FIRE AND REGENERATION IN THE BLACK RANGE

By Dan Carter (he/him) | Trail and

The intent of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is to follow as close to the physical Continental Divide as possible. Due to land ownership and terrain, this is not always possible. However, the Black Range in Southern New Mexico is one stretch of the CDT that traverses the actual Divide, straddling the two major watersheds of the North American continent.

The CDT follows thirty-five miles of the Divide through the Aldo Leopold Wilderness along the Black Range of the Gila National Forest. This section begins at FR150, Northstar Road follows Aspen Canyon to Black Canyon, then up to the Divide at Reed’s Meadow. North from the meadow, the trail hugs the Divide.

Wildfires– a natural part of the southwestern forests–have impacted this area and the Trail significantly through the 2000s. Recent wildfires, including the 2022 Black Fire, have grown larger and burned hotter, having catastrophic results. The Black Fire was a human-caused wildfire that started on May 13, 2022, and it burned a total of 325,136 acres before the wildland fire crews and monsoons slowed the fire later in the summer.

The fire burned over the CDT, scorching the standing, mature mixed conifer forests and clogged the creeks–home to native Gila cutthroat trout–with sediment, ash, and debris. Fortunately, USFS staff were able to relocate some of the native trout before the flooding which impacted the creeks. Like the random destruction of a tornado, some parts of the forest such as Black Canyon (where the CDT goes) were spared by the inferno and the mature mixed conifers still stand and clear creek flows.

The CDT and many other trails in the Aldo suffered from the fire and subsequent flooding from the strong monsoon season in 2022. To assess resource needs, post-fire, the USFS implements the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER). As a Forest Service partner, CDTC’s Trail and Lands Conservation Program Manager assisted in the BAER effort by helping develop a rapid trail assessment tool in Field Maps and surveying the trail through the Black Range. The goal of the survey was to assess the trail maintenance needs so agencies and partners can prioritize where work should begin.

Considering the catastrophic nature of the Black Fire and subsequent flooding, the CDT itself was resilient. Minimal impact to the tread is a testament to good trail design and construction with regular maintenance, as the tread mostly followed contours with mild grades, and rock structures were solidly built. Much of this section of CDT was constructed and maintained by the USFS Wilderness trail crew in the 2000s. Some of the older “cowboy” trails that followed creek bottoms and steep slopes did not fare as well. Being high up on the Divide, at the top of the drainages, the CDT escaped most of the intense flooding damage that occurred below. Most of the mature trees died in the fire and there were subsequent blowdowns. Spring regeneration has already brought new growth of aspen, oak, and New Mexico locust.

The BAER process brings resources and funding to address resource needs, including trail maintenance and reconstruction. An expert USFS sawyer crew from Montana has already been clearing the trail this spring so other crews can begin tread work. Trail adopters have been installing new Trail markers, thanks to the Winchester Fund. With the completion of rapid trail assessment, USFS and partners like CDTC know where to focus efforts and will be planning trail maintenance projects in the coming years.

Check out the volunteer project list for opportunities to experience the Black Range, and help restore this special stretch of the CDT!