A hydrostatic brush cutter mulches a tree removed from overcrowded forest on Laboratory property near Potrillo Canyon in the White Rock area. Fire mitigation activities are underway in the Technical Area 70 and 71 vicinity as part of the Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project, which is working to reduce fire danger on 10,000 acres of Laboratory property. Rehabilitation crews will follow the brush cutters to eliminate ruts and erosion potential as part of the fire mitigation activities.
Thinning work in Technical Areas 70 and 71 is proceeding as planned, and crews so far have reduced fire danger on more than 200 acres in the Potrillo Canyon area.
The Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project (FWO-CGRP) began fire mitigation activities near White Rock's Pajarito Acres subdivision last month. Activities include thinning of overcrowded forest and creating a fuel break that will protect homes from a catastrophic wildfire should one occur in the area. Crews affiliated with the CGRP will have thinned trees from about 800 acres in TA-70 and –71 by the time fire mitigation activities in those locations conclude in mid-May.
The CGRP conducted extensive planning for fire mitigation activities in this area as well as on all Laboratory property. Laboratory officials prepared an Environmental Assessment for the project. The EA concluded with a "Finding of No Significant Impact." All mitigation work is being conducted in accordance with the EA, which did not spell out specific timetables for activities in specific locales.
Because TA-70 and –71 are rich in cultural sites and other ecologically sensitive areas, Laboratory cultural- and ecological-preservation specialists completed a massive effort to identify and isolate all ecologically sensitive areas prior to starting fire mitigation activities.
Environmentally sensitive areas were marked with white twine and pink flagging to alert thinning crews to steer clear of them. As a result, the areas will remain protected. In addition, Stephen Mee, CGRP program manager, has asked recreational users and residents not to remove flagging and not to enter areas where flagging is present.
"So far, residents and recreational users have cooperated marvelously, and I personally thank them," Mee said. "Protecting environmentally sensitive areas during fire mitigation activities has been and will continue to be a top priority for the CGRP."
Some residents in the Pajarito Acres subdivision have expressed concerns regarding thinning activities in the midst of the bark beetle scourge that is affecting the entire Southwest. The continuing regional drought and forest overcrowding has created a situation where the bark beetle is present nearly everywhere. Consequently, thinning and mulching activities during this time are not a significant factor in attracting any more beetles than are already present in the White Rock area, Mee said.
In fact, thinning the area now will mean less competition for available moisture for the remaining trees, and this may give those trees a slightly better chance of overall survival. Moreover, thinning in beetle-infested areas will reduce the number of "standing-dead" trees that have significantly increased fire danger, Mee said.
CGRP crews are using hydrostatic brush cutters to thin the area. These highly maneuverable machines cut and mulch trees in place and have minimal impact on the environment. Although the brush cutters may seem large, they are specifically designed for such work; their tires are designed to exert about the same amount of pressure on the soil as the heel of a boot worn by a 200-pound person. By using the machines, the CGRP is maximizing thinning efficiency while minimizing environmental effects, said Mee.
Mulching trees in place also helps the soil retain moisture and creates shade that will help promote growth of grasses and other plants, Mee added.
After the brush cutters pass through an area, rehabilitation crews follow raking and restoring areas to ensure that erosion or other environmental consequences are minimized. If necessary, rehabilitation crews will apply hydro mulch — "liquid seed" — to treated areas. The hydro mulch will promote grass growth to stabilize soils.
Many areas that were previously thinned by the CGRP have seen excellent recovery. Mee expects similar results in the TA-70 and -71 areas.
The CGRP's overall goal is to reduce fire danger on 10,000 acres of Laboratory property using funds allocated by Congress in the wake of the May 2000 Cerro Grande Fire. The entire Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project must be concluded by Sept. 30, as mandated by Congress.
The project has been lauded for its efforts in using Northern New Mexico subcontractors to accomplish its goal.
"We are very proud of our accomplishments and of the work we have competed so far," Mee said, "We intend to complete this project with the same commitment to excellence that we've held ever since it was started," Mee said.
Los Alamos County Deputy Fire Chief Doug Tucker, left, explains the value of having a fuel break between Laboratory property and the Pajarito Acres subdivision to Jim Holt, associate Laboratory director for Operations (ADO), right, and Tony Stanford, Facilities and Waste Operations (FWO) Division leader, last week during a tour of fire mitigation activities in the White Rock area. The three men are standing in the fuel break area, while overcrowded forest on a lot in Pajarito Acres is visible beyond the subdivision fence line in the background. Tucker said the fuel break being created on Laboratory property will help firefighters more effectively battle a catastrophic wildfire and save homes if a fire were to occur. The fuel break also would create safer conditions for firefighters responding to such a blaze and provide firefighters with defensible space. The current bark beetle infestation has added to area fire danger by increasing the number of "standing dead" trees, like the brown-needled piñons visible in the background. Photos by James E. Rickman, Public Affairs