By Mark Oswald / Journal Staff Writer
A 10-person team of researchers from Northern Arizona University confirmed that the Santa Fe National Forest is home to New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.
Also, U.S. Forest Service crews have built a fence to protect critical habitat for the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse in the Jemez Mountains.NAU School of Forestry professor Carol Chambers and her crew surveyed 10 sites in or near suitable habitat for the mouse and confirmed its presence in eight of the 10, according to a Forest Service news release.
...Simultaneously, about 50 Santa Fe National Forest employees, students working on Youth Conservation Corps crews and a handful of people representing grazing permittees on the forest’s Cebolla-San Antonio allotment joined forces over three days to construct 2.8 miles of fence in the Road Pasture.
The new Road Pasture fence, approved as part of the May 2016 habitat protection project for the mouse, will help keep cattle out of designated critical habitat for the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.
“While we have obligations under the Endangered Species Act for the conservation of the mouse, we also understand that the ranching tradition runs deep in New Mexico,” Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor Maria T. Garcia said. “Our intent is to protect the mouse while continuing to allow grazing on the impacted allotments,”
“We appreciate the help of all our partners, particularly the grazing permittees, for working with us to achieve that multi-use objective.”
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