Members of the public are invited to the 2019 “All Hands" meeting for a comprehensive update on the largest landscape-scale forest restoration project in New Mexico on March 28-29 in Santa Fe. Both days are fee and open to the public.
The Southwest Jemez Mountains (SWJM) Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project is a long-term collaborative effort to restore forest ecosystems at the landscape scale and improve resilience to major disturbances, including forest fires, insects, diseases, and climate warming. The project covers 210,000 acres in the Jemez Mountains, including Valles Caldera National Preserve and most of the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest.
On Thursday, March 28 (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.), project managers will give updates on implementation, including forest thinning, prescribed fire, and riparian and wetland restoration. Scientists and natural resource specialists will address the effects and benefits on watershed hydrology, vegetation and soils, fisheries and wildlife. Other topics include monitoring cultural and archaeological resources, and socioeconomic impacts.
The March 28 meeting will be at the Santa Fe Community College, 600 Richards Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87508; the meeting will be held in the Jemez Rooms next to the cafeteria. Parking is free, and the college cafeteria will be open for lunch. The campus is ADA-accessible.
On Friday, March 29 (8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.), the meeting moves to the Santa Fe National Forest’s Supervisor's Office at 11 Forest Lane, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Collaborators and public will discuss restoration projects for the 2020 season.
Lead partners in the SWJM project include the Santa Fe National Forest, Valles Caldera National Preserve, U.S. Geological Survey, Forest Stewards Guild, New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, New Mexico Forest Industry Association, Pueblo of Jemez, WildEarth Guardians and The Nature Conservancy.
For additional information, contact: Bob Parmenter, Chief of Science & Resource Stewardship, Valles Caldera National Preserve, at 575.829.4850 or e-mail us.
Thursday, March 28:
Santa Fe Community College - Jemez Rooms, 600 Richards Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87508
* 8:30 AM -- Welcome and Introductions: Bob Parmenter (VALL), Karl Buermeyer (SFNF)
* 8:45 AM -- Goals & Objectives of CFLRP: James Melonas (Supervisor, SFNF) and Jorge Silva-Bañuelos (Superintendent,VALL)
* 9:00 AM -- Implementation overviews of projects completed through 2018
** Forest and fire projects on the SFNF: Dennis Carril (SFNF)
** Forest and fire projects on VALL: Marla Rodgers/Fabian Montano (NPS)
** Forest thinning operations: Terry Conley (TC Company)
** Jemez Pueblo: Paul Clarke, Aaron Cajero Jr (Pueblo of Jemez)
** Santa Clara Pueblo: Lindsey Quam (Pueblo of Santa Clara)
** In-stream structures: Cecil Rich (USFS)
** Stream riparian projects: Jim Matison (WildEarth Guardians)
* 10:15-10:30 AM -- BREAK
* 10:30-3:20 AM -- Monitoring Results:
** 10:30 - Vegetation: Martina Suazo (VALL)
** 11:00 - Wildlife: Elk and deer habitat change Sharon Smythe (Texas Tech University)
** 11:30 - Wildlife: Bears James Cain (USGS/NMSU)
** 11:45 - Wildlife: Cougars Mark Peyton (VALL) Art Anaya (NMSU)
* 12:00 PM -- BREAK FOR LUNCH
** 1:00 - Birds Amanda Schluter and Katrina Hucks (Hawks Aloft)
** 1:20 - Soil biota and physical properties Kara Gibson (Northern Arizona University)
** 1:40 - Monitoring: Arthropods Sandra Brantley (University of New Mexico)
** 2:00 - Monitoring: Stream water temperatures Dan Guevara (NM Environment Department)
** 2:20 - Monitoring: Fish and stream invertebrate populations Colleen Caldwell (USGS/NMSU)
* 2:40 - 3:00 PM -- BREAK
** 3:00 - Wetland restoration Steve Vrooman (Keystone Restoration Ecology)
* 3:20 PM -- Socio-economic Impacts: Matt Piccarello (Forest Stewards Guild)
* 3:40 PM -- Cultural Resources: Rebecca Baisden (SFNF) and Stephanie Bergman (VALL)
* 4:00-5:00 --PM Poster Session & General Discussions
* 5:00 PM -- Adjourn
Friday, March 29, 2019
Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 11 Forest Lane, Santa Fe, NM 87508
* 8:30 AM -- Welcome and Introductions - Brian Riley (SFNF)
* 8:45 AM -- Overview of today’s objectives and processes - Bob Parmenter (VALL)
* 9:00 AM -- Proposed 2020 restoration projects on the Valles Caldera National Preserve
** Fabian Montano (VALL/BAND); list of thinning and fire projects with monitored outcomes; long-term landscape fire management plans for Valles Caldera
** Bob Parmenter (VALL) implementation list of riparian/wetland restoration projects.
* 9:30 AM -- Proposed 2020 restoration & fire projects on the Santa Fe National Forest - Karl Buermeyer (SFNF)
* 10:00-11:30 AM -- Small group breakout discussions
** Breakout groups: Guided by the questions below, develop an evaluation of the actions proposed for 2020. How we break into small groups will be determined by the number and diversity of expertise of the participants.
*** Do the proposed 2020 projects have complete and correct measures to determine if we are meeting objectives?
*** Are the proposed 2020 actions well-integrated into the overall strategy?
*** Will the proposed actions be effective? Why or why not?
*** Are there issues or problems with any of the actions or individual projects as proposed? Create list for “all-hands" group discussion, with specific proposed adjustments.
*** Are there actions that are not on the list, but should be, for 2020?
* 11:30 AM-12:00 PM -- Reconvene “all-hands" group, report out results of breakout groups
** Present list of 2020 planned actions; discuss issues identified in morning group sessions including recommended adjustments to implementation or monitoring propose modifications to SFNF and VALL.
* 12:00 Adjourn
Tags: valles caldera national preserve jemez mountains public meetings restoration collaboration
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
