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Western Oregon University CERT Resources

CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety...

A Guide to Staying Safe During Wildfires

This all-in-one guide delivers the essential strategies and tactics to keep you safe from wildfire — no matter where you live.

Colorado State University Extension Fire Resources

The most up-to-date fire-related resources, from CSU Extension and our partnering agencies.

Driftless Prairies: Native Ecosystems-The Interaction of Fire and Grass

Understanding the biology and physiology of grass in management decisions.

Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Conservation Division

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food works with farmers and ranchers through conservation planning and assistance designed to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals that result in productive lands and healthy ecosystems.

Restoring Composition.. Part 5 of 6: Ecological Restoration over Space and Time

Key compositional and structural characteristics of frequent-fire forests vary over space and time, with important implications for ecological restoration.

Restoring Composition.. Part 6 of 6: Putting it all Together: The Bluewater Case Study

Managers with the USDA Forest Service collaborated with various partners to apply the restoration framework in a ponderosa pine forest on the Cibola National Forest, New Mexico.

Restoring Composition.. Part 4 of 6: Considerations for Implementation of the Management Framework

Implementing the restoration framework for frequent-fire forests (RMRS-GTR-310) requires a new approach to management.

Restoring Composition.. Part 2 of 6: Expected Benefits and Outcomes of Restoration

Restoring key compositional and structural characteristics of frequent-fire forests can result in a variety of ecological, social, and economic benefits.

Restoring Composition.. Part 1 of 6: The Impetus for Ecological Restoration

Ecological restoration represents a promising new way of thinking about management in frequent-fire forests of the Southwest.

Restoring Composition.. Part 3 of 6: Key Elements of Southwestern Frequent Fire Forests

Ecological restoration of frequent-fire forests is facilitated by emphasizing key compositional and structural characteristics of these forests.

New Mexico State Forestry Draft Priority Landscapes: Overview of Data and Methods Uitlized

Analysis using existing datasets from the Statewide Natural Resources Assessment & Strategy and Response Plans. Developed in 2015 with input from the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Management Coordinating Group.

New Mexico Vegetation Treatments

New Mexico Vegetation Treatments interactive map.

Restoring Composition and Structure in Southwestern Frequent-Fire Forests (RMRS GTR-310) Video Series

Ponderosa pine and dry mixed-conifer forests in the Southwest United States are experiencing, or have become increasingly susceptible to large-scale severe wildfire, insect, and disease episodes resulting in altered plant and animal demographics, reduced productivity and biodiversity, and impaired ecosystem processes and functions. Enhancing the resiliency of frequent-fire forests can be assisted by restoring key compositional and structural elements of these forests. The science-basis and management recommendations for doing so are outlined in “Restoring composition and structure in Southwestern frequent-fire forests: A science-based framework for improving ecosystem resiliency” (RMRS-GTR-310).

News and Events Inbox

 

New Mexico Forest Health Conditions 2017

Report on forest health conditions in New Mexico published by NM EMNRD Foresty Division. Based on annual insect and disease surveys conducted collaboratively by New Mexico State Forestry and the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection, NM Zone in 2017

New Mexico Unit of the Central Arizona Project EIS Newsletter

Issue No. 1, June 2018

Good Fire on the Ground in 2017: Seven Controlled Burns to Learn From

December 7, 2017 blog post from the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network. Two of the articles are about Prescribed Fire Learning Exchange burns in New Mexico.

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Weekly Digest: 10/20/17

Publication of Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center.

From Ponderosa to Prickly Pear: Exploring the Native Plants of New Mexico

An ecoregional curriculum for grades 9-12. Written by Jennie Crammer, Jody Einerson, Yvonne Hickerson, 2016. Institute for Applied Ecology

Young Scientists Measure Wildfire Threat

Audio Postcard from KUNM's Anna Lande and YCC crew leaders at the Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge. Aired July 8, 2016.

A Full Cost Accounting of the 2010 Schultz Fire

Official reports form city, county, state, and federal governments have listed response and mitigation costs of the fire and flood at nearly $60 million. This study adds to those costs, exploring the impacts on private property owners, as well as societal costs that are often overlooked when quantifying the full impact of disasters.

The (True) Cost of Fighting Wildfire

This article by the NACD forestry network about the growing costs of forest fires

The New Mexico Endangered Plant Program

Web page with reports, resources and information about rare and endangered plants in New Mexico.

