WildEarth Guardians challenges forest restoration plan in Jemez Mountains

The Santa Fe-based WildEarth Guardians environmental group has lodged a formal objection to a forest restoration plan in northern New Mexico for forest restoration activities on 170 square miles of the Santa Fe National Forest in the Jemez Mountains. WildEarth Gaurdians said it objects in particular construction and reconstruction of 120 miles of road to access timber. The Forest Service’s Southwest Jemez Mountains Landscape Restoration Project includes logging, prescribed fire and other activities to address watershed conditions and prevent wildfire, WildEarth Guardians said. WildEarth Guardians says it supports limited tree cutting and prescribed burning, but that the construction and reconstruction of roads “will result in persistent impacts on water quality that are unacceptable.”...more