Fire Preparedness Measures Protect Wild Rivers Recreation Area

As severe drought conditions intensify and wildfire risk rises across northern New Mexico, Wild Rivers Recreation Area faces heightened vulnerability because of its remote location and the delayed completion of water infrastructure. When land management officials and conservation partners recognized the threat these factors posed to visitor safety and surrounding natural resources, they reached out to LOR with a solution to strengthen preparedness ahead of fire season. LOR’s funding will help Friends of Rio Grande del Norte and the Bureau of Land Management implement temporary water-hauling and storage systems, purchase fire-mitigation equipment, and acquire a mower for vegetation management in high-risk areas around roads, facilities, and campsites. These investments will improve response capacity, reduce wildfire fuel loads, and help protect visitors, infrastructure, and public lands until permanent water infrastructure is completed.