Archive for December, 2010

Public Service Announcement/Press Release: Prescribed Burning To Continue on the Mountainair Ranger District

Mountainair, NM – November 30, 2010: With the shot of precipitation received on the Manzano’s this week, the Mountainair Ranger District will be planning to continue the East Thunderbird Prescribed Burn.

The burn will be in a forest area locally known as the Thunderbird area.  This area was thinned within the Thunderbird Ecosystem Management area.  The remaining portion to be burned is located on the south side of Forest Road #275.  District Fire personnel are watching weather patterns closely and hope to re-enter this area the week of December 6-11 to finish burning approximately 70 acres.  The burn will be conducted only if and when weather patterns and available fire personnel are conducive to burning and all fire management objectives can be met.

If you have questions regarding the planned prescribed burn or any other Mountainair Ranger District questions, please call 505-847-2990 or email Adrian Padilla at adrianpadilla@fs.fed.us or Arlene Perea at atperea@fs.fed.us.

Public Service Announcement/Press Release: Sandia Ranger District Implementing Pile Burn Near Cedro Lookout

Due to the location and elevation the burn will be visible from all directions leading into the East Mountain area

TIJERAS, NM, November 30, 2010 – Weather permitting Sandia Ranger District will be implementing a pile burn around Cedro Lookout. If weather and resources line up we will be starting the project December 7th and continue thru December 9th.  The Cedro Lookout is located two miles south of I-40 and the Village of Tijeras. Due to the elevation the burn will be very visible from all directions. This project is being implemented to protect the lookout tower and facilities that are located on the administrative site.

The Cedro pile burn is a continuation of a fuels reduction program here on the Sandia Ranger District. There are approximately 10 acres and 400 piles to be treated. We expect the project to take two to three days.

The parameters for implementing a pile burn are based upon specific assessments, agency guidelines and safety protocols.  During this burn, managers continuously monitor weather conditions, including wind, temperature, and relative humidity. Fuel conditions including fuel moisture and the quantity of fuels are also measured. Smoke will be visible and expected to have variable affects to neighboring communities.

We are working in cooperation with Bernalillo County Fire Departments and New Mexico State Forestry as contingency resources. For questions or concerns please contact the Sandia Ranger District 281-3304.