20
Communities Cost-share Program
The
20 Communities Cost-share Program allows landowners to create
defensible space around homes and thin private property
at a reduced cost. The state covers 70% of the cost while
the homeowner is responsible for 30%, which is paid in cash
or through in-kind work or donation. Silver City received
$164,000 during the 2001 round of grants. 55 properties
totaling 100 acres were thinned at a cost of $144,000. Interest
from local residents remained high and Silver City was funded
for $276,000 for the 2002 round of the 20 Communities Cost-share
Program.
USFS
projects in the Silver City (SC) District
SC District
has two prioritized areas for treatment. Little Walnut,
a 300 acre site adjacent to homes and BLM land, has been
thinned and was in the process of being burned 2002. Pinos
Altos (PA) is a 4,000 acre area north of Silver City adjacent
to BLM lands. 50 acres of USFS property adjacent to BLM
lands were treated in 2002. The USFS has funding for thinning
25 acres to connect with BLM work on the PA project in 2003.
Additional funding for hazardous fuels treatment projects
has been difficult to find and is the main impediment towards
more progress.
The
Mill Site is another USFS thinning project. This site is
1,400 acres treated to a specific restoration prescription.
Developed in conjunction with environmentalist in the region,
the Mill Site Project began thinning in 2003. USFS Silver
City District works with the Center
for Biological Diversity, Gila WoodNet, Silver
City Grant County Economic Development Corporation,
the Village of Santa Clara and The
Nature Conservancy in developing and implementing forest
restoration prescriptions. To date, 15 acres have been treated.
The Mill Site Project allows greater "buy in"
from environmental groups and builds trust between the various
agencies and organizations involved. Funding for this project
is in the form of a $356,000 Collaborative Forest Restoration
Program Grant.
BLM Project
The
Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), Las Cruces Field Office is
thinning a 700-800 acre site in Pinos Altos to create a
fuel break. The BLM had to adapt it prescription once it
started. The initial prescription was to cut 8" ponderosa
pine. However, the prescription left too many trees and
they are now cutting 10" and below. This area cost
about $435-450/acre to treat and the BLM has hired three
contractors for the work. The contractors chip when they
can not burn and the contractor can take the bigger wood.
BLM had a $400,000 budget for the Pinos Altos project and
have requested another $350,000 for contracting additional
acreage.
In December
2001, the BLM Las Cruces Field Office was presented the
National Wildland-Urban Interface award, including a monetary
award of $10,000, for their collaboration with the USFS
on the Pinos Altos project.
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