Talpa Foothills Working Group members announced
The Carson National Forest and Peak Facilitation Group, a third-party facilitator, have chosen 16 people to be members of the Talpa Foothills Working Group, according to a Forest Service press release.
The members will collaborate on proposals for a multiple-use trail system in the Talpa Foothills area east of Taos, where ongoing community conversations about opportunities and challenges regarding recreation and public land access have been focused. Each member represents a unique role that will provide differing, yet critical perspectives during discussions.
“We see the value in the diversity of thought,” said Forest Supervisor James Duran. “While there is a focus on recreational use here, we must also a recognize that this is a multiple-use landscape with cultural uses associated, so I challenge the working group and community on this question: How do we make multiple-use successful?”
The members were selected from a group of 44 applicants who responded in November to the Carson’s call for letters of interest. Multiple representatives were selected for the “resident” and “recreational user” categories to reflect a range of existing perspectives in those communities.
The working group will focus solely on areas within the Forest Service’s jurisdiction; trails outside forest boundaries, such as the Outward Link Trail, cannot be considered.
The members will meet in person at four meetings that will be open to the public for observation in the winter and spring. Two additional meetings will provide opportunities for community feedback, where the public will be able to comment directly to working group members. The public is also encouraged to reach out to relevant working group members directly.
The list of selected members and meeting dates is available online.
Judy Torres was selected to represent the acequia community in the working group, while Miguel Villareal will represent land grant communities. Rubel Aguilar was appointed to be the “at-large resident of the Taos community” and Benjamin Harper was chosen as the group’s “expert in sustainable trail system design.”
There are four outdoor recreation users in the group — Spencer Bushnell, John MacArthur Emily Matheu and Gregory Oberley — and four residents who represent the “proximate communities” next to the forest: Carlos Arguello, Alexandra Goldman, Darryl Maestas and Tze Young.
Taos County is represented by District 3 Commissioner Darlene Vigil, the Town of Taos is represented by Councilor Darien Fernandez, and Taos Pueblo will be represented by Del Romero. Karina Armijo, director of marketing and tourism for the Town of Taos, will represent the tourism sector.
The group’s first meeting is set for Jan. 26, 2023 at 5:30 p.m., although the meeting location is still undetermined. There will be two community feedback meetings, including an in-person gathering on March 30 and a remotelyheld one on April 6. Check the Carson National Forest webpage for updates on the working group: fs.usda.gov/carson.