Input scarce on Cibola
National forest selected for plan
The initial public response to the U.S. Forest Service’s call for help in developing a new management plan for the Cibola National Forest was somewhat less than what officials had hoped, but the few who attended the agency’s meetings late last month were enthusiastic.
The Forest Service scheduled and advertised five public meetings in November in Corona, Albuquerque, Torreon, Tijeras and Mountainair.
One person attended the meeting in Corona, while 10 people attended the Albuquerque gathering at the University of New Mexico. No one showed up at the Torreon Community Center. In Tijeras, eight people attended the meeting, including an open space planner for Bernalillo County. In Mountainair, three people participated in an informative round-table discussion, officials said.
John Laing told the Tijeras gathering that when he first moved to New Mexico in 1987, he was “shocked” to see that so few people took advantage of the Sandia Ranger District.
“What a gem of a place,” Laing said.
Everyone — officials and audience members — nodded, and all agreed that such a jewel needs to be cared for and protected.
Cibola is one of eight forests nationwide selected to kick off the Forest Service’s management plans revision.
The current management plan was implemented in 1985. Under federal law, it was supposed to be updated by 2000. That didn’t happen, although attempts were made in 1996 and twice in this century, according to Champe Green, the Forest Service official heading the planning team. All three times, lawsuits and resulting court orders kept the plans from being implemented, he said.
The first step of public open houses, called the assessment phase, is expected to be completed early next
year. In addition to the meetings, it includes consultations with Native American tribes, interviews with forest stakeholders, engaging the public online and making an effort to include minorities and young people in the process.
Interested members of the public can also request a planning team member to make a presentation to their organizations, or they can join a work group that focuses on a specific topic.
The Forest Service — a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture — has identified more than a dozen ecological and socioeconomic topic areas. These include:
Land and aquatic ecosystems and watersheds;
Air, soil and water resources and quality;
Ecological forces that may cause major changes in the environment. This includes wild fires, invasive species and climate change. It also includes the ability of affected ecosystems to adapt; Threatened and endangered species; Benefits people obtain from the forest area include clean air and water, energy, recreation, carbon storage, minerals, timber and grazing land, and scenery;
Contributions to local and regional economies; Infrastructure; Areas of special importance to Native American tribes;
Cultural and historic resources and uses; Land status and ownership; Existing designated areas, including wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, camping and picnic sites and the potential need for additional designated areas.
The entire forest plan process is expected to take nearly four years, with the public involved from start to finish. For more information, visit fs.usda.gov/ cibola.