Forest & fire · October 31, 2026
Forest Service responds to the Lobo petition
In brief: the Forest Service intends to go ahead with burning the slash piles along Gallina Canyon Road, with a target of 2027. That is a target, not a guarantee, and burning will happen only when conditions allow.
Carson National Forest Supervisor James Duran has replied to the petition sent by the neighborhood on October 6. His letter, dated October 29, thanks residents for raising their concerns, explains why the Lobo work is being done, and answers each of the four issues in the petition. Read the full letter (PDF). Here is a summary of the main points.
What the letter says
- Timing: the piles need time to dry, which may take a year or more. Burning along Gallina Canyon Road is currently planned for 2027, if the burn plan, weather, fuel moisture, staffing, safety and smoke conditions are all met.
- How it would be done: burning is generally planned after significant moisture or with snow on the ground. Lighting the piles is expected to take about five to seven working days, which may not be consecutive. Crews would patrol afterward and check for remaining heat.
- Smoke: the letter acknowledges that no prescribed burn is smoke-free and that local smoke can occur even when all requirements are met. Burning would follow New Mexico smoke-management rules and would not go ahead on days with poor conditions for clearing smoke.
- Environmental review: the Forest Service says it has not identified a change that, by itself, requires a new supplemental analysis. It says it will keep evaluating new information as the work proceeds.
Alternatives to burning
- Chipping and mastication: the letter says these can be appropriate in some settings, but that the material stays on site as fuel unless it is hauled away. It also cites possible effects from thick chip layers and machinery, and the added equipment and expense of hauling.
- Smaller local projects: some nearby projects didn’t need piles because wood down to 3 inches was removed. The letter says these areas are much smaller and easier to reach than Lobo.
- Mycelium approach: the method described in the petition wasn’t evaluated in the 2017 analysis and would need more review before it could replace the approved treatment.
What happens next
- The letter offers a meeting to discuss the planned burn, through Deputy Forest Supervisor Jack Lewis.
- It also encourages continued participation in the Taos Valley Watershed Coalition.
- Sign up for Carson National Forest ignition notices to hear about burns as they are scheduled.
Background: Lobo FAWRA petition (now closed) · Carson Forest Thinning Projects
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