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Environmental assessment complete for the South Sacramento Restoration Project
Release Date:
Contact(s): Amanda Fry, (575) 270-2726
Significant forest restoration project will focus on land management and watershed improvement
ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico (November 21, 2024) — Lincoln National Forest Supervisor Jason Freeman has prepared a final environmental assessment (FEIS) for the South Sacramento Restoration Project (SSRP), which will allow the Forest to move forward with important restoration projects on the Sacramento Ranger District.
The public can review the FEIS for early review purposes. The formal objection period for the SSRP will begin in mid-December following the legal notice publication in the Alamogordo Daily News. The publication date will mark the official start for filing objections. A finalized copy of the legal notice and information on filing objections will be available on the Forest Service website upon publication.
SSRP is a large-scale project focusing on restoration activities on up to 140,000 acres of Lincoln National Forest lands in the Sacramento Mountains. Restoration activities will focus on treatments that will improve forest health and resiliency by reducing stand density, continuity, and help diversify plant species in the area.
This project is part of the Lincoln National Forest’s long-term management plan. The landscape within the SSRP planning area has been greatly altered from historic conditions. Overall forest health in the area has declined due to insects, disease and other factors leading to high tree mortality and increased risk for high-severity wildland fire across the landscape. Wildlife habitat and water conditions have also declined as a result. Project implementation is expected to take 10 to 20 years to meet initial project objectives with additional maintenance treatments over the long term.
The project was developed in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and with the participation of a local collaborative group. The FEIS includes a complete description of the alternatives considered, including potential environmental consequences.
About the Forest Service: The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages the 193 million acres of National Forest System land, provides stewardship assistance to non-federal forest landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.