Friday, March 08, 2013

State asks Forest Service to collaborate on land management

While a bill that would call on the state to take over much U.S. Forest Service and BLM lands in New Mexico appears to be floundering in the state Legislature, another measure that would request the Forest Service work collaboratively in land management has been approved without a dissenting vote. A House Memorial will ask the federal Forest Service to engage with state agencies and local governments in "meaningful" watershed health planning and management. The House of Representatives message contends the Forest Service has done a poor job, "in light of the history of wildfires on public land in New Mexico and it light of the United States Forest Service's breach of regulatory and fiduciary responsibilities to New Mexico." The memorial calls on the state engineer, attorney general and state forester to take steps to enforce the obligations of the Forest Service under an 1897 federal act to protect watershed health in New Mexico's forests. The state agencies will be requested to integrate local, state and tribal watershed plans and management with the efforts of the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation. The memorial was introduced by Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-Alamogordo, who also offered the measure for New Mexico to take over much of the Forest Service and BLM property in the state...more

2 comments:

Food for Thought said...

Got to get the US Forest Service flexibility when it comes to ESA and NEPA to make this work. This agency does collaborate, but can only do so much because they find their hands tied.

It is to easy for anyone to sue and we all know we live in a very litigious society.

Anonymous said...

The Eastern elite who want and do control the USFS will never turn loose of ESA or NEPA and they will keep any multiple use in the box.