Sacramento Mountains Watershed Study - The Effects of Tree Thinning on the Local Hydrologic System

New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Open-file Report 576. October 2015. By B. Talon Newton, Ethan Mamer, Peter ReVelle, Hector Garduno

The Rising Cost of Wildfire Operations

Link to home page for a 2015 US Forest Service Report

Smokey Bear's Essential Tips for Outdoors

Tips on campfire safety, debris burning, equipment maintenance and house safety, plus links to wildfire science and fire fighting.

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number

Step-by-Step Process to Register with iUpdate and Obtain a DUNS Number

SAM Registration Instructions

Quick Start Guide for New Grantee Registration

Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Fact Sheets

Grants made under this program will be made to eligible entities for use in funding various business opportunity and business enterprise projects that serve rural areas. This program consolidates the Rural Business Enterprise Grant and the Rural Business Opportunity Grant.

Forest Guild Completes First Controlled Burn on Private Land in La Cueva, New Mexico

The Forest Guild completed its first pile burn on private land in Santa Fe County.

EPA News

EPA and Partners Announce Monthly Webinar Series: Climate Information for Managing Risks in Water Resources

Galisteo Watershed Conservation Initiative

The Galisteo Watershed Conservation Initiative (GWCI) is a collaboration between Earth Works Institute (EWI) and the Santa Fe Conservation Trust (SFCT), in partnership with Earth Analytic, Inc. Supporting partners include the National Park Service (Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program), Santa Fe County (Planning Division), New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (Interstate Stream Commission), and University of New Mexico (Community and Regional Planning Program).

An Evaluation of Fire Regime Reconstruction Methods -Fact Sheet

Information about past fire regimes can be a helpful reference to guide and inform land managers about current and future fire regime characteristics, patterns, and forest structure characteristics. Management activities that benefit from understanding past fire regimes include prescribed fire, managed wildfires for resource benefit, and mechanical treatments to reduce fire risk. This working paper discusses several methods for reconstructing historical fire regimes. The potential value and limitations for reconstructing historical forest structure and composition with each method are also briefly covered

An Evaluation of Fire Regime Reconstruction Methods

Information about past fire regimes can be a helpful reference to guide and inform land managers about current and future fire regime characteristics, patterns, and forest structure characteristics. Management activities that benefit from understanding past fire regimes include prescribed fire, managed wildfires for resource benefit, and mechanical treatments to reduce fire risk. This working paper discusses several methods for reconstructing historical fire regimes. The potential value and limitations for reconstructing historical forest structure and composition with each method are also briefly covered

Malpais Borderlands Group 2015 Annual Science Conference

Description of the topics covered during the Malpai Borderlands Group 2015 science conference, held Jan. 6, 2015 in Douglas Arizona

Public Meeting for Sugarite Canyon State Park Management

A public meeting to review the draft Management Plan for Sugarite Canyon State Park is scheduled for December 2, 2014 at the Raton Convention Center in Raton, NM. The plan includes a review of existing park resources and proposes improvements for the next five years.

Learning to Coexist with Wildfire

The impacts of escalating wildfire in many regions — the lives and homes lost, the expense of suppression and the damage to ecosystem services — necessitate a more sustainable coexistence with wildfire. Climate change and continued development on fire-prone landscapes will only compound current problems. Emerging strategies for managing ecosystems and mitigating risks to human communities provide some hope, although greater recognition of their inherent variation and links is crucial. Without a more integrated framework, fire will never operate as a natural ecosystem process, and the impact on society will continue to grow. A more coordinated approach to risk management and land-use planning in these coupled systems is needed.

Forestry Resource Coordinating Committee (FRCC) 2014 report

This report includes a set of recommendations to improve the private forest land in America

Potential Postwildfire Debris-Flow Hazards - A Prewidlfire Evaluation for the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and Surrounding Areas, Central New Mexico

USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5161. Tillery, A.C., Haas, J.R., Miller, L.W., Scott, J.H., and Thompson, M.P., 2014. Prepared in cooperation with the Bernalillo County Natural Resources Services.

Tamarisk Coalition 2015 Conference

Despite our name, Tamarisk Coalition’s 12th Annual Conference is not just about tamarisk… Come learn about the latest advancements; from riparian restoration case studies, success stories, regional riparian management initiatives and challenges of funding, planning, and implementing riparian restoration, to exploring novel tools, techniques, and research. Through concurrent sessions, panels, Q&A, and field trips, you will learn new information about wildlife and habitat, biological control, biomass removal/use, native plants, streambank bioengineering, and more.

