Forest Hosts Public Meetings on Southwest Jemez Mountains Landscape Restoration Project
Release Date: Jul 12, 2012
Contact(s): Jon Williams, 505-438-5430
The Santa Fe National Forest is hosting a series of public meetings about the Southwest Jemez Mountains Landscape Restoration project and encourages the public to attend any of them.
Forest managers wish to reduce the threat of high-intensity, potentially-destructive wildfires by restoring natural processes in the project area. A variety of treatments will be proposed including prescribed fires, mechanically thinning trees, and improving watershed function and wildlife habitat.
The overall Southwest Jemez Mountains project is a long-term collaborative effort to restore sustainable ecological forest conditions on a landscape of approximately 210,000 acres in the Southwest Jemez Mountains. The area is composed primarily of the entire upper Jemez River watershed including Jemez Pueblo tribal lands, the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve, 110,000 acres of the Santa Fe National Forest, as well as some private lands. These public meetings kick off planning for the environmental impact statement needed on the 110,000 acres of national forest before certain treatments can be accomplished.
Upcoming Meeting Schedule
- Tuesday, July 24 – Taylor Ranch Community Center, 4900 Kachina St., NW, Albuquerque, NM, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday, July 26 –UNM Continuing Education Conference Center, (south building) 1634 University Blvd., NE, Albuquerque, NM from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 31 – Valles Caldera Science & Education Center in Jemez Springs, 90 Villa Louis Martin, from 1:30p.m.to 3:30p.m.
- Thursday, August 2 – Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 11 Forest Lane, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The scoping comment period for the Southwest Jemez Mountains Landscape Restoration Project will run from July 14 to August 13, 2012. Public comments on this proposal will be used to define the issues and develop alternatives. All written and electronic comments received, including the names and addresses of those who comment, are placed in the project file and will become a matter of public record.
Several ways to comment are available:
- Attend one of the four public meetings in July and August.
- Use the online comment system (this is our preferred method to receive your comments): The link is: http://go.usa.gov/wpj. Click on the “Comment on Project” link/button on the right-hand side of the page to submit comments using the online form (note: form will be available online July 14).
- Send an email to jemezrestoration@fs.fed.us (.doc, .txt, .pdf, or .rtf only) with “Southwest Jemez Mountains Landscape Restoration proposed action” in the subject line.
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Postal Mail:
Southwest Jemez Mountains Restoration Project
11 Forest Lane
Santa Fe, NM 87508 - Hand Delivery: Comments may be delivered by hand to the Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor’s Office (11 Forest Lane, Santa Fe) between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
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Facsimile: Fax to 505-438-5390