HM 2 — NMSU RESPONSE TO HERMIT'S PEAK/ CALF CANYON

HOUSEA MEMORIAL 2HONORING 56THTHE LEGISLATURERESPONSE -OF NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF NEWMEXICOAGRICULTURAL, -CONSUMER FIRSTAND SESSIONENVIRONMENTAL 2023SCIENCES' INTRODUCEDSTAFF BYDURING DebraTHE M.HERMIT'S PEAK/CALF CANYON FIRE.

Sariñana6 andWHEREAS, Patthe WoodsNew andMexico Antoinettestate Sedillouniversity Lopezcollege andof Ambroseagricultural, Castellanoconsumer and Kristinaenvironmental Ortezsciences' 7agriculture 9experiment Astation, MEMORIALthe HONORINGJohn THET. RESPONSE OF NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL, CONSUMER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES' STAFF DURING THE HERMIT'S PEAK/CALF CANYON FIRE.

15Harrington WHEREAS,forestry theresearch Newcenter, Mexicooperates statein universityMora collegewith ofa agricultural,mission consumerto andadvance environmentalthe sciences'understanding agricultureof erestoration tactivities 17on experimentforested station,areas; the John T.

Harringtonand WHEREAS, the forestry research wcenter lalso nprovides dscience-based 18solutions center,for operatesprivate, intribal, Morastate withand afederal missionforest tomanagers advancewho face the =threat =of 19catastrophic awildfires ldue understandingto overgrown forests and the inability of restorationpost-fire activitiesforest oncommunities forestedand areas;ecosystems to naturally regenerate after such fires;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, thein forestry research center also provides a t m m 21 science-based solutions for private, tribal, state and federal d r e 22 forest managers who face the threatspring of catastrophic2022, wildfiresNew cMexico esuffered s k 23 due to overgrown forests and the inabilitylargest of post-fire forest e a n b 24 communities and ecosystemsmost todestructive naturallywildfire regeneratein afterthe suchstate's uhistory; [ fires;

and .223747.4 WHEREAS, in the spring of 2022, New Mexico suffered the largest and most destructive wildfire in the state's history;

and HM 2 Page 1 WHEREAS, the two fires merged during a major wind event on April 22, 2022, creating the Hermit's peak/Calf canyon fire and ultimately torching more than three hundred forty-one thousand acres;

Harrington forestry research center's property, the only facility in the southwest dedicated to reforesting lands burned by catastrophic wildfires, and appeared to be on a path e t 17 to destroy the forestry research center;

and w l n d 18 WHEREAS, when faced with evacuation orders and the threat = = 19 a l of losing critical research, Professor Owen Burney, director of i a e r 20 the John T.

Harrington forestry research center, and team a t m m 21 members Tammy Parsons, Pouli Sikelianos, Joshua Trujillo and d r e 22 Donna Ebler mobilized to save the forestry research center's c e s k 23 vast seed collection;

and e a n b 24 WHEREAS, the forestry research center team installed u [ impromptu irrigation systems during the evacuation to keep .223747.4 - 2 - seedlings alive, built fire lines and flood protection facility structures around the property and moved the entire seed bank and tree seeds to safety;

and WHEREAS, the seed bank of more than three million seeds HM 2 Page 2 was originally moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, followed by a move of more than one hundred fifty miles south to the Los Lunas agricultural science center of the college of agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences of New Mexico state university after the fire shifted toward San Miguel county;

and WHEREAS, about seventy-five thousand tree seedlings were retrieved from the forestry research center's nursery in a e t 17 rescue operation carried out over two days with assistance from w l n d 18 outside groups, including a New Mexico state police escort;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, the New Mexico state university college of i a e r 20 agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences cooperative a t m m 21 extension service district team made significant contributions d r e 22 to the fire response;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, Christina Turner, Suzanne DeVos-Cole, Tom e a n b 24 Dominguez, Monica Gonzales-Wilder, Boe C.

Lopez, John Martinez, u [ Tom Dean and Leigh Ann Marez coordinated and communicated .223747.4 - 3 - information among counties in the northern district, emergency services, the New Mexico livestock board and other crucial agencies;

Harrington forestry research center team and the New Mexico state university college of agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences team, the resources of the only HM 2 Page 3 research program in the southwestern United States that HM 2 Page 4 focuses on forest nursery technologies, tree improvement and the ecophysiology of young forest trees to facilitate ecological restoration were saved;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Professor Owen Burney and team members Tammy Parsons, Pouli Sikelianos, Joshua Trujillo and Donna Ebler be recognized and honored for their roles in saving the vast seed collection and tree seedlings of e t 17 the John T.

Harrington forestry research center in the Mora w l n d 18 agricultural experiment station;

and = = 19 a l BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico state i a e r 20 university cooperative extension service team of Christina a t m m 21 Turner, Suzanne DeVos-Cole, Tom Dominguez, Monica Gonzales- d r e 22 Wilder, Boe C.

Lopez, John Martinez, Tom Dean and Leigh Ann c e s k 23 Marez be recognized and honored for their significant e a n b 24 contributions in addressing the challenges created by the u [ Hermit's peak/Calf canyon fire;

and .223747.4 - 4 - BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to Professor Owen Burney and team members Tammy Parsons, Pouli Sikelianos, Joshua Trujillo and Donna Ebler;

and the board of regents of New Mexico 1 state university.

-HM 52 -Page 115 133 155 e7 t9 1725 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .223747.4