UNM researcher will pilot wildfire protection model for historical sites

As wildfires continue to intensify across the Southwest, especially in New Mexico, researchers at The University of New Mexico Earth Data Analysis Center are launching a new effort to protect some of the state's most vulnerable and culturally significant historical sites and artifacts from the growing threat of fire, flooding and post-wildfire destruction.

Shawn Penman, the GIS specialist and programmer for UNM's Earth Data Analysis Center, is the principal investigator for this new collaborative pilot project called Piloting Resource Strategies to Increase Wildfire Preparedness, Resilience and Response.

Penman will lead a team of experts, including Megan Friggens, research ecologist at the Rocky Mountain Research Station, Rachel Leohman, a research landscape ecologist for Alaska Science Center and colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service agencies.

Additionally, Santa Fe County provided the team with LiDAR evaluation data to help model post-fire flooding and debris-flow risks.

The project's purpose is to assist the National Park Service in developing a methodology for assessing wildfire and post-wildfire risks to culturally and archaeologically significant resources by examining specific environmental and site factors.

The team will use GIS and spatial analysis to identify high-risk sites by evaluating factors such as debris, vegetation density and structural materials. By examining how these factors affect flooding, debris flows, erosion and post-fire landscape instability.

The ultimate goal is to use the recommendations from this project to help land managers prioritize which resources need protection before, during and after wildfire events, enabling quick and efficient decisions to preserve the state's history for future generations.

The team will begin their research in three New Mexico National Parks: Valles Caldera National Preserve, Bandelier National Monument and Pecos National Historical Park.

The team's results will have national implications and could be adopted by federal agencies, tribal governments, state land offices, and private land managers that have similar factors at historical sites.

This pilot program is building on lessons learned from recent New Mexico wildfires, like Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon and demonstrates New Mexico's and UNM's leadership role in helping the country and region become more wildfire-resilient and prepared.

To learn more about this project, email Penman directly at [email protected] or call 505-277-4000.