promoting and developing your community’s fire adapted practices?
Are you motivated to convene community events but need a little help?

FAC NM is offering grants of up to $2,000 to Leaders and Members seeking financial assistance for:

• convening wildfire preparedness events,

• enabling on-the-ground community fire risk mitigation work, or

• developing grant proposals for the sustainable longevity of their Fire Adapted Community endeavor.

Proposals demonstrating community benefit or FAC capacity building will be considered on a semi-annual basis beginning in January 2023. Grantees will be reimbursed for applicable expenses up to their awarded grant amount.

Grant reporting requirements will include documentation of the event/work, documentation of community participation (if applicable), and creation of a FAC NM blog post.

Round 1 proposals are due by 11:59pm Mountain Time on January 15, 2023. Grantees will have twelve months from the time of award to utilize the funds.

Not eligible? Become a FAC NM Leader or Member today!

If you would like to apply for a FAC NM microgrant but are not sure if you are eligible, read through our FAC NM Membership Structure guide to determine where you fit in the network. To become a FAC NM leader and receive first priority for funding opportunities, visit our Leaders webpage and apply today.

Wildfire Wednesday #99: Wildfire Insurance

Happy Wednesday, FAC NM community!

Navigating the world of insurance for your home, business, or property can feel inherently complex and chaotic. Increasingly destructive wildfires and longer wildfire seasons are adding to the confusion as insurers respond to environmental upsets by changing or dropping their wildfire insurance policies. This week we will be discussing how communities can maintain wildfire insurance coverage by proactively working to protect their assets.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features information on:

• findings from a Wildfire Insurance panel discussion from Montana,

• a new report on reducing wildfire risk to insurers and the insured through loss prevention,

• a webinar examining the role of insurance in mitigating the risks of wildfire, and

• additional upcoming learning opportunities.

Be well and stay curious,

Rachel

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Panel Discussion

Promoting and expanding wildfire risk reduction efforts

A panel of representatives from various insuring agencies (American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, Chubb Insurance) gathered in early 2021 to discuss how to better align the wildfire risk reduction efforts of community leaders and insurance providers. Hosted by the Fire Adapted Montana Learning Network, the group discussed ways to find common ground and forge alliances between Offices of Emergency Management, property owners, and insurers to ensure that everyone is better prepared for and able to mitigate wildfire risk in the wildland urban interface (WUI).

Discussion topics included:

• how homeowners can live in the WUI and keep or obtain their wildfire insurance coverage,

• the changing nature of wildfires as they expand further into the urban portion of the WUI,

• the impact of home construction on personal wildfire risk,

• increasing costs of wildfire disaster claims,

• tools for mitigating risk in advance to prevent wildfire losses before they happen,

• and more!

View the full discussion recording here or play the video below.

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Report: Tamping Down Wildfire Threats

How insurers can mitigate risks and losses

A new report out of the Insurance Information Institute delves into the evolving complexities of wildfire threats to homes and properties and how insurers can and should respond. The intent of the report is to provide recommendations for collaborative risk mitigation and to act as a jumping off point for future topical conversations.

The beginning of the report focuses on how wildfires are not just more destructive than in the past: they now behave differently, with three out of the last five years exhibiting some kind of novel fire behavior. Beyond the immediate threat of the fire itself, increasingly intense wildfires tend to destabilize soils, increase flood risk, impact human health and quality of life, and may even be influencing hurricane frequency and intensity along the Atlantic coast. These realities represent a hardship for communities living with fire and a challenge for the insurers facing exponential increases in damage claims expenses.

“Insured wildfire losses are on the rise,
but insurers’ appetite for writing coverage in fire-prone areas has declined in recent years; however, ceasing to insure complex risks isn’t a strategy for long-term success. What’s needed instead is risk reduction, pre-emptive damage mitigation, and a deeper understanding of the evolving nature of this hazard.”

— Insurance Information Institute

Recommendations to emerge from the report

• Better mitigation is a starting point

  The impetus is on both at-risk communities and insurers. As the President and CEO of IBHS writes, “to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable homes and communities, adoption and enforcement of wildfire codes and standards must increase.”

• Uncomplicate claims management

  Accelerating the pace and accessibility of the insurance claims system can make a big difference in how policyholders experience a catastrophic wildfire. Insurers are finding creative methods to process claims and adjust property values remotely to speed up the claims process.

• Keep an eye on parametric insurance

  “Instead of paying for damage that has occurred, [parametric insurance] pays out if certain agreed-upon conditions are met, regardless of damage. For example, a parametric policy might pay out when a certain threshold of ‘acres burned’ is exceeded”, simplifying the process.

