USDA HELPS RESTORE LAND BURNED IN LOS ALAMOS FIRE
                                           Release No. 0194.00 
                                                               
                                                               
                                    Susan McAvoy (202) 720-4623
                                          susan.mcavoy@usda.gov
                                                               

USDA HELPS RESTORE LAND BURNED IN LOS ALAMOS FIRE

     WASHINGTON, June 14, 2000 Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has seeded 20,000 acres of
the most environmentally sensitive land burned in the Los Alamos area from the
Cerro Grande Fire in New Mexico.

     "Our goal is to restore vegetation destroyed by the fire and take other
needed emergency  erosion control measures," Glickman said.  "We want to get
ground cover growing quickly to help protect the land."
     
     The aerial seeding was a cooperative effort.  Under the Emergency
Watershed Protection
(EWP) program, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service provided $1.2
million in technical and financial assistance, including 750,000 pounds of
native grass and small grain seeds.  USDA's Forest Service provided a
helicopter and five planes for the seeding.
     
     The effects of the Cerro Grande Fire, which burned 47,650 acres, have
increased the potential for storm flow runoff and flooding, particularly in
severely burned watersheds.  In addition to the aerial seeding effort, more
than 250 volunteers from the community worked in other fire-stricken areas
over the Memorial Day weekend to break up the hydrophobic soil - soil so
severely burned that it will no longer readily absorb water.  Volunteer crews
also are joining several hundred firefighters in rehabilitation activities,
including raking, seeding, mulching, placement of log erosion barriers, hazard
tree removal, and road rehabilitation.

     NRCS has also set up a disaster assistance center in Los Alamos to help
private landowners, Indian Pueblos, and local governments affected by four
major fires which occurred in the last five weeks.  Engineers and
conservationists are available to provide technical assistance on erosion
control measures and types of vegetation that can be used to reduce soil
erosion and flooding in the aftermath of the fires.  The Cerro Grande EWP
response team is also conducting workshops on these measures as well as
assisting landowners on a walk-in basis at the center.

     The Forest Service, along with state and federal partners, will conduct
a Firewise Community Forum in Los Alamos later in June.  The forum will focus
on how to rebuild or modify surviving structures and property to reduce future
fire risks.  

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