The removal of downed trees blocking or encroaching on trails by the SFNF TERMITES within the Santa Fe National Forest and Hyde Memorial State Park is an ongoing effort. There are several reasons for the high number of trees that fall in the forest, including the high numbers of diseased, dying, and dead trees, high winds, and wet heavy snow. 

Depending on a tree’s diameter, saws ranging in size from a small Silky pruning saw to the six feet two-person cross-cut saw are used to saw the trunk of the downed tree into manageable lengths to facilitate moving the sawed log off the trail. Occasionally fallen trees are small enough that they can be moved by hand without the need for sawing.  Except for very small trees, a minimum two-person saw team is required. Larger trees located on busy hiking trails may require a team of up to five volunteers, with two volunteers sawing, one serving as a safety observer, and the other two volunteers controlling hikers as they pass through the work zone to ensure their safety. Once sawed all of the team would assist in moving the sawed log(s) and tree debris off the trail. Small pruning saws or axes are used to delimb trees as necessary. In a number of cases during the past year, multiple saw teams were fielded simultaneously. 

Sawing operations generally include the following steps or tasks:

• Planning: Planning typically includes estimating the level of work required to perform the sawing operation, the distance and elevation gain and loss required to reach the work site, estimating the number of volunteers required, determining the types of and number of tools required, notifying the responsible US Forest Service of the proposed sawing operation and date, requesting the availability of volunteers to perform the work on the scheduled day, for proposed crosscut saw use ensuring that at least one member of the saw team has a current US Forest Service crosscut saw certification, and appointing a saw team lead.

• Safety – “Trail Maintenance - Caution” signs are typically placed along the trail on both sides of the work site. The saw team verifies that the downed tree can be cut safely, and a determination is made as to whether the tree is likely to move or roll once cut. If the tree once cut is likely to move additional safety actions are taken to ensure the safety of both the sawyers as well as trail users. During the sawing operation, steps are taken to ensure trail user safety by halting trail users or diverting them around the saw site as necessary. 

• Sawing analysis – Before sawing begins the tree is analyzed by the saw team lead. The analysis includes determining whether there is a danger of the tree rolling or moving once cut, does a safe zone needs to be established for the sawyers, is a safety observer is needed, is the saw cut going to be under tension or compression, the best location for the cut and type of cut straight or angled, is delimbing of the tree required, and will wedges be needed. Does the area under where the saw cut will be made need to be dug out, and other steps taken to ensure that the saw does not contact the ground or rocks upon completion of the cut?

• Sawing steps: The area under the log is dug out or protected to ensure that the saw does not contact the ground; the log is debarked using a draw knife or ax where the saw cut is to be made to prevent damage to the saw; debarking removes bark they may have trapped dirt and small rocks; once the log is debarked the saw team moves into place; the sawing operation begins using a straight or angled cut as needed (angle cuts are typically more difficult to start as the saw may tend to walk); once a grove has been sawed into the log sawing can generally be accelerated, with the saw team settling into a rhythm alternating between saw team members with one pulling while the other relaxes. Sawyers never push a light crosscut saw as this may result in bending the blade, which in turn may lead to the saw blade breaking. If needed wedges are driven to prevent binding of the saw and WD-40 may be used to prevent binding in sappy logs. Once the saw cut is completed the saw is safely moved and wedges and other tools used to support the sawing operation are retrieved.

• As the tree is being sawed it is continuously monitored for any change that may dictate the need to reevaluate the sawing operation.  

• Once the tree is sawed the tree trunk along with any associated debris it is moved off the trail. Where the sawing operation result in lots of small debris a rake is typically used to clear the trail.

During the 2023 maintenance season teams sawed and removed over 250 downed trees blocking or encroaching on the Atalaya Trail, Winsor Trail, Lower Nambe Trail, Upper Nambe Trail, Rio Nambe Trail, and the Skyline Trail (to Penitente Peak). Access to more remote downed tree sites may require a round trip hike of 10-12 miles and a gain and loss in elevation over 1,000 ft. or greater. In some cases, following high winds more trees would fall. Crews also sawed and removed trees blocking trails in the Pecos Valley.