Wetland Workshop- Quivira Conference

This full-day workshop is anchored by restoration specialist, Bill Zeedyk who owns and operates a small consulting business specializing in the restoration of wetland and riparian habitats. Bill is familiar to Quivira audiences as the innovator of successful riparian restoration methods based on his philosophy of “thinking like a creek” and using low-tech, hands-on methods and native materials. He will share his latest ideas and new restoration strategies for adapting to hotter and drier conditions developing across the Southwest.

EMNRD Watershed Restoration Projects

Map depicting locations for 14 watershed projects funded through a $6.2 million appropriation by the 2014 NM State Legislature

Disappearing Rio Grande Blog

For more than 3,000 years the Rio Grande has been the lifeblood of the valleys and civilizations it flowed through. It recharged fields and forests and provided safe passage through an inhospitable desert. Now, cities and farms are sucking it dry and a warming climate is making it evaporate faster. What is left is hidden behind a border fence and fought over by the states and countries that agreed to share it. The river’s future has never been more uncertain. To understand the effects and evaluate possible solutions, reporter Colin McDonald and photojournalist Erich Schlegel are traveling the length of the Rio Grande. Along the way, they will interview and spend time with those who depend on and control the river, take photos and videos and catalog the chemistry and biology of the river from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Their work will be uploaded from the banks of the river via satellite and shared here as they spend seven months on this 1,900-mile journey.

Webinar- A Geomorphic Perspective on Restoring the Rio Grande. September, 24

Please join us for a webinar hosted by the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative!

Forests and Watersheds: A Newsletter for Decision-Makers

Issue No. 1, July 2014. Published by the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute.

Webcast: Green Infrastructure and Smart Growth - September 3, 2014, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT (Webcast, from Sep 03, 2014 03:00 PM to Sep 03, 2014 04:30 PM)

U.S. EPA’s Green Infrastructure Program and Office of Sustainable Communities are teaming up to present a webcast on green infrastructure and smart growth. This presentation will highlight communities who are successfully leveraging green infrastructure as part of wider planning and community development initiatives. Practitioners will provide insights into a wide variety of tools for encouraging land use strategies for clean water, including complete green streets, minimized parking requirements, local code review and stormwater banking.

New Mexico Invasive Plants Grant- Legal Notice

This is a legal notice for the funding opportunity offered by the New Mexico Invasive Plant Program.

New Mexico Invasive Plants Grant- Weed list

This is a list of the New Mexico Invasive Plants for the grant oppurtunities.

New Mexico Invasive Plants Grants RFA form

This RFA includes information about the funding opportunities for the New Mexico Invasive Plants Grants

Playa Post- May 2014

The Playa Post Newsletter is made as an effort to promote the idea that birds are an integral part of our environment and are essential for the health and beauty of the world. We envision a future when the ecosystems within our region sustain birds and other wildlife in concert with humans and our activities. This issue is from May 2014

Playa Post- June 2014

The Playa Post Newsletter is made as an effort to promote the idea that birds are an integral part of our environment and are essential for the health and beauty of the world. We envision a future when the ecosystems within our region sustain birds and other wildlife in concert with humans and our activities. This issue is from June 2014

Playa post- July 2014

The Playa Post Newsletter is made as an effort to promote the idea that birds are an integral part of our environment and are essential for the health and beauty of the world. We envision a future when the ecosystems within our region sustain birds and other wildlife in concert with humans and our activities. This issue is from July 2014

New Post-Wildfire Guide for Communities Now Available

As wildfires continue to impact the western United States, a new guide has been developed to help those impacted by wildfire in New Mexico start on the path to recovery. New Mexico State Forestry, along with many interagency partners, has created this guide and a companion website called “After Wildfire: A Guide for New Mexico Communities,” according to New Mexico Forest and Watershed Health Office Coordinator Susan Rich, who led the project.

2015 Western State Fire Assistance Request for Appications

This is the request for applications for Western State Fire Assistance grants.

2015 Western State Fire Assistance Legal Notice

A legal notice for 2015 Western State Fire Assistance funding opportunity. This notice addresses State Forestry’s Request for Applications for planning and implementing hazardous fuels mitigation projects that will reduce fire threat in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas in New Mexico (also known as WUI grants).

