Cuba Soil Water and Conservation District Thinning Grant

The Cuba Soil and Water Conservation District has recently been awarded a major thinning grant for property owners within the Conservation District. Below are some highlights.

• The owner application form and contractor Request for Proposals are under final review by NM State Forestry.

• Upon final approval of these administrative details, which is expected to be very soon, the opportunity will be advertised to the community, and applications will be distributed to interested property owners.

• The funding match is 80% grant/20% owner. Owners will pay their portion to the Cuba SWCD before work begins.

• The SWCD will inspect the property for each applicant, will formulate the statement of work, will select a contractor, and will pay the contractor upon final satisfactory completion.

• Those who are interested in more details can send email to cubaswcd@gmail.com. The application form is available for download here.

The status of EQIP grants is unknown at this time.

EQIP Grants

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides financial assistance to individuals who are thinning their property. Landowners can submit proposals indicating the area to be thinned and discuss the project with a regional representative. Considerations include distribution of tree stands and density and type of trees to be thinned. The approval process requires an assessment for the presence of endangered species, in our area the Jemez salamander. Once the assessment is complete, the property is thinned by the homeowner or a private contractor familiar with the EQIP process, adhering to the specifications of the contract. When thinning is complete, the property is inspected and the landowner is reimbursed according to the contract agreement. For more information on EQIP grants, contact your local Firewise representative (shown on the Contacts Page under the Home Page) or Jill Mumford (jill.mumford@nm.usda.gov).

Thinning Your Property

Homeowners wishing to thin their property or remove trees should be very cautious about doing the work themselves. Please do not attempt to fell trees in windy weather, near power lines, or if you are unsure about your ability to do so safely (which includes most of us). The following individuals and companies can be contacted about removing trees.

• Clinton Dill, cell: 505-321-8704

• Jemez Mountain Services, LLC (Jason Redmond), 37787 Hwy 126, Jemez Springs, NM 87025, 816-547-6496, https://www.facebook.com/Jemezmountainfirewood. Also needle raking and removal, firewood sales, also wood splitting.

• Jemez Pueblo Natural Resources (John Galvan, Tribal Forester), Natural Resources Department, Pueblo of Jemez; Office: (575) 834-7696; Cell: (505) 263-9965; John.L.Galvan@jemezpueblo.org

• Ira Sando, Jemez Pueblo

Please note that the above companies and individuals are listed for your convenience; JMFA does not assume responsibility for their work.

For information on disposing of your slash, please click here .

For information on Pine Bark Beetles, please go to this page.