State forester details mitigation gains, warns funds and staffing remain short

The State Forester told the Senate Finance Committee that despite low snowpack and drought conditions the forestry division exceeded treatment-acre targets last year, aided by special appropriations and federal grants.

The forester said some mitigation success came from one-time sources including $65 million in federal Community Wildfire Defense Grant funding and $13.6 million in federal disaster relief plus $10 million from a 2024 special session for post-fire recovery in Lincoln and Otero counties. The division said it also received $20 million in FY26 special appropriation and recurring funds via the Forest and Watershed Restoration Act and the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund (recurring amounts cited as $2 million and $1.4–1.7 million respectively).

Cost and capacity: Committee members asked for per-acre costs to thin hazardous forest — estimates ranged from about $1,200 an acre in remote, less-steep areas to $3,000 or more per acre in steep, home-heavy canyons. The forester said recruitment aims include building two hotshot crews to Type 1 certification and recruiting summer crews to reach a goal of about 200 seasonal firefighters.

Why it matters: The forester emphasized that many fires are human-caused and that greater upfront investment in mitigation and prevention can reduce catastrophic losses and long-term state costs. Committee members and agency staff discussed using tax credits, incentives and other mechanisms to build a biomass economy as part of mitigation and economic development strategies.

Next steps: The forestry division said it will continue seeking targeted appropriations and collaborate on FY27 budget requests to support both recurring and capital mitigation work.