Forest Assessment Project

Jemez Mountains Pilot Fuels Inventory

The Jemez Mountains Pilot Fuels Inventory is a pilot research project undertaken by Tyson Swetnam, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona BIO5 Institute with funding from the Rio Grande Water Fund of The Nature Conservancy. This project used aerial data from drone surveys taken over Area 3 and Seven Springs to examine forest density at various canopy heights. Full details of the project may be found at https://promethean-gift.github.io/

The project combined new data from the drone surveys with LIDAR data from the USFS survey of the Jemez Mountains area. Its purpose is to provide information about forest density to enable homeowners to make informed decisions about fire risks to their property. While the pilot project scope was limited to two areas, it is hoped that it can be expanded to other communities in the Jemez Mountains area and throughout the Southwest. Proposals to federal agencies to fund expanded work are submitted.