• Data is the key

  “Climate resilience requires a sophisticated data strategy, yet only 35% of insurers… said they have adopted advanced tools – such as machine-learning based pricing and risk models – that [are] critical to unlocking new data potential and enabling more accurate risk assessments.”

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Upcoming learning opportunities

Webinars

November 30 @ 10am MST: Wildfire Risk and Insurance

In the third installment of the “Sparking Solutions” webinar series from Resources for the Future (RFF), experts will discuss the important role that insurance plays in sending signals about risk, how to balance that with equity and affordability, and what options exist for handling the growing problem of insuring wildfire risks.
Register now and revisit parts I and II of the Sparking Solutions series.

December 6 @ 12pm MST: Increases in large wildfire driven nighttime fire activity

Patrick Freeborn will discuss the results of 17 years of active fire data to characterize daytime and nighttime dynamics of wildfires across the continental US. The data indicate that nighttime fire activity in on the rise, largely due to large wildfires influencing local weather to create the conditions for fires to persist through historically cooler and wetter hours.
Register here to attend.

Workshops

November 30 @ 6pm MST: NMAA Workshop - Infrastructure Funding

The New Mexico Acequia Association (NMAA) is hosting a virtual workshop (zoom or phone) on applying for Infrastructure Funding. Register now to learn more about Capital Outlay, ACDIF and RCPP! Questions may be directed to serafina@lasacequias.org

Wildfire Wednesdays #98: Evacuation Planning

Hi FACNM Community,

Evacuation is complex and difficult to plan for. It depends greatly on the type of emergency, or the duration of the emergency, and the needs of the community being evacuated. Fire practitioners, emergency managers, and local community organizations across the country work hard to include flexible evacuation and safety plans into their work each day.

One thing about evacuation is for sure — the more we work within our communities before an incident to plan and communicate about evacuation, the better our response will be. This involves personal wildfire evacuation planning as well as community-level planning.

With this in mind, this week our Wildfire Wednesdays newsletter will focus on both personal evacuation planning as well as planning guides that support community-level planning. We pull in materials from the National Fire Adapted Communities network (thank you!) that we hope will support New Mexico communities in preparing for 2023 and beyond.

Stay safe,

Gabe

Personal Evacuation Planning

For individual residents and homeowners wanting to consider their personal wildfire evacuation plan, the Ready, Set, Go! (en español) personal action guide is a great place to start. This guide helps residents be Ready with preparedness understanding, be Set with situational awareness when fire threatens, and to Go, acting early when a wildfire starts.

The Ready, Set, Go! guide is designed to be prepared well in advance of a wildfire and includes check lists and emergency supplies lists to support communication within your household.

There is a special section about ranches and farms that will help you consider how to evacuate livestock, protect valuable equipment, and more. Animal evacuation takes careful planning and communication to those that live around you. Start these conversations early and check-in about them annually to make sure you have a clear plan.

En Español

Community-Level Evacuation Planning

If you are looking for a resource to help you or your community work through the evacuation planning process, this FREE, 2020 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guide is a great start.

Planning Considerations: Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Guidance for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Partners.

This guide takes a whole-community approach, provides an overview of key concepts and critical considerations and dives into the planning process itself. 

Communication Resources

Communication Planning

Evacuation and warning wireless emergency alert template in Spanish from California.

If you are looking for tips and tools to help you communicate more effectively during evacuation, there are several great resources available to you: 

• The Department of Homeland Security document, Best Practices in Wireless Emergency Alerts, contains guidance for establishing wireless emergency alerts as well as information on setting up a training and drilling program.

• FEMA also has a toolkit available for those who routinely issue alerts and warnings. The Alerts, Warnings, and Notifications Program Planning Toolkit contains a step-by-step, FREE, web-based app that helps you create a customized plan for alerts and warnings. Users can input their own information, guided by prompts and informed by many of the available resources, and then save a Microsoft Word document that can be further edited and refined.

• The Federal Communications Commission website on multilingual alerting contains general guidance for issuing alerts and warnings in multiple languages. Some states, such as California, have created evacuation alert and warning templates in multiple languages.

Communication Materials for Livestock and Animals

Example of stickers and placards for your home from the ASPCA.

Communication with those residents in rural areas where animals and livestock is a consideration is unique and requires different messaging. Here a few resources specific to that community:  

• The American Veterinary Medicine Association has an excellent planning considerations resource that includes an equine and livestock evacuation kit checklist.

• For those with small animals, the Humane Society recommends making an evacuation plan for your pets.

• You can also receive a FREE pet safety pack from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals by signing up for their news and alerts.

Modeling and Tools

The Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool Storymap

Our ability to model behavior, traffic flow and evacuation vulnerability continues to increase.  Several tools are available to help communities plan. 

