Brazos Residents Input Needed

Every five years the County is charged with updating a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). This document is crucial to the preservation of the quality of life here in the Chama Valley. The planning process seeks input county-wide. However, due to high wildfire risk in the Brazos, comments from residents of the Canyon are extremely important. Once input is received the CWPP is revised to include this year’s comments. Priorities are rearranged based on our input. Federal and state funding is then targeted to solve identified problems and protect the beauty and natural assets of the Canyon.

This year the New Mexico Forest Guild is assisting the County in developing the comprehensive plan. For decades Brazos residents have been voicing their concerns over drought and its effect on the probability of wildfire. Their concerns have been met with limited success. The Brazos wildfire threat status is now at the “Severe” threat level. Recognizing that more stakeholders (i.e. the citizens of the Chama Valley) need to join forces with the residents of the Brazos, the Forest Guild is specifically asking for more input from as many people as possible to strengthen the case for protecting and preserving the Brazos Canyon. The survey gives citizens the opportunity to express their views in general, but specific comments are being solicited in the following areas: (1) Understanding fire risk; (2) Clarity of communications; (3) Power lines right-of-way clearance or lack there-of; (3) Ease of evacuation; and (4) Protection of cultural assets.

We have been down this road before and with limited results. Today, the environment has changed. Hermit’s Peak and Paradise, California have made headlines. Let’s try to marshal as many of our neighbors as possible to respond to this survey so our priorities are heard.

To make citizen input easier the Forest Guild has established an on-line survey. All answers are received anonymously. In addition to the on-line survey public meetings will be held in the month of February. The survey can be found at: http://foreststewardsguild.org/rio-arriba-county/cwpp. Public meeting information will also be available at this site. Please let your neighbors know how crucial this planning document is for future funding for our priorities.

Jane Wood

Brazos Firewise Team 

www.brazosfirewise.com