Forest Restoration
Projects
TPCE has been contacted by two separate entities regarding Forest Restoration Project
Proposals in the area. We encourage you to review the proposals and contact each project leader for more information.
Both proposals will be greatly assisted by community input and support. Please submit any letter
of support to the correct project leader no later than February 23, 2012.
Tusas – San Antonio Landscape Project – Carson National Forest
The Tusas/San Antonio
landscape is a 160,000 acre area on the central and northern areas of the Tres Piedras District. The landscape is home to
one of the largest elk herds in New Mexico, with a large resident herd and thousands of elk wintering yearly in the San Antonio
Mountain region of New Mexico Game Unit 52. There is also a substantial range program within the landscape. While the
range allotments have been evaluated in past years, the majority of the forested acres within the area have not been treated
in the last 30 years. The combination of the elk numbers, the size of the range program, overall forest health and the urgent
need for treatment in the area’s large aspen component make this area a top priority for improvement on the District.
GIV (Gilbert Vigil) and the Carson National Forest are working together to propose development of a three-year,
multi-jurisdictional, multi-partner planning process to assess and prioritize opportunities to prescribed burn and improve
overall forest health, aspen health ,and wildlife habitat within the landscape. Planning for watershed improvements and fuels
treatments would also be significant priorities. Our intentions are to submit a CFRP (Collaborative Forest Restoration Program)
proposal in February, 2012 to fund this planning process. We are in the process of actively approaching potential project
partners and stakeholders including interest groups, government agencies, local government, tribal governments, and private
landowners.
The CFRP program is a USDA Forest Service program that provides grants for projects to restore forests
on public or tribal lands and improve the use of small trees thinned from those lands. The process encourages organizations
to collaborate on the design, implementation, and monitoring of projects that value local and traditional knowledge, create
healthy and productive forests and watersheds, and build ownership and civic pride. Partners and stakeholders can expect a
participative process that emphasizes good communications and joint problem-solving.
We are currently actively seeking
letters of support from members of the community. These letters should be addressed to Gilbert Vigil (813 Acapulco Rd. Rio
Rancho, NM 87144,
igvigil@hotmail.com) delivered prior to February 23, 2012, and indicate that you will participate in the planning process by attending and providing
input at twice-annual community outreach meetings.
Maquinitas Analysis Area – Rocky Mountain Youth
Core
This project proposes to treat 315 acres of primarily ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forest within
Maquinitas Analysis Area in Tres Piedras Ranger District, Carson National Forest. This area is located 31 miles northwest
of Taos. In the treatment area, small diameter trees up to 12” diameter at breast height (dbh) will be removed, except
for those designated as old growth, leaving suitable spacing among remaining trees. Within the treatment area, there is a
significant aspen unit. Conifers are established within aspen stands and are also regenerating in the understory. The primary
focus in this unit will be removing conifers from the stands.
Small diameter wood will be left on the site to accommodate
wood gathering by local residents. Forest Service personnel will issue appropriate permitting. If small diameter wood collection
is leaving too much fuel on site, RMYC will distribute firewood through Anciaños Firewood Initiative for elderly and
low income families. This project will create at minimum 24 jobs over the three-year period. Each year, Rocky Mountain Youth
Corps (RMYC) will hire and train seven person youth crews, ages 18-25, with one crew supervisor per crew. RMYC’s
mission is to support these individuals in a transition into employment or continued education after their program, and has
close to 80% success rate in this positive transition.
The crews will receive S-212 chainsaw training,
CPR/First Aid, ecological monitoring trainings, and others relevant to their job requirements. Crews have the opportunity
to earn an AmericCorps educational award as well as up to six hours of college credit from University of New Mexico-Taos.
In addition, these crews will provide FireWise presentations to Tres Piedras community residents to increase homeowner awareness
of fuel reduction activities which can be completed on private property. RMYC will also report to a monitoring panel to provide
project updates and report monitoring results and attend CFRP Annual Workshop.
Please submit letters of support
to Benjamin C. Thomas, Field Program Director RMYC PO Box 1960, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557
ben@youthcorps.org
Residents are also encouraged to attend a proposal development meeting this coming Tuesday, February
21st at 3:00 pm at the USFS in Tres Piedras.
