Santa Fe Forest Coalition

Santa Fe Forest Coalition

Preserving Southwestern Forests and Wildlife
The forested mountains above Santa Fe resonate with abundance and meaning. Incredibly, all this is now threatened by plans to clear and burn vast areas to reduce “hazardous fuels.” We are committed to preserving and protecting these public lands and securing a climate-sane world for future generations.

Forest Wisdom

MAKING THE CONNECTION

The forest is wired for wisdom, sentience, and healing

— Suzanne Simard

Forests are best understood as being single organisms linked together by vast biological networks that allow trees to interact and communicate with an intricate and graceful wisdom. In partnership with underground fungal networks, trees share carbon, essential nutrients and water and warn each other of threats. And, like animals, they have learned to care for their progeny.

READ MORE

From Tree to Shining Tree, Dr. Suzanne Simard interview on Radio Lab July 30, 2016

Featured

Forest Degradation vs. Restoration

Fire-adapted forests are degraded, not restored, by reducing tree cover over entire landscapes already struggling with severe drought, insect outbreaks, polluted streams and loss of big trees and habitat linkages. Read More "Forest Degradation vs. Restoration"

Biden Will Not Be Missed

President Biden's misguided forest policies are currently fast-tracking logging on over 30 millions acres of national forests while eliminating opportunities for public oversight and... Read More "Biden Will Not Be Missed"

Let the White Pines Be

Every white pine the Forest Service cuts down in their misguided campaign to control fire is a permanent loss of genetic diversity these rare conifers need to confront a devastating disease. This My View appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican on July 6, 2024. Read More "Let the White Pines Be"

Protect White Pines

The magnificent white pines of the southwest are falling victim to mindless tree cutting by the U.S. Forest Service in the name of “forest health.” Read More "Protect White Pines"

Conservation Advocate Wanted

We are looking for a seasoned self-starter willing and eager to build a constituency that is critical of the failing federal fire policy. https://santafeforestcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SFFC-Job-Description_020924.pdf Read More "Conservation Advocate Wanted"

Redefining the wildfire problem

Today wildfire is largely approached as a problem that can be controlled through vegetation treatments and firefighting, but that strategy has not stopped the... Read More "Redefining the wildfire problem"

Lawsuit Seeks Information on Forest Service Burn Plans

Group working to prioritize public safety in federal fire policies Date: Monday, October 16, 2023 Contacts: Sam Hitt, 505-577-2944, sam@wildwatershed.org and Peter Sorenson peter@sorensonfoialaw.com ... Read More "Lawsuit Seeks Information on Forest Service Burn Plans"

Donate

We need your help today to raise $75,000 to hold the U.S. Forest Service accountable in federal court. From the spicy fragrance of pines to songs of warblers and mushrooms emerging after a summer rain, the forested mountains above Santa Fe resonate with abundance and meaning. Incredibly, all this is now threatened by the same federal officials entrusted to preserve and protect our public forests. Last year they ignored wise counsel and lit a fire in windy spring weather that quickly spread to become the largest wildfire in New Mexico history, consuming the humble dwellings of hundreds of impoverished rural residents. Now they are rushing to cut and burn on a vastly larger scale, ignoring pioneering ecologist Aldo Leopold’s sage advice “to keep all the pieces.” A forest is more than “hazardous fuel” to be cleared and burned — it is a single intelligent organism that helps secure a climate-sane world for future generations.