Bernalillo County Commission Approves Fireworks Restrictions

At tonight’s commission meeting, the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners approved a ban on certain fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Water Town Hall Final Report

New Mexicans want a balanced water policy that plans for future shortages, expands water storage and reuse, addresses legal issues and protects environmental resources. They want to explore new water sources, including potential of cleaning up brackish water in our aquifers. They also want to improve the ways the state finances water projects.

Counting Each Drop: Corporate Concern Mounts About Water Supplies

This New York Times article addresses how corporations are dealing with the mounting price of water. By Beth Gardiner posted on June 2, 2014

GlobalChange.gov

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was established by Presidential Initiative in 1989 and mandated by Congress in the Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990 to develop and coordinate “a comprehensive and integrated United States research program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.”

Third National Climate Assessment

Today, delivering on our legal mandate and the President’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released the Third National Climate Assessment, the most comprehensive, authoritative, transparent scientific report on U.S. climate change impacts ever generated. The report confirms that climate change is affecting every region of the country and key sectors of the U.S. economy and society, underscoring the need to combat the threats climate change presents and increase the preparedness and resilience of American communities.

Forestry Notes: May 2014

NACD publishes Forestry Notes to highlight forestry issues of importance to districts and to showcase district-related forestry projects and success stories. Forestry Notes is funded through a cooperative agreement between NACD and the U.S. Forest Service.

Annual Herbfest at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park (2901 Candelaria Rd., NW, Albuquerque, from May 10, 2014 12:00 PM to May 11, 2014 06:00 PM)

Albuquerque, NM – Rio Grande Nature Center State Park will celebrate their annual Herbfest Saturday and Sunday, May 10-11, 2014, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This fun springtime celebration will benefit educational programming at the park.

EPA Climate Change and Water News May 9, 2014

EPA Climate Change and Water News is a bi-weekly newsletter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water that covers climate change and water-related news from EPA, other federal agencies, and partners.

Reclamation Announces $1.4 Million for Applied Science Projects to Support Desert and Southern Rockies Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

Reclamation announces 12 projects will receive a total of $1.4 million to develop applied science tools in support of the Desert and Southern Rockies Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. Through cost-share agreements, this funding will be used to support $3.13 million for the development of resource management tools to assist LCC stakeholders.

Environmental Protection Assistant Job Opening - Last Day to Apply! (8/17/12)

The BLM manages more land - approximately 253 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estates throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Example of FFY 2012 WSFM Competitive Grant State Summary

Example of FFY 2012 WSFM Competitive Grant State Summary Exel Document

FFY 2012 WSFM Competitive Grant State Summary

FFY 2012 WSFM Competitive Grant State Summary Exel Document

Five Star Restoration Grants Request for Proposals

The Five Star Restoration Grant Program, an initiative from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, supports community-based wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects throughout the United States. One-year grants from $10,000 to $25,000 and two-year grants from $10,000 to $40,000 will be awarded to projects that build diverse partnerships and foster stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. Projects must include meaningful education through community outreach and/or integration with K-12 environmental curriculum. Partnerships should include at least five organizations (nonprofit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, businesses, etc.) that contribute to project success through funding, land, workforce support, technical support or other in-kind services. The application deadline is February 14. Visit the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation website to download the 2011 Request for Proposals.

Senior Groundwater Hydrologist, Hydro-Geologist or Water Resource Specialist

Senior Groundwater Hydrologist, Hydro-Geologist or Water Resource Specialist LOCATION: Seattle, Washington – Portland, Oregon – Stockton, California and Denver, Colorado POSITION SUMMARY: The Senior Groundwater Hydrologist, Hydro-Geologist, or Water Resource Specialist will manage projects, perform various technical project responsibilities, and assist with business-development activities. The position responsibilities include: data collection planning, analysis of aquifer characteristics, planning and implementation of field collection of media samples, data spatial coordinate mapping, data analysis, groundwater numerical analysis and modeling support, and evaluation of drinking water-quality concerns. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: • B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Geology, Hydro-Geology or Civil Engineering. • Eight (8+) years experience in groundwater-related water-supply projects and evaluation. • Ability to perform both overall and detailed analysis of groundwater supply issues. Additional or Preferred Qualifications: • Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) or other types of Conjunctive Use water supply projects in groundwater. • Knowledge of local clientele in government agencies and municipalities, water districts, and utilities. • Familiarity with federal contracting under GSA, ACOE, or other mechanisms. • Experience with regulatory compliance under the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, and MTCA • Understanding of field data collection procedures. • Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and programming. • Familiarity with contaminant fate and transport in groundwater. • Strong oral and written communications skills for reports and business proposals. • Project management and staff mentoring experience. Please submit your resume as an MS Word Attachment to Mike Dixon cmichaeldixon@verizon.net and follow-up by telephone 972-317-0608 C. Michael Dixon Associates, Inc. is an Executive Search Firm Specializing in the Engineering, Petrochemical and Refining Industry for 23 Years!

