The Ute Park Valley is a small community in Colfax County, New Mexico, located along U.S. Highway 64, about halfway between Cimarron and Eagle Nest, at an elevation of 7400 ft. The area is a fairly level meadow around the confluence of Ute Creek and the Cimarron River, surrounded by steeper forests in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The Ute Park Valley Firewise Association was formed in February, 2006, with support from the Ute Park Property Owners Association, in order to improve the likelihood that our community would survive a wildland fire. In June, 2006, we became officially recognized as a Firewise Community. As part of the Colfax County Coalition of Firewise Communities, we have been working in collaboration with several other communities to improve our fire safety. (See the firewise.org website for information about the Firewise recognition program.)
We have a joint Firewise Board for the Colfax County Coalition of Firewise Communities. The board members are: Joe Stehling and Scott Jones from Hidden Lake; Robert Brown from Elk Ridge; Jody Gray, Alan Huerta, Pam Pearson, and Nigel Pallister from Ute Park; Linda Ford and Diana Johnson from Taos Pines; Dave Skogberg and Diana Novacek from Santa Fe Trail Ranch Estates; Scott Chase from Vermejo Park Ranch; Bruce Kelly from Shields Survey; Larry Layden from Black Lake; Glenn Fortlage from Val Verde; Frank Ray from Idlewild; Ute Park Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jim Rockenfield; Colfax County Urban Forester Roger Terry; Cimarron Watershed Alliance President Frank Atmore; Cimarron District Forester Ernie Lopez of the New Mexico State Forestry Division; Fire Information Officer Dorotea Martinez of Carson National Forest; Nicolas Lezama of State Farm Insurance; Rachael Mondragon of Urban Interface Solutions in Taos; and Kit Carson Electric Cooperative CEO Luis Reyes. Joe Stehling is board president and Jody Gray is board secretary.
The purpose of this website is to communicate with members of our community and surrounding communities regarding our (successful!) efforts to become and remain a Firewise Community.
We will be having two Chipper Days again this summer in Ute Park, on July 21, 2007 and August 25, 2007. Since many of you might not be here on any given day, we will work with you to get your slash chipped. Start trimming and thinning right away, and pile your slash (branches and small trees up to 14” diameter) next to one of the roads in Ute Park. If you won’t be here on the next Chipper Day, call a Firewise board member from Ute Park to arrange for a volunteer to pick up your slash. If you’ll be here, bring your slash to the Fire Station area on Chipper Day or a few days before.
As before, trim any large side branches from your logs, and cut them into about 8 ft. or shorter lengths. Fairly fresh, clean slash is best (dirt can clog the chipper) and the chipper CANNOT handle willows.
Ute Park Valley, Hidden Lake, and Elk Ridge were officially awarded Firewise Communities/USA status by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group in a ceremony June 6, 2006 in Raton. The Colfax County Firewise Coalition was awarded a plaque in recognition of our efforts. This is the first such coalition in the country to be officially recognized. Colfax County Commissioners Charles Gonzales, James Marchetti, and Bill Conley were present to accept the coalition award. Santa Fe Trail Ranch Estates and Vermejo Park Ranch were officially recognized as Firewise Communities by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group in a ceremony October 25, 2006 in Raton, adding two more Firewise Communities to our Firewise Coalition.
Our first Chipper Day was held April 15, 2006 at the Ute Park Fire Station. Numerous pickup and trailer loads of slash were delivered for chipping, and over 12 pickup loads of wood chips were hauled away by local residents. Be sure to read the announcement under Upcoming Events of our next chipper day, to be held June 22.
On April 7, 2006, Karen Lightfoot, the regional representative of Firewise Communities/USA, met with community members in Ute Park to answer questions about Firewise practices and to help plan our next steps towards becoming a Firewise Community. Representatives of the communities of Ute Park Valley, Hidden Lake, and Elk Ridge gave a presentation about our progress toward Firewise recognition and submitted documentation on our activities to Ms. Lightfoot.
Our first Firewise Education Day was held March 25, 2006 at the Ute Park Fire Station. Twenty-seven participants heard Colfax County Fire Marshal Larry Osborn speak about wildfire dangers, firewise practices, and defensible space, followed by discussion and a pot luck lunch. For a community of about 70 full-time residents, this was an outstanding turnout, and a great start to our firewise efforts.
Several community residents have been actively thinning and trimming trees and brush on their properties. During the summer peak fire season of 2006, most of the numerous fires that were ignited in our area were controlled quickly and kept small. A grass fire near Miami, NM burned 26,500 acres, but the fires in timbered areas were smaller.
The New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department has compiled an excellent brochure on Firewise Practices entitled "Living With Fire". These are available from Jody Gray (376-3098) or at the Ute Park State Forestry Office, and we try to keep a few copies available at the Ute Park Post Office. The Forestry Office also has a number of other useful brochures and handouts about fire safety and forest health. If you have any questions about where to thin or trim or how to create defensible space, there are experts at the State Forestry Department and the Fire Marshal’s Office who will be glad to advise you.
Firewise Board Meeting
Thursday, July 26, 2007
10:00 am
State Forestry Division Office in Ute Park
Ute Park Chipper Days
Saturday, July 21, 2007 AND Saturday, August 25, 2007
9 am until done, with Hot Dog Lunch at noon
Ute Park Fire Station
Info: 376-3098
Bring your slash (branches and small trees up to 12" diameter) for chipping. You may bring your slash on Chipper Day, or you may pile slash in the designated area near the large roll-off bins beginning one week before, or both. Please trim your logs so they are ready to feed into the chipper, and cut them into about 8 ft. or shorter lengths.
Please sign up to help with the chipping work, transporting slash to the chipper, or the cooking by phoning Jody Gray at 376-3098. Be sure to wear sturdy close-fitting outdoor clothing, work gloves, boots, safety goggles, and ear protection if you plan to help. If you want chips for road surfacing, erosion control, or mulching, bring your pickup truck or lined trailer on Chipper Day. If you like, bring some pot-luck food for lunch; we'll have some weiners and buns and some salad offerings to start the picnic, but additional food will be appreciated. Or if you're just in the mood for a free lunch, come on down!
If you need help getting your slash to the chipper, give Jody Gray a call. If you can stack your slash in a neat pile at the edge of your property near a road at least a few days ahead of time, she may be able to find volunteers with pickups or trailers to haul it to the chipper. If you can help with transporting slash, please call.
Colfax County Fire Administration
New Mexico State Forestry Division
Southwestern Region Fire and Aviation
Copyright © 2006-2007 Ute Park Property Owners Association, Inc.