Management
The Fire Management Program of the Rio Grande National Forest integrates fire suppression, prevention, and fuels management. It is often remarked that "no two fires are alike," and at the Rio Grande National Forest, we approach each new fire as a unique situation, making management decisions based on the specific circumstances and available information at the time. The safety of the public and firefighters remains our top priority, a commitment that has always been in place and will continue to guide our efforts.
Fire Suppression
Upon receiving notification of a fire or smoke report, the Rio Grande National Forest promptly dispatches an initial response team to the reported location. These first responders collect essential information regarding the fire's status and conditions, consulting with senior fire management personnel and District Rangers to determine the most effective course of action for the incident.
Fires may be aggressively suppressed using a "direct attack" strategy, or the approach may be adjusted to focus on specific areas of the fire's perimeter while allowing other sections to burn naturally. The fire suppression effort utilizes a wide array of tools and tactics, and we will employ as many as necessary to achieve our objectives for each wildfire.
Fire Prevention & Protection
Fire prevention involves the proactive measures taken to stop a wildland fire before it ignites. This might seem straightforward, but it requires continuous effort. At the Rio Grande National Forest, we are dedicated to promoting Smokey Bear's important message: "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires."
Protection focuses on how property owners can safeguard their homes from the adverse effects of wildfires.
Our fire prevention initiatives include regular visits to schools by our prevention staff and engine crews, where we educate young people about the best practices for fire safety in wildland areas. When fire danger levels reach critical thresholds, we collaborate with local media to raise awareness and share safety tips. Additionally, we implement fire restrictions to manage fire use appropriately, which may include regulating activities or prohibiting them altogether.
To enhance our patrol efforts, we also engage external resources to ensure compliance with fire restrictions and regulations among visitors. We firmly believe that the most effective and economical strategy for managing human-caused wildland fires is to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
Fuels Management
The Rio Grande National Forest is committed to addressing public health and safety concerns while fulfilling natural resource objectives through a combination of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments across the forest. These land management strategies aim to reduce the risk of large wildfires and enhance the health of the public lands under our stewardship.
By increasing canopy base heights, reducing surface fuels, and promoting fire-tolerant species, we enhance the resilience of both public lands and neighboring communities against extreme fire behavior. Additionally, fuel treatments can improve wildlife habitat, enhance air quality, and help mitigate insect and disease infestations.
While commercial timber harvesting can contribute to fuels treatment objectives, we primarily utilize the following three methods, often in combination with timber sales:
Mechanical treatments involve the use of machinery and tools to manage vegetation and reduce fuel loads in forested areas. These treatments are essential for enhancing forest health and mitigating wildfire risks. The primary objectives of mechanical treatments include:
Thinning
This process reduces tree density by selectively removing certain trees, which helps improve the overall vigor of the remaining trees and enhances their resistance to pests and diseases. Thinning also increases the distance between trees, reducing competition for resources.
Mastication
This method uses specialized equipment to grind down shrubs, small trees, and other vegetation into mulch. The resulting material is left on the forest floor, where it can decompose and enrich the soil while reducing surface fuels that could contribute to wildfire spread.
By employing mechanical treatments, the Rio Grande National Forest aims to create healthier, more resilient ecosystems that are better equipped to withstand the challenges posed by wildfires and climate change. These practices support not only fire prevention efforts but also enhance wildlife habitat and improve overall forest health.
Hand thinning treatments involve the manual removal of specific trees, shrubs, and understory vegetation to reduce fuel loads and improve forest health. This method is particularly useful in areas where precision is needed and where machinery may not be practical or environmentally appropriate. Key aspects of hand thinning treatments include:
Selective Removal
In hand thinning, the focus is on selectively removing certain trees or vegetation based on their size, species, health, and spacing. This helps create a more balanced forest structure and allows healthier trees to thrive.
Improving Canopy Structure
By raising the canopy base height, hand thinning reduces the likelihood of crown fires, which can occur when flames reach the upper parts of trees. This treatment encourages a more open canopy, allowing for better airflow and sunlight penetration.
Enhancing Forest Health
Removing overcrowded or unhealthy trees helps reduce competition for resources such as water, nutrients, and light. This promotes the growth of remaining trees and fosters a diverse understory, which is beneficial for wildlife habitat.
Reducing Fire Risk
Hand thinning lowers the amount of flammable material on the forest floor and helps maintain the overall health of the ecosystem. By decreasing fuel loads, the risk of intense wildfires is minimized.
Ecosystem Benefits
In addition to fire risk reduction, hand thinning can improve habitat quality for various wildlife species and contribute to better soil health and water retention in the area.
Accessibility
Hand thinning is often employed in sensitive areas where mechanical equipment may cause soil disturbance or damage to the remaining vegetation. It allows for targeted treatments in more challenging terrains.
Hand thinning treatments are an essential component of the Rio Grande National Forest's fire management strategy, helping to create healthier, more resilient ecosystems while reducing the risk of wildfires.
Prescribed fires, or burns, are conducted by fire managers who intentionally and systematically ignite vegetation to achieve specific goals. The two main types of prescribed fires we employ are broadcast burning and slash pile burning.
Broadcast Burning
This method involves burning vegetation across the targeted landscape, resulting in a either a uniform charred appearance, or as a mosaic of burned and unburned areas. Each having its own unique benefit to a given type of landscape.
Slash Pile Burning
This technique is used after creating piles during hand thinning or mechanical treatments. The piles are strategically placed in areas where minimal forest canopy will be affected during combustion. Typically, slash piles are ignited when there is adequate snow coverage on the ground to serve as a primary control measure.
By implementing these diverse fuels management strategies, we aim to enhance forest health and reduce wildfire risks effectively.
Learn more about the Rio Grande NF's Prescribed Fire Program
Burned Area Emergency Response
Phases of Post-Wildfire Recovery
After a wildfire is contained on federal lands, there are three phases of recovery:
This work, to rehabilitate areas impacted by fire suppression activities, is typically completed by Incident Management Teams and remaining suppression resources as the fire activity subsides.
Known as "BAER" for short, this is a rapid scientific assessment of imminent threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands. These "threats" are hazards due to sudden changes to the landscape caused by the fire -- which can dislodge boulders, create weakened trees at risk of falling at any moment, and increase the potential for landslides and flash floods. The scientific assessment is used to identify immediate emergency stabilization measures and helps the agency prioritize funds to be allocated for mitigation activities such as hazard tree removal, rock scaling, and construction of stabilization features (such as rockfall fences) as well as improved alert system and signs about hazards for visitors.
This includes the work to rebuild and repair trails and replace burned infrastructures such as bridges and signs. It can include ecological restoration work in places. -For fires that burned in designed Wilderness areas, the management policy calls for little to no human intervention on the forest's natural regeneration process.