Project continues this fall and winter to reduce wildfire threat in high risk areas near Silver City, New Mexico

SILVER CITY, NM, Sept 20, 2023 – The Gila National Forest, Silver City Ranger District plans to resume thinning with heavy machinery and chainsaws in the Little Walnut area this fall and winter. The work continues the Joint Chiefs’ Bear Creek to Signal Peak Collaborative Restoration project, a joint U.S. Department of Agriculture effort between the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Forest Service. The New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, Forestry Division, Socorro District, is a key partner, assisting with project assessment and subcontracting with local forestry contractors to complete the work.

“This project will help break up the horizontal and vertical continuity of fuels, increasing the space between trees that remain by removing mostly smaller trees and shrubs,” said Silver City District Ranger Elizabeth Toney. “The thinning will reduce the opportunity for wildfire to climb from the ground into crowns of trees or pass from one tree to the next. These treatments increase firefighters’ ability to safely engage fire and allow residents greater time to evacuate in the event of wildfire emergency.”

The project includes two units for mastication by heavy machinery in Unit 6 (179 acres) and Unit 4 (41 acres) this fall. This use of heavy machinery adjacent to the Gomez Peak trailhead may result in short-term closures of the Continental Divide Trail north of Little Walnut Road. Hand thinning with chainsaws will occur in the spring on Unit 1 (22 acres) adjacent to Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery and Unit 7 (27 acres) which includes trails in the Gomez Peak recreation area. Additional units have been offered as contracts for bid in the Feeley Subdivision, Little Walnut Area and Wagon Wheel Subdivision, where work may begin as early as this winter. These priority areas were identified in the 2020 Grant County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Grant County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Long Range Resources Plan, and New Mexico Forestry Division’s Forestry Action Plan (2020).

The project area includes segments of trails near the Gomez Peak trailhead and parking area. Signs will be posted during project implementation. For everyone’s safety, visitors should watch and listen for sawyers and heavy equipment, allowing plenty of room to work, as crews’ ability to see and hear is limited by vegetation and equipment operations.  Road and trail guards will be used as necessary for public safety. For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov .