JBVLG Advisory Group

The JBVLG Advisory Group was formed to help respond to proposed projects affecting the Juan Bautista Valdez land grant and surrounding rural community.  One such proposed project by the USDA Forest Service known as the Encino Vista Landscape Restoration Project aimed to burn a large amount of landscape surrounding the Juan Bautista Valdez land grant.  This project by the USDA Forest Service included a large proposed burn (project estimated to encompass ~128,400 acres) around the community's perimeter.  When responding to the initial project scoping, the community responded to the document by objectively collecting and analyzing public input from the land grant and surrounding community as a goal to be considered in the Environmental Assessment review.

Some key points we made:

• It is critical the forest is managed, but intensity burning (high or low) is not always the best method to achieve this, alternative methods that are not always cost-effective decisions can also achieve forest service set targets; 
• Proposed actions should be well thought-out and planned decisions;
• Large burns of this magnitude can increase community health risks with all the smoke that is released in the air, primarily those with heart or lung disease, heart failure, angina ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or asthma;
• In addition, with all of the existing dead and down fuel load, there are implications if there is potential of uncontrolled wildfire;  
• Massive burning at the top of the mesas will largely increase flooding in the lower tributaries. The importance of watersheds for increased water supply is a necessity, but how it is monitored and controlled during flood event episodes is key; 
• Simulation models for projects can help achieve goals for proposed actions while still considering the implication of decisions and effects on small communities.