Endangered species court decision means no White House Chrismas Tree from NM?

Here is some background:

Carson National Forest to Provide the 2019 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree This year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be coming from New Mexico. The tree will be displayed on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., with a public tree-lighting ceremony in early December. The 2019 tree will be cut from the Questa Ranger District on the Carson National Forest. Seventy smaller companion trees will also be sent to our nation’s capital to decorate government buildings and public spaces... 

The FS has sponsored events around NM to have ornaments made for the tree. See Decorators finish first round of Capitol tree ornaments

The NM legislature passed a Memorial recognizing the importance of NM providing the 2019 Capital Christmas Tree.

The Gov. is involved in sponsoring an essay contest:  Gov. Lujan Grisham, Carson National Forest announce 2019 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree essay contest  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Carson National Forest on Friday announced an essay-writing contest for New Mexico fourth graders as part of the celebration of the 2019 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, which will come from the Land of Enchantment. The contest winner will have the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to join the Speaker of the House of Representatives in lighting the 2019 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
Fourth graders from around the state are invited to participate in the contest, writing about why they love New Mexico’s forests and public lands in line with the theme of the 2019 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, “Delivering Enchantment!”...

However, to protect the Mexican Spotted Owl a federal judge has ordered a halt to all woodcutting on every NM national forest. See Court ruling halts all woodcutting in forest Communities adjacent to the Gila are bracing for the worst after all woodcutting in the Gila National Forest was suspended last week. The suspension came as defendants in a lawsuit — the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — respond to a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Raner C. Collins that says the agencies have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect and improve habitats for the federally listed Mexican spotted owl. The ruling means fuelwood cutting and associated permits, logging and timber sales, tree thinning and prescribed burns are all halted indefinitely — in all national forests across New Mexico, not just in the Gila. Suspending woodcutting in the Gila will put jobs and livelihoods on the line, according to residents...

It apparently doesn't matter to state officials how many jobs are lost or how many homes go unheated, because they have filed suit to prevent any changes to the Endangered Species Act or the rules implementing it.

And now comes our friend Howard Hutchinson, who says this ruling will also apply to cutting the nation's Christmas tree (and don't forget those 70 companion trees).

Message From: Howard Hutchinson
 Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2019 14:13:50 -0600 
To: Cal Joyner , Cc: Chris Marklund  
Subject: National Christmas Trees Harvest

Dear Regional Forester Joyner and Carson National Forest Supervisor, 
Given the Court ordered injunction on harvesting of forest products in New Mexico I call your attention to the decision to have New Mexico supply the National Christmas Trees. Notification should be made to the D.C. Office that they need to seek another location for the harvesting of the tree or seek special dispensation from the judge to allow the trees to be harvested. While before the judge maybe you can request that fuel wood gathering be allowed to go forward so that New Mexicans dependent on wood stoves for heating and cooking can commence and continue gathering for winter. 

Thank you,

Howard Hutchinson
Glenwood, NM 88039 

Guess we need a new essay contest. And new ornaments to adorn unemployment offices.
After all, if the average Joe can't cut firewood, we certainly can't have the Forest Service harvesting trees either! 

UPDATE 

 Enviros have gone back to court to limit the scope...The Latest: Group seeks to limit scope of tree-cutting ban An environmental group is seeking to limit the scope of a court order that bans tree cutting across national forests in New Mexico and one in Arizona. U.S. District Judge Raner Collins earlier this month sidelined timber management projects on the forests until federal agencies can get a better handle on the population of the threatened Mexican spotted owl. The U.S. Forest Service said Thursday it has suspended permits for firewood cutting that many residents in rural areas rely on to heat their homes. WildEarth Guardians has asked the court to modify the tree-cutting ban to exclude firewood permits for personal use. The Forest Service said it would agree. It’s unclear when the judge will rule on the motion. In the meantime, residents are looking for other firewood options.

UPDATE II 

How kind and thoughtful of the enviros. They couldn't stand the political fallout, you know, families freezing in the winter and so on. Notice, though, it is for "personal use." That will not help the families that rely on cutting firewood for income, like referred to here: "“Everybody in this area is dependent on wood from Forest Service land,” said Yvonne Milligan, a lifelong resident of Reserve who uses wood cut on Forest Service land to heat her home. “And my son cuts wood for money. There are probably 20 people around here I can think of right now that cut wood to support their families — this will have a big impact.” Not big enough to worry the enviros...its too much like a business.