The national database of state and local wildfire hazard mitigation programs
serves as a clearinghouse of information about nonfederal policies and
programs that seek to reduce the risk of loss of life and property through
the reduction of hazardous fuels on private lands. If
you would like to submit a program to the national wildfire programs database,
please complete the following form (MS
Word).
Return to your search results or Perform a new search
|
Title: |
Ruidoso, NM - Cost-Share Assistance and Fuels Management Ordinances
|
|
Type: |
Regulatory
Homeowner assistance
Fuelbreaks
|
|
Jurisdiction: |
City/town
|
|
State: |
New Mexico
|
|
Program Description: |
The Village of Ruidoso was deemed the highest risk for wildfire of all the 20 communities at risk in New Mexico. Ruidoso has taken an aggressive approach to reducing its wildfire risk. Its website, Ruidoso Wildfire, explains the development of their model program of fuels reduction. Some of the actions taken include the adoption of ordinances to reduce fuels around existing homes and businesses, adoption of the International Fire Code Institute's model Urban Wildland Interface Code for new construction, offering cost-share reimbursement to landowners for creating defensible space and thinning, and curbside pick-up and recycling of all slash debris. These actions work together to form a comprehensive program for fuels reduction on private land, and are the result of several years of public education about wildfire risk.
Ruidoso Wildland Urban Interface Project
The Ruidoso WUI Project is a Cost-Share Fuels Reduction Program funded by the National Fire Plan. The Project is a flow-through grant program, administered by the State of New Mexico, which reimburses landowners up to 70% of the cost of clearing hazardous fuels on their land. Ruidoso and Lincoln County were jointly awarded over $1,000,000.00 in grant money in 2002. The project will thin 700+ acres of heavily forested private lands within identified priority areas. Treatments include defensible space creation around structures via tree removal, thinning, pruning, and litter removal around structures as per NFPA and Firewise standards. Forest areas adjacent to communities and homes will also be thinned and slash removed.
Fuels Management Ordinance
In June of 2002 Ruidoso passed several ordinances designed to increase the responsibility of landowners to reduce hazardous fuels on their properties. The Fuels Management Ordinance, Article III, Chapter 42, Section 70 of the Municipal Code, requires anyone in control of any property within the jurisdictional limits of Ruidoso to abate any flammable vegetation which might damage a neighboring property. Lands prioritized for abatement are:
- Lands within the urban wildland interface zone.
- Property bordering lands of the federal government, including Indian land.
- Developed properties having over 75 on the Hazard Rating.
- Undeveloped properties having over 60 on the Hazard Rating.
- All other property.
Fuels Management Standards
The Fuels Management Standards are set out in Chapter 42 Section 8. These standards are designed to keep a wildfire on the ground, and prevent it from becoming a crown fire. The standards concern the land area in concentric rings around the structure. For each ring the standards set out requirements, recommendations and comments.
Zone 1, extending from 0-10 feet from the structure, and Zone 2, from 10-30 feet from the structure, are the defensible space area. Requirements are most stringent for these two zones. Zone 3, extending from 30-60 feet from the structure, is the forest woodland area which allows for a somewhat higher tree density. Further out is the property perimeter buffer, which runs from 60 feet out to the property line on lots less than 2.5 acres; or is a 120 foot wide zone within the perimeter on lots greater than 2.5 acres. The standards set out a maximum density of vegetation in each area by tree species. For example, in the forest woodland area, ponderosa pine must be thinned to 60 sq. ft basal area per acre, and pinon/juniper must be thinned to 20 sq. ft. per acre.
Fuel Hazards Ratings Form
The Fuels Hazards Ratings Form is set out in Chapter 42, Section 81 of the Municipal Code. The assessment form evaluates existing or undeveloped property looking at such factors as: ingress/egress from a subdivision, road widths, accessibility, average lot size, street signs, fire protection, water supply, and construction materials. Vegetation density, existence of defensible space, flammability of vegetation type surrounding the home, and topography are all considered. The staff Urban Forester conducts the assessment assigning points for hazards. For a developed property, a score of 40-59 indicates moderate risk, 60-74 indicates high risk, and over 75 points indicates an extreme risk property. For undeveloped land a score over 60 is extreme risk.
Urban-Wildland Interface Code
The Urban-Wildland Interface Code was adopted as part of the Land Use Code for village of Ruidoso. Section 54-151 of the Land Use Code states that "for the purpose of prescribing regulations mitigating the hazard to life and property from intrusion of fire from wildland fire exposures, fire exposures from adjacent structures and prevention of structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels, that certain code known as the Urban-Wildland Interface Code (U/WIC) published by the International Fire Code Institute, being particularly the 2000 edition thereof and the whole thereof, including all amendments thereto and all future editions thereof, save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified or amended by this section." The code is enforced by the planning director or his designee.
Amendments to the Urban-Wildland Interface Code
The Urban-Wildland Interface Code is adopted in its entirety with only small amendments. Sections 504.3 and 505.3 are amended to read: "Combustible eaves, fascias and soffits shall be enclosed. Any exposed material must be a minimum of one-hour-rated fire-resistive material." Appendix I-C is replaced with a new Fire Hazards Rating Form (adopted as Sec. 42-81 of the Municipal Code for Fire Prevention and Protection). Appendix I-B is repealed and in its place are the Fuels Management Standards of the Village of Ruidoso, found in Section 42-80 of the Municipal Code. The Fuels Management Standards and the Urban-Wildland Interface Code work together to form a coherent network of regulations to protect the community from hazardous fuels build-up.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Rick DeIaco, Village of Ruidoso Urban Forester, at 505-258-4343, or by email at [email protected].
|
|
