Activity Report Explorer

Rio Grande Valley Broadband • Entered by Susan Ostlie on March 31, 2022

Magdalena Collaborative meeting

January 25, 2022

Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Grant Funded Climate Education & Stewardship Program
Key Partners: Magdalena RD personnel, NM Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, NM Native Plant Society, OHV advocate,
Landscape/area: Withington Wilderness (18813 acres)

Short Description of Activity

Introductions:
Nick Padilla is the new acting District Ranger for the Magdalena District. He grew up nearby, in Isleta Pueblo, and grew up hunting in the Magdalena area. He started as acting District Ranger in January, and will be here until April or May.
James “Zoni” Anazalone (Socorro District Forester, State Forestry) is new to the district, but has been in this area for a while. Current State Forestry projects: implementing Hop Canyon and Paterson Canyon WUI grant, which is through USDA for non-federal lands. They are putting work on the ground now. NFL proposals coming out. Socorro district office has two vacant positions.
Presentation by Heather Provencio on US Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Slides attached in email.
Will this new infrastructure money include creating new roads for fuels reduction, with the 1,000 foot perimeter?
The Forest Service is generally not happy with creating new roads where none exist.
The travel management plan for the region was recently revised. The plan reduced the number of roads. The Forest Service is not wanting to create new roads. Fuel breaks can also become roads, which is something to keep an eye on.
Are the 300 positions just in AZ and NM?
Yes, for AZ and NM. These positions are filling existing vacancies and new positions
Fuel breaks: where are these going?
We do not know how many fuel breaks will be put in place yet. Fuel breaks do not need to be big. We can use point protection. This happens when we have a valuable resource and a high likelihood of fire. That will decide where the fuel break will go.
Most treatments will be small diameter thinning and prescribed burns.
We cannot build fuel breaks in Wilderness. We sometimes treat outside wilderness in order to protect the wilderness area. Wilderness areas may be treated. We are also using natural ignition to get back to natural fire schemes. No tree cutting or fuel breaks happen in wilderness areas.
Can some CFLRP funding go to past projects for finishing and monitoring?
Yes, probably but the specifics of this are unknown.
The problem is finding contractors who will do the thinning if wood is not profitable, which the small diameter wood often isn’t. With this incoming funding, the Forest Service will not have to depend on the contractors being able to make a profit. The FS can now pay the contractors for thinning, which means they can take jobs even if the wood is not profitable.
Research will be happening on using small diameter timber and making it more profitable.
Magdalena District Update and Current Projects
Baney Prescribed burn coming up as soon as this week if conditions allow. (Materials attached to email)
Corn canyon prescription burn was completed, and we got part of Baney canyon burned, We are still working on it.
For a heritage project, we are working with partners on getting the water canyon cabin re roofed. The water canyon cabin is above the box. The cabin is being re roofed. Historic cabin. There is no use for it at the moment, but maybe we can make it rentable. We have to keep it preserved.
There was lots of rain last summer, we have lots of fuels and fine grasses, lots of erosion on roads too. May revisit travel management plan next year.
We are working on other infrastructure that hasn’t been visited in 10 years, trying to start getting funding for these and making sure they’re functional.
There is CDT talk going on, to connect trail segments. There is a 30 mile stretch, which right now is a road walk. There is talk about connecting trails and providing water, for possible 2025/2026 implantation.
Forest road maintenance is an ongoing conversation. We are hoping to get a position to focus on this.
Project Ideas:
Erosion, watershed concerns, riparian restoration priorities.
There is still an issue with locked gates and signage near the Davenport lookout
Better signage has been discussed. We have to work with engineers on putting up correct signage. Most roads need better signage. It is a health and safety issue too.
There is a hike in south canyon that hooks up with ryan canyon. There are lots of cattle incursions that were degrading things.
In the Zunis and Cibola, the Spring Stewardship Institute did some work. There are springs on the map, they could check them out and determine the state of them. Inventory the springs.
The SWCD will be submitting for funds to chip seal water canyon road to the camp ground.
Apache kid trail: there are 5 big dead trees across trails. The Youth Conservation Corps or boy scouts were maybe going to work on this. There were maybe some issues with road erosion.
This is not the main portion of the trail. The main portion had YCC work in the last couple years, but this portion has not had work done recently. Volunteers for the outdoors did some dead tree removal in the last few months.
We will shoot for an in person meeting in April at the Water Canyon cabin, depending on the COVID situation.

Reflection/Evaluation

There seemed to be a couple of volunteer opportunities in the district, in terms of working on rehab of structures in Water Canyon in the Magdalenas that the Broads might be able to participate in. They will be managed by NMVFO groups as well as the district.