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ask.heather@mail.house.gov
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In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax |
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax |  |
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Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
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| Wilson letter on Valle Vidal |
September 09, 2005 |
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| Mr. Martin D. Chavez Jr.
Forest Supervisor
Carson National Forest
ATTN: Valle Vidal Forest Plan Amendment
208 Cruz Alta Road
Taos, New Mexico 87571
Dear Martin,
I am writing to comment on the Carson National Forest`s Proposed Forest Amendment for the Valle Vidal (70 Federal Register 113).
Throughout our history, America`s public lands have been available for a variety of activities from recreation and grazing to mining and energy development. I support a balanced approach to the management of our public lands. In 2004, 42% of the coal, 11% of the natural gas, and 5% of the oil used in the United States were derived from public lands. Our public lands supply our country with critically important energy resources and the royalties generated from these activities support our schools, hospitals, and other important governmental services.
However, there are some areas where the best use is not gas exploration. The eastern section of the Valle Vidal is one of these places. After flying over the Valle Vidal and the adjacent Vermejo Ranch, meeting with the Carson National Forest planning manager and Philmont Scout Ranch officials, and hiking the eastern area of the Valle Vidal with concerned users, I believe that the management direction the Carson National Forest Service should take with the Valle Vidal Unit is incompatible with oil and gas development at this time.
Forest Service planning and management is guided primarily by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) of 1974, as amended by the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976. Congress passed these laws to encourage foresight in the use of the nation`s forest resources, and to establish a long-range planning process for the management of the National Forest System. These laws encourage an interdisciplinary approach, including economic analysis and the identification of costs and benefits of all resource uses.
I believe that the most beneficial use of the Valle Vidal is to preserve and enhance the area`s riparian and water resources, varied wildlife populations, and recreational and sporting opportunities. Coal bed methane development using current exploration techniques is incompatible with this use.
Riparian and Water Resource Management
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was established by Congress in 1968 by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (P.L. 90-542). The act established a policy of preserving selected free-flowing rivers for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture are required to report to the President on the suitability of these rivers for wild and scenic designation, who in turn submits recommendations to Congress.
In 2002 (Carson Forest Plan Amendment 12) the Carson National Forest inventoried the waters of the Valle Vidal and found that many of the area`s rivers and creeks contain one or more the necessary qualities to classify them under the National Wild and Scenic River program.
The waters of the Valle Vidal support the abundant wildlife present in the area including New Mexico`s largest elk herd. In addition, many of the rivers, streams, and creeks in the Valle Vidal provide anglers an opportunity to catch a variety of fish including New Mexico`s state fish, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
Pursuant to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and subsequent Forest Service regulations, the Forest Service still needs to conduct suitability assessments on each river before the Forest Service can make formal permanent designation recommendations to Congress. The Valle Vidal Unit Management Plan should include a process and timeline for undertaking the necessary suitability assessments, so that the process of recommending to Congress the area`s suitable rivers for permanent protection can move forward.
In the meantime, the Forest Service should assure protection of the traits for which the river areas were determined eligible for permanent protection.
Wildlife Habitat Management
The Valle Vidal is a crucial refuge for a vast array of wildlife including New Mexico`s largest elk herd. In the Valle Vidal, I saw a rafter of wild turkeys and a red tail hawk. At dusk, at the neighboring Philmont Scout Ranch, I saw families of antelope and deer.
The Forest Service should make arrangements for the long-term scientific management of the area`s wildlife habitat for elk, wild turkey, hawks, eagles, bears, antelope, deer, and the many other native species in the area. Seasonal closures should continue as necessary to protect the integrity of critical habitats.
Recreational and Sporting Opportunities Management
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages recently rated the Valle Vidal`s Cimarron and McCystal campgrounds two of the Nation`s top ten campgrounds. The stream, creeks, and ponds of the Valle Vidal attract an average of 5,000 anglers each year and the area provides a limited number of licensed hunters the opportunity to hunt elk, bear, turkey, deer, and antelope. The area is also popular with bird watchers, hikers, and nature photographers. In the winter months the Valle Vidal is home to some of the country`s best cross county skiing and snowmobiling terrain.
Each year, the Valle Vidal provides thousands of New Mexican and out-of-state visitors with outstanding recreational and sporting opportunities. The Forest Service should continue to allow for managed high quality recreational and sporting opportunities in the area like wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and skiing.
Philmont Scout Ranch
The Forest Service`s partnership with the Boy Scouts goes back more than fifteen years and has been positive for the Boy Scouts and Forest Service. Since 1983 the Valle Vidal has provided over 23,000 Boy Scouts an area to observe wildlife in its natural environment, appreciate the beauty of nature, learn self-reliance, and overcome difficult obstacles.
In 1993 the Boy Scouts entered into their first Special Use Permit with the United States Forest Service that allows up to 3,000 Boy Scouts each summer to backpack through the Valle Vidal. The Valle Vidal is adjacent to Philmont Scout Ranch, the largest of three high adventure camps operated by the Scouts nationwide.
Each year, some 25,000 boys come to backpack at Philmont from across America. About 10% of these take treks that include the Valle Vidal. It would hard to identify another piece of forest service land that sees this kind of recreational use by such a broad cross section of Americans from every region of the county. With permission of the Forest Service, Philmont Scout Ranch operates three staffed camps and a trial camp in the eastern portion of the Valle Vidal, the same area under consideration for coal bed methane drilling.
Public-Private Collaborative Environmental Restoration Management
Each year in late May or early June, Forest Service staff and Boy Scout officials meet to discuss possible environmental restoration projects and work areas for Boy Scouts to work on during the upcoming summer. Boys Scouts have spent more than 10,000 hours on various environmental restoration projects in the Valle Vidal. In collaboration with Forest Service staff, Boy Scout volunteers have built over 145 rock structures to control erosion and stabilize watersheds. They have thinned 80 acres of trees and built timber stands on the trees too large to cut down. The Forest Service then burns the timber stands creating a standing dead tree, an ideal habitat for cavity nesting birds and bats. This year Boy Scouts removed noxious weeds from over 50 acres in the Valle Vidal.
The Forest Service also collaborates with the Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Albuquerque Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Trout, Trout Unlimited, and the Guivira Coalition on environmental restoration projects in the Valle Vidal. The Forest Service should continue to collaborate with the Boy Scouts and other groups on environmental restoration projects in the area.
Conclusion
I support a multiple use philosophy of public lands management, which encourages the environmentally responsible use of public lands for economic purposes. New Mexico ranks fourth in oil reserves and second in gas reserves in the United States and our abundant natural gas and oil resources help reduce our country`s dependence on foreign energy sources.
In 2003, $766 million dollars in royalties was generated from oil and gas production on Federal land in New Mexico and was distributed equally between the state of New Mexico and the Federal government. So far this year, State Land Office`s beneficiaries have received $473 million in royalties from oil and gas production on state land. These funds support our public schools and hospitals and many other important governmental services. The Raton Basin covers approximately 2.6 million acres. The 40,000 acres of the Valle Vidal currently under consideration for coal bed methane development represents approximately 1.5 percent of that area.
There are some places that because of their outstanding recreational, scenic, and wildlife attributes, exploration should not occur because the technology currently available for exploration is still too invasive to be compatible with other uses of the land. The Valle Vidal is one of these special places. The Valle Vidal Unit Management Plan should make special management arrangements to preserve and enhance the area`s riparian and water resources, varied wildlife populations, and recreational and sporting opportunities. Coal bed methane development is incompatible with these uses at this time.
Thank you in advance for considering my input.
Sincerely,
Heather Wilson
Member of Congress
HW: ch |
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