Our last Access Alert described the "wilderness inventory" that the Cibola National Forest is doing as part of their Forest Plan revision. Last night we attended the first of the scheduled Wilderness Inventory Workshops in Albuquerque. We promised that we'd report on the first session.
 

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The Cibola National Forest initial proposal is that over 550,000 additional acres is potentially suitable for wilderness consideration. Over half a million acres - a full third of the Cibola National Forest! If designated by Congress, there would be five times as much wilderness as the Cibola has now (already 138,000 acres in four areas). The 550,000 acre total is also before the radical greens submit additional acreage to be included. You know they will push hard for it. The inventory process allows citizens (read: Sierra Club, CBD, Wilderness Alliance, etc.) to nominate even more parcels for inclusion.

 

What Happens to this Wilderness Inventory?

 

The inventory will be "analyzed" by the Forest Service for inclusion in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Forest Plan revision. From there, it moves to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). When the supervisor signs the decision for the FEIS, the new Forest Plan will be in effect. As part of the Forest Plan, any areas recommended for wilderness designation will require the Cibola to preserve the "wilderness characteristics".

 

It Doesn't Have to Be Official Wilderness To Be Treated As Wilderness

 

Here's why you need to be afraid. You can bet the Cibola will use this inventory and the resulting areas that are recommended for wilderness designation to prohibit "non-wilderness" uses (motorized use and even mountain bikes) even if Congress never actually designates any Wilderness. The Forest Service told the public last night that recommending an area for wilderness doesn't mean it will ever become wilderness (only Congress can create Wilderness). That is a half-truth...the half the Forest Service doesn't want to talk about is the Forest Service is REQUIRED to manage any lands "recommended for wilderness" to "preserve the wilderness characteristics." That means the Cibola will manage it forever as if it were already wilderness even if Congress never makes any of it into official wilderness.

Travel Management Decisions Won't Protect the Trails

 

The Cibola is including all of the Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) in the inventory, even though IRAs specifically allow motorized trails and use of existing roads. The travel management decision created designated motorized trails on Mount Taylor that are in IRAs. If those IRAs are recommended for wilderness, those trails will be lost, because the Cibola will decide that existing motorized use is "incompatible" with the lands recommended for wilderness.

 

Kiss the Magdalena Goodbye?

 

The Magdalena Ranger District is particularly at risk. The existing Wilderness areas in that Ranger District could get much, much bigger. The Datil Mountains could pretty much cease to exist except as Wilderness (the blue areas are being considered for Wilderness). Then the forest service can change how it's managed and prohibit everything not allowed in the Wilderness.

 

Why Are We Doing This?

 

The Forest Service stated numerous times last night that they are only doing this wilderness inventory process because federal regulations (the new 2012 Planning Rule) require them to do so. What they don't admit (and this is VERY important) is that the Forest Service wrote those regulations for themselves. Just think about what that really means!

If you don't want more (maybe MUCH more) wilderness excluding you from accessing your national forest, riding your motorcycle or mountain bike, driving your ATV or 4WD, accessing your favorite hunting spot, picnicking, or just plain sight-seeing via any vehicle.... here is what you can do:

 

1. GET INVOLVED. Attend one of the remaining workshops or website (see schedule and website below) and get dialed into what the Cibola is doing. The workshops will help you understand the inventory process, what comments are most effective, and to the best way to make those comments. This isn't rocket science. Are the Forest Service and the greens smarter than you? Don't let the greens and the Forest Service work the system better than you because you don't understand it.

 

2. KNOW YOUR FACTS. Carefully examine the maps provided (online is probably the best way if you can).  Know what areas the Forest Service is considering for the wilderness inventory, and think about the ACTUAL ON-THE-GROUND conditions that you know. It may take some field trips...now you have a really good reason to get out and enjoy the forest.

 

3. PROVIDE WRITTEN COMMENTS by November 21st. The Forest Service specifically asked us for reasons why their suggested areas would not be suitable. WE NEED TO GIVE THEM GOOD, SOLID REASONS why these lands aren't suitable for wilderness. Only YOU can provide the "on the ground" knowledge that these aren't pristine "untouched by man" lands as environmentalists will claim. Environmentalist comments will say everything (and more) should be tagged for wilderness.

 

The goal of our comments is to show the lands should not be recommended for wilderness in the Draft EIS. We do this by describing how numerous roads, range improvements (fence lines, tanks, etc.), man-made structures, ditches, pipelines, mining, utility installations and other "signs of human use" exist on the land and are clearly visible. The criterion for recommended wilderness allows the Cibola to include lands with man-made things that are "substantially unnoticeable." Our comments will show those things are very noticeable. Your comments can include photos of the things that make the area unsuitable for wilderness. You can bet the greens both inside and outside of the agency will be doing their best to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the definition of "substantially unnoticeable" to the breaking point. We can't let them get away with it.

 

4. NEVER GIVE UP. BE AS PERSISTENT AS THE GREENS. These processes are always long (often years). One of the BIGGEST DANGERS is that we get tired, bored, or complacent. If that happens, the Forest Service will do whatever they (and the greens) want. We won't like those results!

 

The best way to stop new wilderness and the "wannabe wilderness" land management is to successfully fight this initial inventory and evaluation process. Once proposed acreage for wilderness recommendation gets in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, especially in the "preferred alternative", the chances of stopping it or changing it get really, really small.

 

Remaining Inventory Workshops:

 

Thursday, September 11, 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Grants High School Performing Arts Auditorium, 500 Mountain Road, Grants, NM

 

Tuesday, September 16, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Dr. Saul Community Building, 109 Roosevelt, Mountainair, NM

 

Thursday, September 18, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Socorro county Annex Building, Commission Room, 198 Neel Avenue, Socorro, NM

 

If you can't make any of these meetings, you can still learn everything by clicking here.

 

The time to stop all this in its tracks is NOW. Get busy. It's your forest, you know it best. Tell the Forest Service it's not suitable for wilderness.