Hazardous fuels assessment report for Bandelier National Monument

Maloney, Edward; Zimpel, Brenda

INTRODUCTION The ASHF AP team is composed of an archeologist, with degrees in anthropology, geology, and English, with a total of 20 years of professional experience, and a fuels specialist with a degree in biology and a total of nine years of professional experience. Both the Team members have specialized experience that played a direct role in our selection for this assignment. The archeologist worked on the Burn Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) Team's Post-Wildfire Damage Assessment Projects at Bandelier National Monument (Dome Fire 1996) and Mesa Verde National Park (Chapin 5 Fire 1996). The fuel specialist worked on numerous wildfires and prescribed fires including Chapin 5, and has acted as Lead Fuel Technician on the North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park. It is important to emphasize that we were selected for the ASHF AP assignment primarily because of our combined field experience. During our start-up meeting with Dan O'Brien, Adrienne Anderson, Linda Towle, and Tim Oliveri us we were informed that the ASHF AP assignment was not intended to be a research project, and that it was funded as an on-the-ground field project. We were instructed, and have attempted to provide the well-trained "dirt-dog" perspective in relation to the question, "How can fuels be managed to preserve archeological remains over the short and long terms?" In addition, the Team was instructed to keep its reports as concise as possible, to complete them as quickly as possible, and to stay in the field as much as possible. During the 1997 field season the ASHFAP team assessed and made recommendations on 82 sites in 12 National Parks and Monuments. 1998 represents the second field season that the Team has been active.