In December of 2021, a severe snow squall left thousands of acres of mature spruce-fir trees blown down in the Carson National Forest (CNF), resulting in multiple trees snapping, uprooting, and toppling over from the strong winds.
The most impacted areas include Cabresto Canyon, Middle Red River, Headwaters Rio Grande del Rancho, and Rito del la Olla drainages.
This weather event led CNF to establish the Windstorm Blowdown Project on 2,881 acres of land. After a nearly 3-year planning and strategizing effort, it was announced via press release that CNF Supervisor James Duran approved the project. According to the release, the project has three objectives:
- Reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire to nearby communities, infrastructure, watershed health and fire crew safety
- Reduce the threat of insect and disease activity in the spruce-fir habitat
- Continue hazard tree removal along roads and trails; remove trees that pose a threat to fire crew safety
This project focuses on strategic, accessible areas where high-severity wildfire could affect the wildland urban interface, infrastructure and the headwaters of critical watersheds. Some areas will not be treated, including within designated wildernesses.
The majority of the work will occur to the north, south and east of Red River. Other work is located near Pot Creek, off forest roads 439 and 442.
While the project is aimed at mitigating the fire risk and maintaining healthy forest habitats, it will also create opportunities for wood permit holders who are interested in collecting the sawed downed wood for their winter wood supply. In areas that are inaccessible to vehicles, CNF intends to implement pile burning to eliminate smaller wood piles.
The release goes on to say this project is one of the priorities of the national Wildfire Crisis Strategy.
