Juniper removal and prescribed fire help restore and maintain meadow habitat

RESERVE, NM, June 27, 2024 The Gila National Forest, Reserve Ranger District is preparing to burn slash piles on 418 acres at Rainy Mesa beginning around July 8, with the exact timing to be determined by weather and fuels conditions and resource availability. The Rainy Mesa Prescribed Fire project is located about 14 miles southeast of the Village of Reserve, New Mexico, off of Forest Road 141.

"We previously conducted a range improvement project in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, plucking 418 acres of encroaching trees. That project resulted in about 1,000 slash piles," said Acting Reserve District Ranger Bret Ruff. "Burning the slash piles will remove fuel from the landscape and allow the ingrowth of grasses and other forage for livestock and wildlife, which was the purpose of the range improvement project."

Prescribed fire is key in treating landscapes to reduce the risk of destructive wildfire to the American people and to the public lands entrusted to Forest Service care. Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on a regular basis to increase the resiliency of fire-adapted forests.

Smoke and firefighter activity will be visible to the public and may impact forest road access. If this occurs, road guards will be in place. Smoke may linger in low-lying areas at night and early in the morning. Signs will be posted in areas where prescribed fire is taking place. The Forest Service coordinates prescribed burning with New Mexico Environment Department and follows smoke management guidelines. When smoke impacts are present, New Mexico Department of Health recommends that smoke sensitive individuals should reduce physical activity and stay indoors with windows and doors closed. For those who are unable to avoid smoke exposure, use of a particulate-filtering respirator mask can help. Additional air quality information and health protection measures are posted online at NM-Tracking - Fires, Smoke and Health. Real-time mapping of smoke and other air quality impacts is available at https://fire.airnow.gov  /. For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .