Sandoval County commissioners Wednesday approved a plan intended to lessen the area’s wildfire risk.
The community wildfire protection plan is built on a strategy of denying a wildfire the fuel it needs to spread.
Fuel management is considered particularly vital along roadways, around critical infrastructure and in communities with extensive wildland-urban interface (where housing developments are near or adjacent to continuous vegetation or scattered throughout a wildland area).
Part of planners’ task was to identify areas that present wildfire risk and develop strategies for mitigating that risk. County Emergency Manager Dan Heerding told commissioners that staff and SWCA Environmental Consultants hosted community meetings in Bernalillo, Cuba, La Cueva and Corrales.
He said the plan calls for the execution of thinning projects in high-risk areas, mostly by having individuals cut down trees with chainsaws and haul the wood out.
“Our forests are overgrown,” Heerding said. “They’re becoming unhealthy. We need to thin them out to allow those forests to regenerate.”
Heerding said the plan clears the way for community groups to apply for grants to do thinning projects on private property.
Controlled burns are not recommended, he said, citing the high potential for danger.
Another strategy is educating the public on the importance of creating defensible space or not hoarding flammable debris, which contributes to heightened risk.
“Public education can be enhanced through initiatives such as increasing awareness of fire department response needs, conducting workshops on Firewise landscaping, organizing community cleanups, publicizing government funding for private land treatments, targeting outreach to seasonal visitors, supporting vulnerable populations, and fostering improved communication between homeowners and land management agencies,” the plan states.
Commissioners also approved a zoning change requested by the New Mexico State Land Office and Sandoval County Economic Development. The designation of 529 acres of unplatted land in Rio Rancho Estates for industrial use makes it more marketable, County Manager Wayne Johnson said after the meeting.
Johnson said site selectors are looking for areas that already have permitted uses identified. There are already organizations considering Sandoval County locations that could find the site suitable, county officials say.
Commissioner Katherine Bruch said she was pleased by news from county election officials that the polling places for this year’s local election have been changed so that precincts are assigned to the nearest. Two more have been added to the list the commission approved last month, including the Cochiti Pueblo Community Center, which will be available on Election Day (Nov. 4) only.
Also approved was the renewal of an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Cochiti Lake for fire protection and EMS services in the northeast portion of the county. The Cochiti Fire Department is allowed to use the Pena Blanca fire station and receives the money allocated for its operation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. There’s also a mutual-aid provision under which the departments will back each other up as needed.
Vice Chair Jordan Juarez reminded those in attendance and watching online that Sunday Is Fun Day takes place this weekend, at Haynes Park in Rio Rancho.