Fire Plan Will Protect Bosque

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District’s gift to the bosque this season is a workable plan to help agencies better respond to fires that can strike at any time.

There is some federal fire prevention money to be applied for, but it’s highly competitive because so many other areas of the country are applying too, according to Yasmeen Najmi, an MRGCD planner. “You can apply for money without (a plan),” she said, “but you’re going to be way down on the list.”

Taking measures in-house that don’t require waiting for federal dollars is a better way to address the bosque’s fire threats. The conservancy’s plan requires a joint effort by fire agencies, local governments and community and environmental groups. The Community Wildfire Protection Plan puts those measures on paper and finalizes months of work by the conservancy and others.

The entities are working on finishing the plan this week. After it is drafted, all four county managers and fire marshals, as well as state Forestry Division district managers will sign it so work can proceed.

The report recommends several actions for the district and local agencies to take to reduce the risk of wildfires, including removing non-native vegetation, increasing public education campaigns, thinning overgrown bosque areas, removing jetty jacks, clearing out areas near bridges and roads, improving communication between fire departments and aggressively pursuing funding for wildfire prevention projects.

One of the plan’s main goals is to prioritize hazardous areas of the bosque, which has become more fireprone. More people live near the bosque and that increases fire dangers. The bosque also has become one of the most used areas in the city for recreation — walkers, joggers and cyclists use it. The plan will speak directly to these people as well so they know what is expected of them when it comes to fire prevention.

Anyone can view the plan at the MRGCD’s home page at http:// www.mrgcd.com.

The plan closely resembles some of the work being done by the city and county in areas of the bosque that fall in their jurisdictions — cleaning and thinning vegetation that can go up in flames easily. The conservancy district stretches 150 miles from Cochiti Dam to the northern border of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. It encompasses land in Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia and Socorro counties. It is funded by property taxes and water charges and is responsible for providing agricultural irrigation water and flood reduction.

It won’t be easy to execute all aspects of the plan, but everyone involved should be part of that action before the fire dangers increase — and that’s only months away.

This is a workable plan that will not only involve the cooperation of local, state and federal agencies, but also the people who live near the bosque and those who simply want to preserve it.

(c) 2007 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.