County agrees to work with USFS on forest projects
ALAMOGORDO — Otero County Commissioners decided not to send another letter to the U.S. Forest Service regarding the Westside Sacramento Mountains and Fuels Reduction Project but instead have a meeting with them as a new board at their Jan. 12 commission meeting.
In December, County staff authored a letter to the U.S. Forest Service about their concerns regarding the Rio Peñasco Wetland Restoration Project, amidst sending the letter they received another letter from the USFS about another proposed project, the Westside Sacramento Mountains Watershed and Fuels Reduction Project.
At the Dec. 9 County Commission meeting, Commissioners expressed their dismay with the Forest Service’s lack of coordination with local government.
In an email drafted by Commission Chairman Janet White as a private individual, she sent her comments to the USFS to establish a record of what she believes is a violation of federal law with the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and problems with the Application for Federal Assistance.
White said her number one concern was Otero County not being included in USFS’s plans.
“My number one comment was that Otero County was not included as a coordinating party on this action. There were a number of parties that were listed,” White said. “There was an application for grant monies and in that application which was filled out by the City of Alamogordo signed by the City Manager at the time, the application admits that the areas affected by the project are the City of Alamogordo, Otero County, Mescalero and Lincoln National Forest and yet Otero County was not included in the coordination as required by the National Forest Management Act.”
She said the application was signed under the agreement that may be subject to criminal penalties if all parties were not included.
“Whether they were deliberate I have no way of knowing…” White said. “I want to make it abundantly clear that when Otero County is involved and affected that they be involved in the project from the beginning. This is just another project with the same type of origination that didn’t include the county.”
White said even though she has issues with the USFS she wants to let the public know that she has nothing against keeping forest lands healthy, she just wants more coordination and involvement with projects.
“Here we have another project, I don’t want anyone to construe my words as being against forest health thinning or managing the forest,” she said. “Nothing can be further from the truth, I am deeply concerned about the health of the forest, so I think fuels reduction is absolutely necessary.”
Commissioner Lori Bies addressed Sacramento District Ranger Beth Humphrey and acknowledged that she was new to the situation and believed that Humphrey's intentions are not ill-hearted.
“When this first came up we were in the middle of a huge lawsuit and the city was not as user friendly with the county at that time. I know you came in good faith to come forward to work with us and we want to be friendly with each other and make sure they don’t happen going forward,” Bies said. “I don’t think it was intentional on your part but there were some people at the time that made it intentional then, who are not a factor now. I hope we don’t have to put out an ordinance to have people work with us when they should already be working with us. It’s a new day.”
Commissioner Susan Flores said since the board is new that they should start working with the Forest Service.
Flores made the motion not to send a letter but instead have a meeting with USFS officials. The motion was amended to send out letters to the County’s different programs to let them know that they will be working with the Forest Service.
At this time, the public meeting to discuss the Rio Peñasco wetland restoration project in Cloudcroft has been postponed until further notice.