WildEarth Guardians

Thursday, November 24, 2005
Objection Filed Over Tajique Plan

A group of residents along with WildEarth Guardians have filed a formal objection to a Cibola national forest plan for forest thinning in the Tajique watershed
Contact: Mountain View Telegraph

A group of residents and an environmental organization have filed a formal objection to a U.S. Forest Service plan for forest thinning in the Tajique watershed.

A coalition of at least 17 residents in the affected area, joined by WildEarth Guardians, filed the objection just before the Nov. 16 deadline, according to a news release from WildEarth Guardians.

The residents contend the proposed "logging and thinning will only cause increased fire hazard and water quality problems and the likelihood of catastrophic fire burning down homes is statistically very low."

The government proposal, under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, would thin and burn thousands of acres to reduce the threat of a catastrophic wildfire and improve forest and watershed health while generating wood products.

The resident group had proposed a "Citizen's Alternative" to the Forest Service's original plan during the public comment period on the proposal, but they claim the government did not take their views into account.

"... this alternative was largely ignored," the release said. "The citizen's alternative called for greatly reduced thinning, 25 miles fewer fuel breaks (75 percent less), no new road construction and local labor contracting only. Instead, the Forest Service presented a biased and irrational proposal for the Tajique planning area."

Forest Service officials say the residents' comments were considered, and the agency's preferred alternative eliminates new road construction and reduces the area to be treated by several thousand acres.

Objections may only be filed by parties that submitted comments duringthe public comment period for the project earlier this year.

"As some of the only residents that will be impacted by this project, we hope the government reconsiders the proposed logging of the Fourth of July Canyon," said Paul Davis, a 30-year resident of the area, in therelease. "The proposed project increases risk of fire, harms our watershedand will destroy the scenic nature of the canyon for decades to come. Logging trucks will be coming up or down the canyon road 48 times a day, five days a week, for at least 10 years."

Copyright 2005 Albuquerque Journal - Reprinted with permission