NM State Land Office and Forest Stewards Guild Plan to Begin Broadcast Burn in Black Lake, NM

Santa Fe, NM – The Forest Stewards Guild (Guild) is partnering with the New Mexico State Land Office, The Nature Conservancy, Angel Fire Fire Department, Moreno Valley Fire Department, and a diverse group of collaborators to implement a prescribed broadcast burn on between 200 and 400 acres of SLO land in Black Lake, NM. The prescribed fire unit (map) is located east of State Highway 434 and north of Highway 120.

Timing: Ignitions could begin as soon as October 20, although exact ignition days will be based on daily fuel moisture and weather at the site. Once ignitions begin, they will take place over 4 – 5 days.

Type: This will be a broadcast burn. Crews will apply fire generally to most or all of the prepared area within well defined boundaries. Prescribed broadcast burns are a vital part of long-term forest and watershed management in the Southwest. Many of these landscapes are naturally adapted to fire and depend on periodic, low intensity burns to stay healthy.

Smoke: The team will actively use emissions reduction techniques to minimize smoke impacts and will do so in coordination with local fire departments and air quality regulators. Potentially affected communities include Village of Angel Fire, Black Lake, Eagle Nest, and residents of Colfax, Mora, and Taos counties. If you are in need, and/or are interested in being loaned a temporary HEPA filter, contact Megan at (818) 731-5944.

Post-ignitions: Plentiful resources will be on site to contain and patrol the burn to ensure it is secured within pre-identified control lines, until it is declared out.

Big picture: Five prescribed burns have successfully been implemented by the Guild and collaborative partners in this area since 2013, and this will be the sixth. This project is part of an effort to reestablish a cycle of low-intensity fire to the landscape and lower the risk of severe wildfires threatening nearby communities. In addition to protecting lives and property, prescribed burning supports forest health, preserves water quality, and enhances wildlife habitat.

For more information, call 818-731-5944 or 541-816-6371.
For updates before, during, and after the burn, visit NMFireInfo.com

Contact: Megan Rangel-Lynch, 818-731-5944, mrangel-lynch@forestguild.org
Sam Berry, 541-816-6371, sam@forestguild.org