Southern Rockies Fire Use Module Erick Stahlin - Leader Jeff Crandall- Assistant leader Toni Aguilar- Logistics Foreman Kevin Moriarty - Squad Boss Tom McCollum - Firefighter Peter Rich- Firefighter Nikole Swaney- Firefighter   The Nature Conservancy's Southern Rockies Wildland Fire Module conducting a prescribed fire at the Conservancy's Fox Ranch. Left to Right: Kevin Moriarty, Erick Stahlin, Peter Rich, Tom McCollum, Nikole Swaney, Toni Aguilar, Jeff Crandall.  © The Nature Conservancy The Module is a team of skilled and mobile personnel dedicated primarily to prescribed fire management throughout the prescribed fire season, trained to ignite, hold, and monitor prescribed fires.   Tom McCollum (lower) and Jeff Crandall (upper) restoring fire to an ecosystem. © Erick Stahlin/TNC Go Deeper The Conservancy's Global Fire Initiative develops solutions that allow fire to play a role in places where the benefits nature, and keep fire out of places where it is destructive.   Last summer's Blue 2 fire in California reaches tree tops while the Southern Rockies Wildland Fire Module looks on.  © The Nature Conservancy

The Southern Rockies Wildland Fire Module was created in April 2008 in order to help restore Colorado's forests with safe, scientifically-designed prescribed burns on thousands of acres.

The Module is also trained to assist federal agencies to allow natural wildland fires to burn in ways that will help restore hundreds of thousands of additional acres.

Season Two Highlights
The Southern Rockies Wildland Fire Module started its second season of operations at the end of March. 

The team assisted the Conservancy's Florida program with prescribed fire management in the Gulf Coast Plain Ecosystem, treating approximately 800 acres with local partners. 

The module then completed critical training at its new operations base in Loveland, Colorado.

After receiving this training, module members assisted the Colorado State Forest Service and implemented 540 acres of prescribed fire in Colorado's ponderosa pine ecosystem. 

Additionally, Southern Rockies treated over 50 acres at the Bar NI Ranch, a conservation easement outside of Stonewall, Colorado. This restoration project was supported by the Colorado State Forest Service, Stonewall Fire Department, Long Canyon Fire Department and the Bar NI Ranch.  

On the Ground Projects
Other stewardship projects completed this spring/summer:

• removing Russian olive trees at the Conservancy's Fox Ranch
• tamarisk eradication and mapping in the Upper Purgatory Project Area
• agricultural fire treatments at the Conservancy's Carpenter Ranch
• hazardous tree removal and property boundary mapping at the Conservancy's Zapata Ranch

Keep track of the Southern Rockies Wildland Fire Module:

• Geographic Area Coordination Center (look under Wildland Fire Modules)
• Daily Resources Status Summery (look under The Nature Conservancy)
• National Wildland Fire Situation Report and Information
• InciWeb

Southern Rockies Wildland Fire Module Mission Statement
As the Southern Rockies Fire Use Module we will strive to become a cohesive, safe, adaptable module, rising above any situation and maintaining The Nature Conservancy’s integrity beyond reproach.

Module members will lead by example while making every effort to exceed all standards and expectations put forth in wildland fire use, prescribed fire, fire adapted ecosystem restoration and community protection.

Southern Rockies Wildland Fire Module’s Purpose
The primary purpose of The Nature Conservancy's Southern Rockies Fire Module is to manage and reintroduce wildland fire into fire adapted ecosystems. 

This will be done by creating and maintaining relationships with federal, state, local land management agencies and private land owners using the module's specialized expertise in areas such as fire monitoring, ignition, holding and suppression, prescribed fire preparation and implementation support, community protection through hazard fuels reduction, and fire effects monitoring.

Learn More
Download information on the module and its skills, capabilities and equipment (pdf; 32kb)
Download the 2009 Detailer Outreach Form (pdf; 36kb)
 

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Night falls on the Blue 2 Fire. © The Nature Conservancy; Southern Rockies Fire Use Module member at Northern California fire. © The Nature Conservancy.