The 2025 edition of the annual FOSM newsletter is now available. FOSM co-founder Sam Beard serves as editor of the annual newsletter. Silke Bletzer helped with editing and publication again this year. The newsletter was distributed to all FOSM members as a pdf document.
Sam collects inputs from FOSM officers, project leaders, and other members then compiles a single document providing a comprehensive review of activities and notable events during the past fiscal year (October through September). He includes lots of photographs illustrating activities as well as lists of officers, board members, and new members joining during the year.
As reported in the newsletter, FOSM volunteers contributed over 8,600 hours of service in support of the Forest Service mission in fiscal year 2024. Weekly crew activities accounted for about 5,600 of these hours. In addition, individuals reported another 3,084 hours of service. (Undoubtedly, lots of other individual efforts go unreported.) Using 1,880 hours per employee per year (allowing for holidays and vacation time), FOSM volunteer services equate to almost 5 full-time equivalents (FTEs)⏤a substantial augmentation of the Sandia Ranger District workforce.
Copies of previous annual newsletters are available below.