At the Bureau of Land Management, where there is fire there is smoke management. During the burning process, airborne particulate matter is released into the air and may cause public health, visibility, safety and nuisance problems. As BLM fire and land managers work towards hazardous fuels reduction and the Healthy Lands Initiative, they are required to address smoke issues and ensure that they are protecting both the health and safety of the public, while achieving natural resource objectives.
The New Mexico Air Quality Bureau developed the Smoke Management Program which requires anyone who wishes to burn vegetative material- whether on federal, state or private land- to adhere to regulations set forth in the program. The smoke management program is necessary to preserve air quality for human health, protect scenic views and minimize visibility hazards on roads and highways. By creating guidelines to regulate the amount of smoke put into the air, we can be pro-active in managing the undesirable effects of smoke.
The Bureau of Land Management fire managers, fuels specialists and smoke management specialists work together to monitor prescribed burning. Prescribed burns are accomplished when conditions are most favorable and the impacts to the public can be minimized. This includes close examination of atmospheric conditions, meteorological data, the amount and type of vegetative material to be burned, proximity to communities and sensitive areas and the coordination and scheduling of prescribed burns.
The BLM has two portable air quality monitors that can be set up at a prescribed fire location to monitor the smoke conditions. An air quality monitor is an instrument that gives information about the concentrations of particulate matter and is most often used to assess potential human health effects in communities that may be impacted by smoke and to evaluate smoke impacts on State and Federal air quality laws and regulations.
For more information about the New Mexico Smoke Management Program please visit: www.nmenv.state.nm.us/aqb/SMP/smp_index.html.
The NM Air Quality Bureau's website is: www.nmenv.state.nm.us/aqb/
>
