2023-2024 All Hands All Lands Winter Rx Crew
A story about fire, snow, wet boots, and building wildfire resilience in northern New Mexico
The All Hands All Lands burn network (AHAL) is a collaborative effort to accelerate the return of fire to frequent-fire ecosystems and communities across northern New Mexico. AHAL accomplishes this by providing support in all phases of prescribed burning, including coordination, training, building partnerships, establishing agreements, and of course planning and implementing burns on private and public land. AHAL is a partnership between the Forest Stewards Guild , The Nature Conservancy of New Mexico , and many other partners including Tribes, agencies, NGOs, and others.
Thanks to funding from the US Forest Service Regional Fuels Program and the Nature Conservancy, for enabling this program in the winter of 2023 and 2024.
After the historic Hermit’s Peak / Calf Canyon Fires of 2022 that started as escaped prescribed fires, the communities of New Mexico became leery of prescribed burning. Although fire caused severe damage to many of the communities it burned over it did not change the overabundance of fuels on our lands outside the burned area or diminish the important natural role of fire in the landscape. The Forest Stewards Guild and its partners continue to be committed to serving the community and its forests by practicing safe burning, diligent project work, and community outreach, to create resilient forests and communities. This aligns with the Guild’s 2021 Policy Statement on Fire, Forest Management, and Communities which calls for the stewardship of fire adapted forests and promotes the use of prescribed burning.
Included in the Guilds multi-faceted approach to conservation is the AHAL Winter Rx Crew. The AHAL crew is on the front line of the Guild's mission of sustainable prescribed fire. This year three conservation minded fire professionals were hired as the Guilds boots on the ground.
The squad started right after Thanksgiving on 11/27/23. With our bellies full and ambitions high, we set out on our winter adventure. The crew consisted of Jose Ramirez, and Javier Cordova, who had previously served on the Forest Stewards Youth Corps (FSYC), and the crew leader Sam Lynch, who has spent the last three fire seasons with Engine 461 from the Espanola Ranger District in the Santa Fe National Forest and winters working as a call when needed burner with the Forest Stewards Guild.
In addition to meeting many aspects of the Guild's mission, this program addresses many of the recommendations on fuels management and workforce development from the 2023 Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission report including:
- #17, about investing in fuels reduction treatments;
- #24 addressing flexibility of federal funds to move across boundaries, in this case using the Wyden authority;
- #85, recruiting a more diverse workforce;
- #89, creating of a workforce focused on restoration or mitigation;
- #95 building training opportunities for mitigation and management workforce; and
- #90, addressing expanding investments in non-federal workforce.
A Journey Through the Hills
During the Winter the Pile Squad assisted in 8 burns, totaling in 1116 acres. Let's take a tour of where the squad burned.
KSC Piles Rx
Taos NM, Carson east zone
29 Acres
The first burn of the season was a total of 29 acres. It was a challenging first burn, with steep slopes and deep snow. Nevertheless, the squad persevered and started the season out strong.
Ojo Sarca Rx
Camino Real Ranger District, Carson National Forest
125 Acres
The squad had a much larger fire for our second burn. We reduced heavy fuel loading off the side of the highway. This burn was near the Rio Trampas leñero project, connecting the work the squad had been doing there thinning alongside leñeros to create a stronger fuel break near local communities. https://www.trampasforestcouncil.org/
Valles Caldera Rx
Valles Caldera National Preserve
14 Acres
At only 14 acres it was a much smaller burn, but still just as important. It was our first time as a squad burning in the Caldera, a National Park Service site, joining the long history of the Guild and FSYC doing work there.
American Park Rx
Cuba NM, Cuba RD, SFNF
160 Acres
The squad assisted the Cuba Ranger District on this burn, completing the burn as heavy snow was falling, shutting down burn season for the year, at this site, right after the burn was completed.
Aztec Springs Rx
Santa Fe, New Mexico
104 Acres
This burn was close to home. For a few locals in Santa Fe, it was close to their backyards. Aztec Springs was a years long project for the Guild.
Lets take a break and focus on Aztec Springs.
A look at the Aztec Springs pile burn
This burn was a focus for the Guild and the Nature Conservancy. After many years of thinning completed by The City of Santa Fe Wildland Division, there were numerous piles in the wildland urban interface sandwiched between private lands and directly adjacent Forest Service managed lands.
