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Established in 2018, the JBVLG Advisory Group serves as a vital conduit between the rural community and outside institutions and entities, particularly focusing on initiatives impacting the Juan Bautista Valdez (JBVLG) Land Grant and the surrounding rural community. This collaborative working group, functioning as an academic-research discipline-specialized think tank, assists in project planning, collects public input, and ensures community feedback is considered in decision-making processes both internally and externally. One notable project, for example, is a proposed project by the USDA Forest Service, titled the "Encino Vista Landscape Restoration Project", that aims to burn a large amount of landscape in close proximity to the Juan Bautista Valdez land grant. This project by the USDA Forest Service includes a large, proposed burn (project estimated to encompass ~100,000+acres) around the community's exterior boundaries. The advisory group, in response to the project's pre-scoping phase in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, meticulously gathered and analyzed public input from both the land grant and surrounding community, in response to 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.

During the comment period in 2024 for the preliminary Environmental Assessment, the advisory group collected information for an additional comment submitted. This comment focused on the environmental justice related to rural communities and petitions to be included in phases of the NEPA process related to project planning as required by relevant EO's.

The role of the advisory group members is to provide feedback regarding projects and issues of concern.  We do not require that members be registered land grant members to serve or to provide us feedback. The group has recently grown to 30 local community members, and we are in the process of establishing a core working group team consisting of 5 of those members that are discipline specialized that can provide technical expertise (reviewing documents, analyzing and synthesizing information, and producing reports).

We thank partner organizations including Forest Advocate, the Public Journal, Wild Watershed, and the Santa Fe Forest Coalition who have assisted us with resource and personnel support.  As you may be aware, for year 2024, we have served strictly as a volunteer group and appreciate any support provided.

Please let us know how we can make sure the community's voice is heard.

Regards,

JBVLG ADVISORY GROUP, 

(a working group of the Juan Bautista Valdez Land Grant)