Wildfire Resiliency Training Center: Higher Education Supporting Community Safety - New Mexico Highlands University

March 12, 2026 - 01:16

In the wake of the devastating 2022 Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, a new collaborative effort is strengthening northern New Mexico's capacity to confront wildfire threats. The Wildfire Resiliency Training Center, housed at Luna Community College, represents a critical partnership between higher education and community safety, spearheaded by the Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute at New Mexico Highlands University.

The Center was born from an urgent local need to build expertise in post-fire restoration, pre-fire mitigation, and firefighter training. "All of this came about as a response to the fire," explained Shantini Ramakrishnan, Special Programs Manager for the Institute. With funding from federal grants, the initiative became a reality, now led by Interim Director Hank Blackwell, who brings decades of national disaster response experience.

The Center’s scope is twofold. First, it directly supports firefighting workforce development, having secured an agreement to offer any training course standardized by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Secondly, it addresses the essential educational component of long-term landscape recovery. The Institute focuses on teaching communities and landowners about restoration strategies that help forests heal themselves and reduce future catastrophic risk.

This partnership underscores the role of regional educational institutions in meeting local challenges. By combining hands-on firefighter training with broader public education on forest health, the collaboration aims to foster a more resilient landscape and a safer future for New Mexico communities.