Feelings Are Mixed About Wilderness Designation As Group Celebrates 50 Years

CIBOLA COUNTY - “It is the job of the [U.S.] Forest Service to ensure that our national forests are preserved, but also to ensure that they are kept open for outdoor recreation and resource development that does not harm the environment,” according to U.S. Representative Steve Pearce’s recently published opinion column. He expressed concern that some groups wish to directly affect the way ranchers and job creators work within the forests and claimed their goal includes the reduction of ranching and resource production. “Recently, environmental groups pushed the Cibola National Forest (CNF) to move forward with the initial steps of a wilderness designation within the Mt. Taylor Ranger District during the development of the new forest management plan,” noted Pearce. Furniture Zone 3 CNF Supervisor Elaine Kohrman explained that federal regulations require the Forest Service to evaluate areas for potential wilderness designation when revising existing management plans. She has repeatedly reassured community members, “We are very far away from deciding on areas of [wilderness] recommendation. This is only one part of the process.” Once the evaluation process is completed, USFS then makes recommendations to Congress, which has the final decision-making authority. Forest Service staff began revising the 1985 CNF Management Plan in 2012. The five-year process is scheduled for completion in 2017. “We (CNF) are at the first stage of a six-step process before any public land can be designated. I am responsible for making the final recommendation(s) to Congress if any areas are identified as suitable,” said Kohrman. One example of concern focused on area ranchers with grazing allotments in the national forest. One man questioned how a wilderness designation might affect them. CNF officials assured audience members that active grazing allotments in good standing would remain valid for use. Kohrman added that existing mining rights would not be affected; firefighters and emergency personnel would be granted access to deal with threatening situations; and valid in-holdings would be provided with access to their property...more