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Fire Planning Task Force

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Fire Planning Task Force

The New Mexico Fire Planning Task Force (Task Force) was created by the NM Legislature in 2003. The Task Force is made up of local, state, federal, and tribal cooperators who assist Forestry to identify and protect areas most vulnerable to wildfires. The Task Force meets once per year to approve Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP), develop model ordinances and standards for building codes, and consider the benefits of thinning, prescribed burns, and defensible space to reduce the threat of wildfires to communities.

United States Department of Interior
Melanie Barnes, State Director
Bureau of Land Management – State Office
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508
Phone: (505) 954-2222
Email: mgbarnes@blm.gov
Designee: Teresa Rigby, Fire Mitigation & Education Specialist
Email: trigby@blm.gov
Designee: Richard Sinkovitz
Email: rsinkovitz@blm.gov

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
Michiko Martin, Southwest Regional Forester
333 Broadway SE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 842-3300
Email: michiko.martin@usda.gov
Designee: Jake Nuttall, Director-Fire Aviation Management
Email: Jacob.nuttall@fs.fed.us

Indian Nation, Tribe or Pueblo
James Mountain, Cabinet Secretary
New Mexico Indian Affairs Department
1220 South St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
Phone: 505-476-1618
Email: james.mountain@iad.nm.gov
Assistant: Aurora.Martinez2@state.nm.us

State Fire Marshal’s Office
Randy Varela, State Fire Marshal
NM Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
1120 Paseo De Peralta
P.O Box 1269
Santa Fe, NM 87504
Phone: (505) 709-8150
Email: randy.varela@dhsem.nm.gov

New Mexico Department of Finance
Wesley Billingsley, Division Director
Local Government Division
407 Galisteo Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 819-1915
Email: wesley.billingsley@dfa.nm.gov

Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
Laura McCarthy, State Forester
Forestry Division
1220 S St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 476-3325
Email: laura.mccarthy@state.nm.us

Commission of Public Lands
Stephanie Garcia Richard, State Land Commissioner
New Mexico State Land Office
310 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 827-5760
Email: sgarciarichard@slo.state.nm.us 
Dana V. Strang, Assistant Commissioner
Email: dvstrang@slo.state.nm.us 

Members of Fire Department
Joe Kenmore, Emergency Services Director
Lincoln County
100 E. Main
PO Box 1020
Red River, NM 87558
Phone: (575) 808-1381
Email: jkenmore@lincolncountynm.gov 

New Mexico Municipal League
A.J. Forte, Executive Director
1229 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (800) 432-2036 ext. 520
Email: ajforte@nmml.org 
Designee: Jackie Portillo
Email: jportillo@nmml.org 

New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
Clay Bailey, Director
Construction Industries Division
Toney Anaya Building
2550 Cerrillos Road
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 476-4672
Email: clay.bailey@state.nm.us 

New Mexico Association of Counties
Joy Esparsen, Executive Director
613 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe NM 87505
(505) 820-8111
Email: jesparsen@nmcounties.org 
Designee: Aeysea Webb, Government Relations MGR
Email: awebb@nmcounties.org 

Local Government Fire Department
Nicolas Cardenas
Colfax County Fire Marshal
Phone: 575-447-1639
Email: ncardenas@co.colfax.nm.us