Forest Service failing Carson, Cibola, Santa Fe National Forests

The U.S. Forest Service has released draft management plans and Environmental Impact Statements for Carson, Cibola, and Santa Fe National Forests. Unfortunately, all three plans fail to protect New Mexico’s wildlands, wildlife, water, and cultural heritage.

Tell the U.S. Forest Service that you want to see more recommended wilderness areas and more consideration for wildlife and the environment in the management plans. The Forest Service deadline for comments is Nov. 7 – see below for links to comment on each forest’s plan.

In addition, the Forest Service is holding a series of public meetings for all 3 national forests. At the meetings, there will be information available on the draft management plan and draft EIS for the featured national forest, along with an opportunity to submit a written comment. You can also submit written comments at the links below. Please take the time to submit a comment for each forest. Thank you!

Carson National Forest

• A coalition that includes the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter has proposed a 120,000-acre expansion of the Pecos Wilderness and a 5,240-acre addition to the Cruces Basin Wilderness.
• The Pecos Wilderness spans both the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests and provides critical habitat for elk, deer, bear, turkey, Rocky Mountain Big Horn sheep and crucial fish species.
• The Cruces Basin Wilderness Area is a beloved destination for outdoor enthusiasts and is an important habitat for elk, deer, black bears, coyotes, and other wildlife species.

Please email forest officials and tell them you want to see more recommended wilderness areas and more consideration for wildlife and the environment. Make sure to personalize your comment and state why expanding wilderness is vital. Unpersonalized comments may all be considered as one, so it’s important that your comment is individually registered. The deadline to submit comments is Nov. 7.

Carson National Forest open-house meetings (or go here to learn more):

• Wednesday, September 11, 1-3 pm, Questa Ranger District Office, 184 State Hwy 38, Questa, NM 87556
• Thursday, September 12, 1-3 pm, Canjilon Ranger District Office, Building 358 State Rd 115, Canjilon, NM 87515
• Thursday, September 12, 5-7 pm, Northern New Mexico College, 921 N Paseo De Onate, Española, NM 87532
• Tuesday, September 17, 4-7 pm, Sagebrush Inn, 1508 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571. Please join the 3 p.m. pre-meeting at Taos Mesa Brewing Company to learn how to effectively comment.
• Wednesday, September 25, 6-8 pm, Ghost Ranch Lower Pavilion, 280 Private Drive 1708 Highway, US-84, Abiquiu, NM 87510

Cibola National Forest

• A coalition of groups has proposed a nearly 300,000-acre expansion of Wilderness areas, and less than 10 percent of that total is included in the Cibola’s preferred forest management plan. The preferred management plan leaves wildlife and our public lands vulnerable to development operations like mining and logging that will cause irreparable harm to our natural ecosystems.
• Expanding the existing Wilderness areas within the national forest would open up more opportunities for outdoor recreation, protect migratory routes that wildlife depend on, and is the best way to capture carbon emissions contributing to climate change.

Please tell forest officials and tell them you want to see more recommended wilderness areas and more consideration for wildlife and the environment. Make sure to personalize your comment and state why expanding wilderness is vital. Unpersonalized comments will be considered as one and it’s important that your comment is individually registered. The deadline to submit comments is November 7.

To comment, please click here.

Cibola National Forest open-house meetings (or go here to learn more)

• Thursday, September 17, 5-7 pm, Magdalena School/Fine Arts Center201 Duggins Dr, Magdalena, NM 87825
• Thursday, September 26, 5-7 pm, Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, West Social Hall, 501 Elizabeth St SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123

Santa Fe National Forest

• A coalition of groups has proposed a 120,000-acre expansion of the Pecos Wilderness, which spans both the Carson and Sante Fe National Forests, and for greater protections for the Caja del Rio that encompasses more than 80,000 acres of lands.
• The Pecos Wilderness is home to centuries of culture and tradition and is cherished by local communities and governments, nearby tribes and pueblos, acequia and land grant communities, sportsmen, and more. The Caja del Rio is home immense biodiversity and vulnerable cultural artifacts, including pictographs and petroglyphs. But the preferred management plan includes very little wilderness expansion and offers little protection for culturally sensitive areas.

Please submit a comment to forest officials and tell them you want to see more recommended wilderness areas and more consideration for wildlife and cultural resources. Make sure to personalize your comment and state why protecting wilderness is vital. Unpersonalized comments will be considered as one and it’s important that your comment is individually registered. The deadline to submit comments is November 7.
For tips on how to comment, please click here.

Santa Fe National Forest open-house meetings (or go here to learn more):

• Wednesday, September 11, 6-8 pm, Santa Fe National Forest Headquarters, 11 Forest Ln, Santa Fe, NM 87508
• Monday, September 23, 6-8 pm, Mesa Public Library, 2400 Central Ave, Los Alamos, NM 87544
• Wednesday, September 25, 6-8 pm, Ghost Ranch Lower Pavilion, 280 Private Drive 1708 Highway, US-84, Abiquiu, NM 87510

Santa Fe National Forest photo by Larry Lamsa