Understanding Federal and State policies can be beyond challenging. There are a myriad of objectives to managing healthy forests. For example, allowing natural ignition fires to burn for resource benefit, suppressing human ignition wildfires, setting prescribed (Rx) fires to remove dead and downed fuels, pre-emptive fuels treatments to thin forest structure, commercial logging, and so on.
Private properties adjacent to federal lands may be at risk from unplanned wildfires spreading onto their property.
The geographic complexity of rural and sub-urban interfaces between natural landscapes and your structures may result in risk to private property and to public water supplies which make forest thinning and fuels treatment a high priority in the communities around the Jemez mountains.
The US Forest Service is actively working in many different areas of the Jemez Ranger District with thinning and prescribed fire treatments.
The Valles Caldera National Preserve and Bandelier National Monument have been actively thinning and treating their lands surrounding properties in the Jemez Mountains for decades.
The US National Firewise Program provides numerous prescriptions for maintaining a fire adapted property.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group also provides a list of standards.
Hiring a small hand crew to thin your property may be the most effective way of preparing for a fire.
Crews can build and burn piles, and the contractor may have a masticator or chipper for breaking down fuels.
See our FAQ for details about local hand crew contractors and logging companies around Northern New Mexico.
Thinning around your property is one of the first priorities in reducing risk to your home and to your structures.
Following the Firewise prescriptions for canopy spacing can reduce or eliminate the risk of high intensity crown fire on your property.
Piles can safely be burned in the winter months with the assistance of a crew.
Creating open paths that can be cleared down to mineral soil will prevent surface fires from spreading.
Dirt roads already act as excellent firelines and can be used to tie together natural barriers to fire spread.