New district ranger coming to Smokey Bear

The Smokey Bear Ranger District wll greet a new permanent ranger Monday with the arrival of Heather Noel from the a Region I position with the U.S. Forest Service in Missoula, Mont.

Emily Platt, acting SBRD ranger, said Noel "puts a priority on relationships with the community and knows that is very important in this district."

Noel comes to the Lincoln National Forest from a post in Public and Governmental Relations. Platt said she also was involved in fire and technology areas with the forest service.

Noel replaces Dave Warnack, who moved to a new position as deputy forest supervisor on the Umpgua National Forest in southern Oregon's Cascade Range late last year.

Platt announced Noel's arrival during a county commission meeting last week. Commission Chairman Preston Stone asked if this would be Platt's last appearance in front of the commission. She said it was her last time.

"I love it," Platt said. "It's an incredible community and landscape. I'm going to miss it. I hate to leave."

"I wish you had put your application in," Stone said.

"Me too, but talk to my husband about that," Platt replied.

She also announced the good news that the forest service is "getting close to rebuilding South Fork Campground" at Bonito Lake. The campground was damaged by the Little Bear Fire and its aftermath in 2012. The lake that belongs to the city of Alamogordo has been drained to remove an accumulation of sediment and ash that washed down from the mountains. The city also closed it's campground at the lake.

"We have a design in the works and the engineering plans are close to done," Platt said. The money has to come from the Washington D.C. office and a National Environmental Policy Act study is required.

Local officials were hoping to be able to fast-track that study, but after the fire, some Mexican spotted owls moved down into the campground general area.

In any case, the work should begin quickly, she said.

"We're excited to get the campground back open," she said. The campground and lake were major draws for campers, hikers and fishermen and brought in many tourism dollars to the county.

In another issue, Platt said only one objection was registered to the district's decision to issue a permit to allow the village of Ruidoso to pump the four village wells on forest service land at the Northfork of Eagle Creek.

A recent meeting conducted in an attempt to resolve the objection did not, she said.

"It's possible some adaptive management (will be devised) to address her concerns," Platt said. "Ruidoso has to agree voluntarily. We wouldn't force something new, because the village has adjudicated water rights there. This will not change anything for village, but  probably more monitoring may be involved."

The wells constitute a significant portion of Ruidoso's water supply and pool of water rights. The new permit allows pumping to continue at the previous rate, but with more monitoring for and required responses to any negative impacts.

Platt reported that the owners of the El Capitan Mine want to widen and straighten a forest service road that provides access to the private property, and add a berm. The company has a permit to use the road.

The proposed work amounts to ground disturbance and requires the agency to analyze the impact, she said.

"It seems simple and (the requirement) is frustrating to the mining company," Platt said. "We're trying to offer the simplest route, but we have to do the analysis."

The mining operation was the object of many complaints a few months ago from neighbors who cited long hours of operation and excessive noise and vibrations. The company, El Capitan Precious Metals, mines for iron ore.