Editorial: Jemez Forests Could Use TLC

The federal government has agreed to pony up half the money needed to restore national forestland in some of the most heavily used portions of the Jemez Mountains, as well as the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

The money - $40 million - will come over a 10-year period through a federal grant; the rest of the funding for the $80 million project will be delivered through the federal appropriations process, as well as other grants.

On balance, this is good news, although no doubt it will be greeted with dismay by the few, ranging from environmentalists to off-road vehicle enthusiasts, who have vociferously opposed similar projects in the past.

The U.S. Forest Service plans, first and foremost, to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire in the ponderosa and mixed conifer forests on the west side of the Jemez range by a combination of thinning and burning. But the project includes culling of damaging non-native species, habitat restoration and replanting of native species, as well as community education and outreach.

The plan was developed collaboratively among federal, state and tribal leaders, environmental groups and various recreational enthusiasts, and there's a little something for everybody in it, including efforts to improve wildlife management, regulate vehicle traffic and teach the public to use its forest playground more wisely.

The less compromise-minded members of all these groups may find plenty to object to, nonetheless. Forest officials say thinning and burning are essential if catastrophic fires like the Mesa, Cerro and Dome Fires on the east side of the Jemez are to be prevented. But some environmentalists argue that the big fires that plague the intermountain West are essential to forest health, and trying to prevent them is a mistake, especially if it involves the extensive presence of people and machinery in wild areas. Environmentalists and others likewise have ridiculed some aspects of the federal government's efforts to intelligently manage wildlife. Still others don't want to see human access to public lands curtailed - especially not if that means restricting vehicle traffic.

If we had a criticism of the Jemez renovation plan, it would be that it doesn't go far enough. It's fine to close superfluous roads, for example, but given the enormous number of people who use the area, wouldn't it make sense to increase the number of rangers to make sure the public observes the rules? That's been one of the real sore points in the recent debate over road closures in both of northern New Mexico's national forests: Responsible off-road vehicle enthusiasts and committed nonmotorized recreationalists alike question the Forest Service's ability to enforce any regulations, whether strict or lax.

Nor does this 10-year, $80 million plan include the northern half of the Jemez range, parts of which are almost as heavily used as the area designated for restoration. Two of the five big Jemez fires of the past 30 years have occurred north of the Valles Caldera - the Oso Complex Fire northwest of Española in 1998 and the South Fork Fire this year. The area north of the Valles Caldera also has too many roads and has received plenty of abuse from irresponsible ATV riders. It, too, could use some TLC.

Nevertheless, it's important to remember that the area where the funding will be spent is only a little more than an hour's drive from the greater Albuquerque metro area - home to nearly half the state's population. As a result, the southern reaches of the Jemez will continue to be very heavily used - battered in fact - just because they're among the closest forested places for all those city folks to visit. The Jemez south of the Valles Caldera National Preserve also is home to many - the restoration area includes the villages of Jemez Springs and Jemez Pueblo, for example, as well as unincorporated subdivisions and historical settlements like Seven Springs.

Better, then, to invest the time and money available to make that part of the Jemez habitat as inviting to wildlife as it can be given all the humans present. And fire-resistant, too.

Source: Albuquerque Journal

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