in southeastern New Mexico, the village of Ruidoso
is a picturesque
mountain community surrounded by Lincoln National Forest.
The area has a permanent population of about 9,500 which
increases to three times that amount during the summer months.
Texas provides the main influx of people who travel to the
cool forested mountains of Ruidoso each summer. Small vacation
cottages, rustic homes and grandiose starter castles pepper
the steep, winding and heavily wooded canyons that place
the community at risk of wildfire. According to the 2000
census, over 43% of the homes in Ruidoso are seasonally
occupied. The average household income is $35,626 and the
average home value is $106,544. At an elevation of 6,900
feet Ruidoso is located in ponderosa pine forests with an
understory of pinon-juniper, gambel and shrub oak.
urban interface fires
2000 Ruidoso has experienced a variety of interface fires.
In March 2002, the Kokopelli fire burned almost 1000 acres
and overran a subdivision destroying 29 structures.
During June 2001, the Trap and Skeet fire burned 463 acres
on Ruidoso's west side and in May 2000 the Cree fire burned
6,500 acres, destroyed 3 homes and forced hundreds of residents
on Ruidoso's east side to evacuate their homes. In 2001,
Ruidoso was ranked the second most vulnerable
community at risk for wildfire in the nation by the U.S.
Forest Service (USFS). New Mexico State Forestry (NMSF)
named Ruidoso as number one on the state's list of communities
most at risk of catastrophic wildfire. According to the
USFS, Ruidoso will always be at risk because of the density
of the forest and the inter-mixed nature of the community.
New Mexico State Forestry's Twenty Communities Strategy
called for stakeholders in each community to come together
to address the wildfire threat. In 2000 Capitan District
Forester, Barbara Luna, brought local agencies together
and stressed the need for a collaborative effort in Ruidoso.
As a result the Ruidoso Wildland Urban Interface Group (RWUIG)
was formed. RWUIG is the main coordinating entity to address
the wildfire threat facing Ruidoso. Composed of members
from federal, state and local agencies from the public and
private sectors, RWUIG prioritizes areas for treatment and
coordinates the efforts of various organizations to achieve
these prioritized objectives. RWUIG also serves as a forum
to share perspectives and provides a regular point of contact
among diverse members who otherwise might interact only
on an ad hoc or one-on-one basis. The group is coordinated
by Ruidoso's Urban Forester, Rick DeIaco.
Fire Plan (NFP) Community Assistance Programs
New Mexico, NFP Community Assistance Programs incentivize
communities to address their wildfire threat through five
grant programs; 1) 20 Communities Cost-Share Program, supports
thinning on private land, 2) Economic
Action Programs, develops economic opportunities related
to traditionally underutilized wood products 3) Volunteer/Rural
Fire Assistance, improves firefighting capabilities
of rural fire departments 4) Four
Corners Sustainable Forest Partnerships, promotes community
development through forest restoration and 5) Collaborative
Forest Restoration Program, supports projects to restore
forests on public lands.
aggressively seeks monies under these programs. In 2001,
Ruidoso was funded $1,331,975 through NFP Community Assistance
Programs. In 2002, Ruidoso was allocated $942,699 in these
does Ruidoso have such a high wildfire risk?
will always be at risk (of wildfire) because of the density
of the forest and the intermixed nature of the community."
Hawkes, USFS, Smokey Bear District Ranger
in southeastern New Mexico's ponderosa pine forests means
living with the threat of catastrophic wildfire. Historically,
the ponderosa pine forest burned every three to seven
years with a low intensity fire that cleared the forest
floor of small trees and shrubs. Fuels were reduced which
kept the risk low for catastrophic wildfire. Decades of
aggressive fire fighting policies reduced or prevented
these low intensity fires and the overcrowded forests
of today are the result. Heavily wooded forests coupled
with a decade of drier weather patterns have left the
ponderosa pine stressed and vulnerable to disease and
insects. Infestations of pine beetles and dwarf mistletoe
contribute further to the declining forest health. As
the forest health has worsened, the threat of catastrophic
wildfire has increased.
mistletoe (top) and pine beetle damage (bottom) in Ruidoso's
wildland urban interface.