NM Forestry Division publishes a list of fire-resistant plants

What do the words “forest and watershed health” mean to you? Not long ago, the health of our forests and water was not a concern for most citizens. But, after several years of drought, highly visible insect and disease devastation and an overall increase in the knowledge of our natural resources, New Mexicans are concerned about our forests and watershed health. We, at New Mexico State Forestry are responsible for wildfire suppression on all non-federal, non-municipal, non-tribal and non-pueblo lands. We also provide technical advice on forest and resource management to private landowners, and may include a commercial timber harvest to enhance wildlife habitat, increase water yield, reduce the hazard of insect infestation, diseases or fire.

Montana

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program available for local sponsors to use to aid in recovery work. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to install measures that reduce post-flood and fire damage. The measures are intended to reduce threats to life or property, retard runoff, restore capacity of waterways, prevent flooding and/or soil erosion and reduce damage from sediment and debris. The removal of debris deposited by the disaster that is a health or safety hazard can be a part of such measures as well.

Arizona

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the EWP Program, which responds to emergencies created by natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods. Funding for the program is provided through emergency congressional appropriations.

New Mexico

Fire season in New Mexico has many chilling meanings. There are the immediate impacts - loss of homes, devastation of wildlife habitat, loss of vegetation, and alteration of most features we think of when we visualize our mountain lands. At the Natural Resources Conservation Service, fire season has another meaning for it can mean a time to mobilize resources to protect the land and people from the aftermath of fires through Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP).

Arizona Wildfire Recovery Tips

As more homeowners move into rural areas to get away from crowded urban areas, they can unknowingly place themselves in harm’s way. Building homes in wooded and/or brushy areas is aesthetically pleasing, but homeowners need to be aware of the potential dangers from wildfire and how to protect their homesites from wildfires. Homes that are even far away from a fire can still be impacted.

Colorado State Forest Service- Post fire rehabilitation information

The mission of the Colorado State Forest Service is to achieve stewardship of Colorado's diverse forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations.

NM Forest ReLeaf Program

New Mexico Forest Re-Leaf and New Mexico Centennial are partnering to create New Mexico Centennial Re-Leaf. In the spirit of the NM State Centennial celebration in 2012, our organizations are joining together to fund community tree planting grants that commemorate our history and build a lasting legacy for the future.

National/New Mexico Plants Database

The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.

Los Lunas (NM) Plant Materials Center

Many Southwestern riparian sites require revegetation following the removal of invasive woody species such as saltcedar and Russian olive. To establish riparian vegetation with minimal or no follow-up irrigation, to improve survival and growth rates, and to reduce long-term revegetation costs, the Los Lunas Plant Materials Center (LLPMC) has focused its efforts on developing new, deep planting techniques for use in riparian restoration in the Southwest.

Plant List

A complete list of the seedlings offered by the New Mexico State Forestry Division.

NM Forestry Division's Seedling Program

For more than 40 years the Division has offered low cost seedlings to landowners to plant for reforestation, erosion control, windbreaks, or Christmas tree plantations. Since 1960, more than four million trees have been planted throughout New Mexico that were purchased through this program.

SWCC's fire prevention information

The Southwest Coordination Center (SWCC) is the focal point for mobilization of resources between the twelve Dispatch Centers within the Southwest Area, and the National Coordination Center.

Civic Leaders

This section has been developed with you, the civic leader, in mind. Leadership is an important link in addressing wildland fire risk, and your understanding of the issues can effectively guide your community to be prepared and stay safe.

Developers

Are you in a profession that influences how, where, or what gets built and landscaped? Many of us – planners, builders, landscape architects, developers, designers, engineers and architects – can play a major role when it comes to addressing safety in fire-prone environments.