• The Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) is a FREE tool developed by FEMA to help communities analyze available data layers during the planning process. The website contains an overview, how-to videos and the free tool itself. This storymap helps to explain what RAPT is, what it does and how communities can use it to increase their resiliency and decrease their risk.

• For those who live in Oregon or Washington, research and an interactive map can help communities determine their vulnerabilities. Evaluating Rural Pacific Northwest Towns for Wildfire Evacuation Vulnerability provides vulnerability rankings for close to 700 communities in the rural Pacific Northwest. Roads are evaluated for capacity, directionality, connectivity and more.

• Research is currently underway to develop a simulation for wildfire evacuation. This platform, called, WUI-NITY: A Platform for the Simulation of Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Evacuation Webinar, combines simulations of both wildfire and human behavior to help emergency managers plan for evacuation.

Evacuation Planning for Access and Functional Needs

There is no perfect blueprint for evacuating communities ahead of a wildfire. Even so, there are inclusive planning resources for evacuations to go as smoothly as possible for people with many different needs.

FEMA has a guide specifically for integrating functional needs into general population shelters, and NFPA’s evacuation guide for people with disabilities breaks down planning considerations for specific needs. FAC Net held a recent webinar on how to engage people with access and functional needs in emergencies, covering communication tools and shelter accommodations. Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) has a guide specifically about supporting kids with special needs during a disaster (available in multiple languages).

Engagement Opportunity! November 2022 NM Wildland Urban Fire Summit

2022 New Mexico Wildland Urban Fire Summit

Community Recovery, Cultivating Resilience

November 16-18, 2022

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A collaborative group of fire-focused agencies and organizations is presenting the 2022 Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS) in Santa Fe. WUFS is New Mexico’s leading event for wildfire preparedness and planning. This event is tailored to land management professionals and practitioners and is open to the public. Click here to book lodging and click here to learn more about the New Mexico Wildland Urban Fire Summit.

Click to view the agenda!

Where: The Lodge at Santa Fe
When: November 16-18, 2022
Cost: $75

Summit highlights:

• Optional pre-summit tour on Wednesday, November 16th to Pritzlaff Ranch in San Miguel County (only 30 spots available!)

• Social/networking hour on Wednesday, November 16th

• Group tour of Santa Clara Canyon on Thursday, November 17th (transportation & lunch provided)

• Communications & tools/resources tracts on Thursday, November 17th

• CWPP workshop on Friday, November 18th

Join your peers, community leaders, fire service professionals, and federal, state, tribal, and local governments for this in person event. Learn from local communities adapting to a wildfire environment about the latest techniques, strategies, and resources for wildfire adaptation and resilience. Expand your network of peers and experts to assist you in your fire/disaster resiliency goals.

Travel grants are available for attendees. Go to https://www.swfireconsortium.org/funding/travel-grants/ for more information and to access the application.

Wildfire Wednesday #97: Landscape Collaboratives and Continual Learning

Hello, FACNM community!

Just as your durability as a fire adapted community lies in the melding of each individual’s specialties, strengths, and diverse perspectives, the capacity of landscape collaboratives comes from the unique viewpoints and experiences that each partner brings to the table. Building, maintaining, and encouraging open communication and the exchange of knowledge in these collaboratives is integral to their success.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features information on:

• What is a good starting point for landscape collaboratives?

• Prioritizing needs and project implementation

• Continual learning - Wildland Urban Fire Summit 2022

• Plus, staying informed with webinars and news

Take care,
Rachel

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Getting started

What is a landscape collaborative?

Landscape management often spans hundreds of thousands of acres and multiple jurisdictions. Forming a landscape collaborative to address this large scope and the resulting diverse needs allows for creativity, adaptivity, and the capacity to tailor approaches to site-specific conditions. A landscape collaborative can be defined as a multi-party group of stakeholders who share a vested interest in the cohesive management of a defined landscape. These groups may identify as a collaborative, a coalition, a cooperative, or use another term altogether.

Image courtesy of Alan Barton, 2022. Pictured: Pacheco Canyon Field Tour.

While partners may be united in their desire to care for the land and communities therein, forming and maintaining a landscape collaborative comes with challenges. Necessary factors to ensure the success of the collaborative are upkeep of social relationships among partners (working relationships), legitimate coordination (effective communication), and the collaborative capacity of the community (investing time, energy, and funding sources).

What is a good starting point for forming a landscape collaborative?

Several elements are generally present for a landscape collaborative to form:

• A shared geographic region

• Common concerns threatening or requiring attention in that region

• Multiple individuals or groups with an interest in addressing these concerns

• Social connectivity between potential partners

• Resources to enable collaboration, including time, personpower, and facilitation

Convening your group:
Begin by talking to potential project partners, those who you have worked with or who you know share an interest in the same type of landscape management. Identify a meeting space and invite these individuals to discuss common goals, concerns, values at risk, and scope of work and focus area. Figure out who will organize and facilitate meetings of the collaborative to maintain momentum. Identify potential funding sources as appropriate. Once you have convened collaborative partners and established that you intend to work together, you can move on to utilizing existing documents to guide your proposed objectives and actions.

