Canyon Young, SRD Trails and Wilderness Program Manager, sent me the following email yesterday requesting that FOSM remove several hazard trees at three sites south of I-40.

I am changing our project on Wed., May 29, from removing rocks on La Luz Trail to removing hazard trees at Coyote Trailhead, Oak Flat PA, and Pine Flat PA. If we do not remove these hazard trees now, we will not get to this project until late in June due to plans to work with the TTYL crew for three weeks in June. If the rocks are still on the trail later, we can attempt to remove them in late June or July.

On Wed, May 29, meet at the FOSM Guard Station at 8 am. Come prepared to use chain saws to remove these hazard trees.

Sam Beard, Projects Chair

Friends of the Sandia Mountains

############ Email from Canyon Young requesting that FOSM fell hazard trees at three sites south of I-40 ##############

In follow-up to this, I spoke with one of our fire engine captains to whom I delegated some hazard tree removal, and since their fire season is starting to ramp up, they’re not going to be able to get to the remaining trees. If the FOSM Wednesday crew could get them, that would be very helpful.

I’ve attached location maps for the Coyote trailhead and the Oak Flat and Pine Flat picnic areas, where there are hazard trees left to be felled and cleaned up.

*Lop and scatter the slash in the woods behind, as well as the firewood unless you’d like to harvest it for the wood ministry – not sure if it would be any good.

*For both trees, stack the slash in places that are out of the way, yet accessible to come back at a later time with the chipper to dispose of them. And, you should be able to get some good firewood for the wood ministry with these trees.

* These trees are both in locked reservation sites, so let me know when you plan to go out there so I can send someone with you to open the combination locks on the gates.

Stack the slash in an accessible, out-of-the-way spot to come back later with the chipper. Lots of good firewood on this tree.

I’ve cc’d Scott and Byron on this message in case they’d like to join the Wednesday crew sometime to get in some felling practice and general trigger time on the saw, as newer sawyers/fellers - I’ll let y’all coordinate amongst yourselves.