Firefighters

Does your department respond to brush, grass or forest fires? Find more information about Firewise principles and firefighter safety training and tips. Explore documents and videos related to safe evacuation practices and more.

Homeowners

Concerned about brush, grass or forest fires where you live? Use this section to learn more about Firewise principals. Find tips and tools to make your home and neighborhood safer from wildland fire.

The June 2012 Albuquerque Wildlife Federation Newsletter

The June Albuquerque Wildlife Federation Newsletter,

EPA Climate & Water e-Newsletter

The EPA Climate Change and Water E-Newsletter features news and information about EPA and other federal activities related to climate change and water. Partner activities, as well as related events and publications, are also included.

NMDA APR Header

 

Canadian River Scene [header]

Horizontal slice of scenery overlooking the Canadian River of Northern New Mexico

Grant Resource Guide Brochure

Brochure of grant progams, technical assistance and tools for communities

Grant Resource Guide For Non-Profits , Community-based Organizations, and Tribes

Grant progams, technical assistance and tools for communities

NM WRRI 58th Annual New Mexico Water Conference (Embassy Suites Albuquerque, from Nov 21, 2013 10:00 AM to Nov 22, 2013 03:00 PM)

Building on recommendations that resulted from the 2012 NM WRRI annual water conference, Hard Choices: Adapting Policy and Management to Water Scarcity, this year’s conference will take another step toward adapting to the ongoing drought, a situation many consider “the new reality.” Decades of relative water abundance in New Mexico and the region, coupled with large population growth and increased consumption, have led to a crisis point for our water supply. Each speaker at the conference, New Water Realities: Proposals for Meaningful Change, will bring to the table at least one proposal or strategy for addressing the impact of water scarcity in our state.

Urban Waters Small Grants Oppurtunity

The goal of the Urban Waters Small Grants program is to fund research, investigations, experiments, training, surveys, studies, and demonstrations that will advance the restoration of urban waters by improving water quality through activities that also support community revitalization and other local priorities. EPA expects to award approximately up to $1.6 million to support such projects, in grants of $40,000 to $60,000 each. The funding is part of EPA’s Urban Waters program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve, and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land. http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants

Job Posting: Water Conservation Planner Energy Conservation Planner

This is the link to a job position for Water Conservation Planner. Under general direction of the assigned supervisor and for the water conservation planning area, will perform duties in support of the Public Works Division. Assist in researching, developing and implementing programs and projects.

Playa and the Ogallala Aquifer

The Playa Lakes Joint Venture created a factsheet about their Aquifer plans and maps or these water sites. The Playas are used to help groundwater recharge. This water resource— responsible for 30 percent of all the groundwater used for irrigation in this country is explained in this factsheet about Playas and the Ogallala Aquifer.

Playa Post- October 2013

The Playa Post Newsletter is made as an effort to promote the idea that birds are an integral part of our environment and are essential for the health and beauty of the world. We envision a future when the ecosystems within our region sustain birds and other wildlife in concert with humans and our activities.

Restoring composition and structure in Southwestern frequent-fire forests: A science-based framework for improving ecosystem resiliency

Ponderosa pine and dry mixed-conifer forests in the Southwest United States are experiencing, or have become increasingly susceptible to, large-scale severe wildfire, insect, and disease episodes resulting in altered plant and animal demographics, reduced productivity and biodiversity, and impaired ecosystem processes and functions. We present a management framework based on a synthesis of science on forest ecology and management, reference conditions, and lessons learned during implementations of our restoration framework. Our framework informs management strategies that can improve the resiliency of frequent-fire forests and facilitate the resumption of characteristic ecosystem processes and functions by restoring the composition, structure, and spatial patterns of vegetation. We believe restoration of key compositional and structural elements on a per-site basis will restore resiliency of frequent-fire forests in the Southwest, and thereby position them to better resist, and adapt to, future disturbances and climates.

Across the Western Landscape: Priority Issues and Strategies for Western Forests

This Document elaborates issues, projects, and strategies to deal with the changing environment of Western American forest land. . The 2008 Farm Bill set into motion a landmark endeavor for all U.S. states and Pacific Islands to complete assessments of the forests within their boundaries and to develop strategies to address identified threats and opportunities. This document states some of these findings up through 2013

Managing Forests and Fire in Changing Climates

This short newsletter addresses issues in the changing environment, with new fire hazards. How to deal with regular and irregular burns in wildlife areas.