Utilizing the 2020 New Mexico Forest Action Plan

Regions into which state Forest Action Plans fall. Click to see how New Mexico aims to conserve and protect its forests over the long run.
Image courtesy of National Association of State Foresters.

States are required by the USDA Forest Service to develop a Forest Action Plan (FAP) on a recurring 10-year plan cycle. New Mexico’s 2020 plan builds upon the first plan developed in 2010.

The EMNRD Forestry Division worked with many partners to create the 2020 New Mexico Forest Action Plan. It provides an assessment of the current conditions of our natural resources and sets forth strategies that address key issues in forest and watershed management in a changing climate.

Key elements in the FAP which aid in the creation of landscape collaboratives are: 1) the vision and next steps for collaboration between agencies and organizations, 2) identification of priority landscapes and regions, and 3) current landscape and watershed conditions and corresponding risks.

Read more about the 2020 New Mexico Forest Action Plan.

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Establishing Priorities

Choosing focus areas

Each stakeholder in the landscape collaborative will likely bring their own distinct priorities to the table. To avoid conflict and find common ground, the group can focus on the following determinants to guide their cohesive priorities.

Places most likely to get funding

Once the collaborative moves from the hypothetical planning phase to the tangible, sources of funding will be imperative for implementation of management activities. Identify potential funding sources such as state agreements and grant opportunities, inquire with others as to what types of projects have been most successful in acquiring funding, and focus on landscapes which have been pre-identified as priorities in planning documents by funding groups (such as the Environment Department, EMNRD Forestry Division and USDA Forest Service).

Priority landscapes

Pull out some maps and identify which areas of interest for your collaborative overlap with county, state, federal, and tribal priority landscapes. Look into the assessments which led to those priority designations (watershed vulnerability, fire hazard, etc.) and determine how those fit in with your collaborative’s idea of landscape risk. Start with the FAP priority landscapes and work from there.

Risk modeling and values at risk

Look for existing geospatial models, data, and published papers which describe the relative risk faced by your landscape of interest. If you have the capacity, consider using existing data or partnering with a group that specializes in risk modeling to produce assessments of risk specific to that area. Identify specific values at risk (homes, infrastructure, recreational and cultural sites, source water, etc.) which may be prioritized for protection.

Environmental clearances

The environmental clearances required prior to project implementation vary by land jurisdiction. On lands owned by the State, land managers must complete heritage surveys and check for Threatened and Endangered species before beginning work on any management activities. On federal lands, managers must go through the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. Identifying areas which have already received environmental or NEPA clearances accelerates the implementation process, can make your project more competitive for funding opportunities, and should be part of the prioritization process.

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Continual Learning

Wildland Urban Fire Summit 2022:
Community Recovery, Cultivating Resilience

Continual learning and finding spaces which enable exchange of knowledge between land managers are integral to project relevancy, adaptive management, and cross-boundary collaboration. In mid-November, a collaborative group of fire-focused agencies and organizations is presenting the 2022 Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS) in Santa Fe. This event is tailored to land management professionals and is open to the public.

Theme: Community Recovery, Cultivating Resilience
Where: The Lodge at Santa Fe
When: November 16-18, 2022
Cost: $75

WUFS is New Mexico’s leading event for wildfire preparedness and planning. Join your peers, community leaders, fire service professionals, and federal, state, tribal, and local governments for this in person event. Learn from local communities adapting to a wildfire environment about the latest techniques, strategies, and resources for wildfire adaptation and resilience. Expand your network of peers and experts to assist you in your fire/disaster resiliency goals.

Summit highlights:

• Optional pre-summit tour on Wednesday, November 16th to Pritzlaff Ranch in San Miguel County (only 30 spots available!)

• Social/networking hour on Wednesday, November 16th

• Group tour of Santa Clara Canyon on Thursday, November 17th (transportation & lunch provided)

• Communications & tools/resources tracts on Thursday, November 17th

• CWPP workshop on Friday, November 18th

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Stay Informed

Webinars

December 6 at 12:00 MST: Southwest Fire Science Consortium presents a webinar on Increases in large wildfire driven nighttime fire activity observed across the conterminous United States with Dr. Patrick Freeborn.

Notable press releases

October 12: In New Mexico, Partners Collaborate to End Siege from Megafires

Post-fire resources

New Mexico Highlands University and partners have released a Post-Fire Resource Hub providing information on post-fire hazards and response operations for the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.