Southwest Region

A long tradition

The Southwest has a rich tradition of community-based forestry, continued today by Pueblos and descendants of the Hispano settlers that helped shape the current landscape.

The Southwest is where Aldo Leopold forged his land ethic. His legacy lives on in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness in the Gila National Forest in southern New Mexico.

Upon this backdrop, the Guild began its community forestry efforts in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1984. Since then, we have been working with forest dependent communities to play a greater role in public lands management and increase their fire adaptation. We help create the next generation of forest stewards, and restore forest resilience with the re-introduction of good fire.

What does our work mean?

• We manage forest restoration projects on public lands to prepare fire-adapted forests for the re-introduction of fire. Working with a diverse array of partners from federal, state, and local agencies, as well as youth and volunteers, we implement prescribed fire as a forest restoration tool and build capacity for the prescribed fire workforce.
• As we train the next generation of skilled forest stewards, we help propel them into careers in natural resource management.
• Our programs help forested communities learn to prepare for and live with wildfire as a key component of a resilient forest.
• Guild research on the relationship between climate change, fire, and forests supports land managers and forested communities to make science-based decisions.

You can help!

Learn more about the Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network! Become a FAC Leader or support the Forest Stewards Youth Corps to deliver college credits and training.

We’ve taken our prescribed burn efforts to the next level with the All Hands All Lands Burn Team. If you are a firefighter, fire-lighter, or a prescribed burn practitioner, consider joining the team!