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DATE: May 5, 2015 NEWS FROM: City of Farmington Farmington Fire Department www.fmtn.org PREPARATIONS FOR WILDFIRE SEASON UPDATE Maintenance crews will be operating in Animas Park beginning May 11, 2015. This effort is in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season. Crews will begin clearing invasive and non-native species of vegetation such as Russian Olives and Salt Cedar trees to mitigate the fire danger along the river corridor in Farmington. The specific area of work is directly north of Farmington Regional Animal Shelter extending to the Animas River. For your safety, please be aware of parking lot and river trail closures. The Farmington Fire Department, along with Farmington Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department, the New Mexico State Forestry Department, and the San Juan Soil Conservation District has secured State grant funding to carry out wildfire mitigation work on property owned by the City of Farmington (COF). The total funding for the 2015 fiscal cycle equates to approximately 70 acres of vegetation thinning for the purpose of wildfire mitigation. The areas to be cleared were jointly decided on between the COF Fire Department and the Parks Department. Many areas along the river are severely overgrown with these invasive species and inhibit the Fire Department from accessing areas on foot or by vehicle in the event of a fire. The thinning project has multiple benefits. It not only reduces the fire danger by limiting the fuels and increasing access points for the Fire Department, it also creates more usable spaces, a better and stronger habitat and ecosystem for wildlife, as well as, additional growth of the native species of trees and other vegetation in the area. Without thinning, an accidental fire in these areas will be extremely difficult to combat or contain and will likely burn a significant portion of the river bottom. A sizable fire in these areas will destroy the habitat and natural beauty of the areas for decades into the future, as well as, create a significant health and life safety concern for those who may be in or around it when it burns. In an effort to be good and responsible stewards of these public lands and mindful of the safety of our citizens and community, the Fire Department would like to commit to keep projects of this nature going forward in the years to come. Please call the Farmington Fire Department at [PHONE REDACTED] with any questions.