The Guild led the burn from tip to tail, and the crew supported with outreach efforts beforehand, operations during the burn, and extensive patrol after the burn. Now that the burn is completed it increases safety during fire season for the neighbors and allows upcoming Forest Service broadcast burns to happen smoothly.
The AHAL crew became extremely familiar with the terrain of Aztec Springs. After ignitions countless steps were taken, quite literally, to eradicate any remaining heat.
Crew members and fellow Guild staff stoically looking upon their work
Back to the map, and some of toughest burns the squad experienced.
Rio Trampas Rx
Camino Real Ranger District, Carson National Forest
180 Acres
The crew found themselves in the Camino Real Ranger District once again. This time the crew was in closer proximity to the Rio Trampas Leñero project. This only served to strengthen the effects of the fuel break and other burns in reducing risk around the communities of Trampas and El Valle.
Hyde Park Rx
Espanola Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest
251 acres
These burns proved to be challenging for the crew and everyone involved. Every unit involved a steep, icy hike. Snowshoes were a requirement to traverse the waist deep snow.
Pacheco Canyon Rx
Espanola Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest
253 Acres
Again, the crew braved the steep snow-covered mountains above Santa Fe. Much like the Hyde Park Rx units, the slopes were steep and the snow was deep. This was the last burn of the season for the crew.
Crew leader Sam Lynch has been driving past these piles for the last few fire seasons, dreading the idea of a lighting strike or a “ne’er-do-well” with a loose match lighting them in the middle of July. Dealing with them during the dead of winter brought a sense of relief and prepares the area for upcoming broadcast burns.
Besides the Burns
Trainings, Experiences, and Growth
Besides completing burns, developing skills and abilities was one of our goals for the crew - to foster a skilled fire workforce. That ranges from chainsaw skills, to briefing the squad on the day's tactics, to building resumes, and writing skills.
Navigation
Part of wildland fire is being able to recognize where you are and communicate quickly and effectively with your fellow burners or firefighters. Being able to recognize different terrain, such as drainages, ridges, saddles, etc. on a map makes communication and traversal much easier.
The crew's extended time patrolling Aztec Springs provided the crew with ample navigational training. With Unit names like “The Steeps” learning how to make hiking easier was paramount.
Just look at these topographic lines, this is what the crew was dealing with on a regular basis
Patrol and securing the burn.
Wildland fire isn’t all about fighting fire and implementing prescribed burns. After any fire operation a significant amount of time is spent patrolling and "mopping up" the burn. After the escaped burn that led to the Calf Canyon Fire, this has become even more important. The crew used technology like infrared cameras, but most importantly hiked up and down the same difficult terrain and looked and smelled for signs that the burn was out.
Fuels Mitigation Projects
The crew has had two primary thinning units, the Rio Trampas Mayordomo units, and Apache Canyon. Both projects have had excellent opportunities to further chainsaw operation and maintenance skills.
Chainsaw operations were a large aspect of training as well as reading and understanding silvicultural prescriptions. It's not just about cutting down trees, more importantly it's about which tree to cut down and how these decisions can impact forest health and resilience.
The crew brought one of the Guild's student mentees out into the field.
Here the crew members brief her on the Apache Canyon thinning prescription.
Workforce Development
When the crew wasn’t burning, thinning, or mopping up they spent time on future development.
Crew members often seek fire and land management careers after their time with the Guild. Crew members are encouraged to seek out job opportunities through USAJOBS.com and are encouraged to go into the Federal Fire Service.
NWCG Training
The crew was able to participate in the S-219 Firing class, and S-215 Fire Operations in the Wildland Urban Interface.
These classes weren't just about tactics, and fire science. The overall focus was teamwork, communication, and the ability to convey information to your fellow firefighters.
The Crew After a Winter of Fire and Ice
The crew accumulated a wealth of experiences in these short few months. They not only burned 1116 acres, but also completed thinning at two project sites, and gained valuable skills and knowledge. We struggled, laughed, and hiked a little bit more than we liked sometimes, but most importantly we made the forests of northern New Mexico safer place to be.
These memories and experiences will last a lifetime, and so will the impact of our work.
Credit given to
Guild Staff
Sam Lynch
AHAL Crew Leader
Jose Ramirez
AHAL Crew Member
Javier Cordova
AHAL Crew Member
Carlos Saiz
Southwest Fire and Fuels Coordinator
Sam Berry
Southwest Associate Director
Eytan Krasilovsky
Deputy Director
