Introduction to the Final Forest Plans for the Cibola, Carson, and Santa Fe National Forests
The multi-year process of revising and updating the Santa Fe National Forest’s Forest Plan is nearing completion. The forest planning team has collaborated with a broad range of stakeholders and members of the public to develop a plan that promotes a healthy, diverse and productive forest.
The Forest Plan guides the Santa Fe National Forest in fulfilling its stewardship responsibilities to best meet the current and future needs of the American people. The new Forest Plan integrates forest restoration, climate resilience, watershed protection, wildlife conservation and opportunities to contribute to local economies.
Where are we now in the process?
The Forest Plan, final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and draft Record of Decision (ROD) are available for viewing here:
The objection process allows the Responsible Official, the Reviewing Official, Interested Persons and the Objector to have the opportunity to seek reasonable solutions to conflicting views of plan components before the Responsible Official approves a plan, plan amendment or plan revision.
The formal 60-day objection period, which began on September 2, 2021, closed on November 1, 2021. We are now in the process of reviewing and resolving objections from previous commenters. You may review the objections to the Final Plan and EIS here.
A legal notice was posted in the Albuquerque Journal on November 11, 2021, notifying the public of the number of objections received and information about how to participate in objection resolution as an interested person. This legal notice contained an incorrect email address. The correct email address to file as an interested person is: objections-southwestern-regional-office@usda.gov. A corrected legal notice was published in the Albuquerque Journal on November 18, 2021. Due to this error, the filing period for interested persons has been extended to November 28, 2021 (10 days from the publication of the corrected legal notice).
Interested persons who previously requested recognition through either the Forest Service CARA form at: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=49605; or by fax to: (505) 842-3173; or in writing to: Michiko Martin, Reviewing Officer, USDA Forest Service, Attn: Santa Fe Plan Revision Interested Persons Request, 333 Broadway BLVD SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, do not need to resubmit their request.
We currently estimate that objection resolution meetings will occur in spring 2022. The timing for implementing the new plan will depend on depend on resolution of objections and any additional changes required to comply with resolution decisions.
