Today, The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina gave us notice they will light the first control burns on a newly acquired property in Brunswick county, North Carolina. These restoration efforts, supported by Louis Bacon’s Orton Foundation, are just the beginning of a long restoration process of the unique and rare Longleaf pine system – carnivorous plants, orchids, grasses, birds, bears, bobcats, and many other animals. We’re excited to hear this news and laud the Conservancy on their forest health management efforts here and across the country.
These efforts are desperately needed: also this week, Colorado State Forest Service officials unveiled their 2016 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests, warning state lawmakers that unhealthy forests and wildfires increasingly will affect people and water supplies. Numbers are stark: one in 14 trees is dead in Colorado forests and the number of gray-brown standing-dead trees has increased 30 percent since 2010 to 834 million.
Fire module member Andrew Merriam (left) and Kevin MacBride of The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado chapter “mop up” after a prescribed burn, which involves finding and extinguishing any still-smoldering spots © Jason Houston – Nature Conservancy
So let’s really focus on our partner’s and other experts’ efforts to protect our forests, our water and our people – and achieve important ecological and economic goals – by restoring a less damaging and more natural role for fire in our forests. Enter The U.S. Fire Learning Network (FLN). Established in 2002 through a national partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior, the FLN has engaged dozens of organizations across the nation, including The Rio Grande Water Fund in NM and The Pikes Peak Fire Learning Network in Colorado, in a process that accelerates the restoration of fire-dependent landscapes for the great benefit of people, water and wildlife.
And the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps – New Mexico. Through training and service, Corpsmembers discover their potential for healthy, productive lives AND make a real difference for their environment and community. Recent numbers makes the case: 154.56 acres of forest restored; 31 miles of trails built or restored; 44 homes received full weatherization services; 66 homes had additional energy efficiency measures installed. As for the Corpsmembers? 106 certified in First Aid/CPR; 28 trained in Mental Health First Aid; 55% returned to post-secondary options after service term; 17% found employment post service term; and 15% returned for another community service opportunity. Way to go, RMYCNM – read more: http://bit.ly/2lyaLcY
Further north in Colorado’s White River National Forest, Wilderness Workshop supports bringing fire back to the landscape on public lands at the discretion of the Forest Service, helping officials by educating the public and communicating with the press about upcoming burns and what the public can expect in each instance.
As 2017 heats up, MCF “West” affiliates The Trinchera Blanca Foundation and The Taos Ski Valley Foundation, we’ll look forward to supporting the advancement of forest health management best practices in the form of controlled burning. Stay tuned to our channels for more news on this front