The National Fire Plan "Twenty Communities Initiative" started in 2001 with the following goals:

The goal of the Twenty Communities Strategy/National Fire Plan implementation is to:

Determine which communities are most vulnerable to fire and provide these communities with the tools to make needed changes.  The goal also emphasizes the importance of protecting homes within these communities and supports the development and long-term maintenance of fuelbreaks from which suppression resources can "make a stand".

 Selection criteria was based on:

 Proximity of Vegetation Type to Homes

Availability of Water

Ease of Evacuation

Topography

Forest Type

Fire Occurrence

Direction of prevailing Winds

Ability of Community to Protect Homes

Catron County's Branch Team consentrated on the following areas:

Infrastructure Protection

Focus Projects for the 12 Critical Urban Interface Areas in the County

Industry, Utilization and Employment

Public Information and Education

Grants and Finance

Watershed Restoration in the "Back 40"

The Twenty Communities Team still meets every other month in Reserve.  Please check the Calenar of Events for the next scheduled meeting.

The Agendas and Minutes from these meetings are posted in the File Section of this web site.