NEPA National
Environmental Policy Act (1969)
NFP National Fire Plan
(developed in 2000)
HFI Healthy Forests
Initiative (2002)
WUI Wildland Urban Interface
EIS Environmental Impact
Statement
DBH: Diameter at breadst Height
(The diameter of a tree measured at 4’6” from the ground)
The
Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI) was signed by Pres. Bush in 2002. The purpose of the initiative was to reduce
the risk of catastrophic wildfires by restoring forest health and improving the
regulatory processes to ensure more timely decisions, greater efficiency and
better results. The Healthy Forest
Restoration Act (HFRA) was also put in place in 2002. It provides (1) new authorities & tools; (2) reduces
complexity of environmental analyses; (3) encourages early public participation
and collaboration; (4) provides a pre-objection process that replaces (for HFRA
projects only) the standard 251 appeal process; (5) provides direction to
courts on fuels reduction projects; and (6) emphasizes retention of old growth
and large trees. (For further
information on HFI and HFRA refer to http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/hfra .)
The
La Jara Project falls under the guidelines of the HFRA and, as such, requires
the collaboration of several types of participants. They include Tribal representatives, Federal & State
agencies, local governments, landowners and other stakeholders, and
community-based groups. Specifically,
those persons with: (1) direct responsibility for management decisions
affecting public and/or private land and resources; (2) fire protection
responsibilities; or, (3) those with a working knowledge and interest in local
resources.
This
collaboration process does not replace public involvement in the NEPA
process. Although some NEPA procedures
have become more efficient, it does not reduce the obligation of Federal
Agencies to complete appropriate environmental evaluations and Agencies must
not shortchange the right of the public to understand Agency proposals and
provide their views to Agencies on matters affecting public lands. I.e., all existing environmental statutes
remain in place.
The
La Jara Project qualifies as a HFRA project because it involves Federal land in
wildland-urban interface areas. A WUI
is described as an area within or adjacent to an at-risk community and/or in
which a wildfire protection plan is not in effect. This includes land that is:
(I)
An
area extending ½ mile from the boundary of an at-risk community;
(II)
An
area within 1 ½ miles from the boundary of an at-risk community,
(III)
Including
any land that –
(A) Has a sustained steep slopes that create
the potential for wildfire behavior endangering
the at-risk community;
(B)
Has a geographic feature that aids in
creating an effective fire break, such as a
road or ridge top; or,
(C)
Is in condition class 3, as documented
by the Secretary in the project-specific
environmental analysis; and,
(i)
An
area that is adjacent to an evacuation route for an at-risk community that the
Secretary determines, in cooperation with the at-risk community,
requires hazardous fuel reduction to provide safer
evacuation from the at-risk community.
(ii)
Class
3 Federal land in proximity to a municipal water supply system that has
significant risk in case of a fire disturbance event.
The
Secretary (through its Federal Agency in charge of developing the project)
shall provide notice of each authorized hazardous fuel reduction project in
accordance with applicable regulations and administrative guides. There will be public notices and meetings
during the development of the project so that there will be collaboration among
State and local governments and Indian tribes, and participation of interested
persons. These meetings will be held in
locations proximate to the administrative unit of the Federal land on which the
authorized hazardous fuel reduction project will be conducted.
The Secretary shall provide an opportunity for public comment during the preparation of any environmental assessment or environmental impact statement for an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project.
The
Secretary shall sign a decision document for authorized hazardous fuel
reduction projects and provide notice of the final agency actions.
The first public meeting was held on March 7, 2005, at the Angel Fire Community Center. Representatives from all of the participants described above were invited to this meeting. Diana Johnson attended these preliminary meetings and served as a collaborator representing Taos Pines Ranch. Camino Real District Ranger Cecilia Seesholtz opened the meeting and went over the objectives of the meeting and how the HFRA process would be used to craft a fuels reduction proposal for the upper Taos Canyon area.
District
Ranger Seesholtz explained that this meeting and the collaboration process was
aimed at discussing the values associated with the upper Taos Canyon/La Jara
area and to share ideas of what treatment is needed. The discussions should also establish priorities, cooperation on
activities, and increase public awareness and participation to reduce the risks
to communities and surrounding lands.
Input
from group discussions at this meeting will be used to create a project
proposal in the La Jara analysis area.
At a subsequent meeting, information gathered at this meeting will be
refined and included (where possible) in an overall program for further
explanation and comment. After this
group has had an opportunity to review, comment, and the edit the proposal, it
will be sent out to a larger mailing list of interested parties for a 30-day comment
(the NEPA scoping process) period.
There
were other experts who provided information useful to the audience prior to
audience participation. They included
Paul Czesynski, the Camino Real District Forester, representing vegetation and
forest health; Ray Corral, the Camino Real District Fire Management Officer,
representing fuel and fire behavior; and Deb Kanter, a Carson National Forest
Hydrologist discussing soils and watershed.
After
all of the presentations, the audience broke into 5 working groups. After approximately 30-45 minutes of work,
each group reported on their discussions.
In summary, the groups were mostly concerned with tree thinning,
disposition of materials from the thinning, processes used to do the tree
thinning, roads into the areas to be thinned, aspen regeneration, increasing
meadow areas which are being encroached upon, and restoration of
riparian/stream areas. Questions were
also raised regarding culvert design, reduction of erosion potential from fire,
and other improvements along Hwy. 64.
There were comments and suggestions regarding wildlife habitat, hiking
trails, access for fire equipment, watershed improvement, creating
demonstration plots for public education, and the return of the natural fire
cycle.
2nd Public Meeting
of Representatives – Review of Proposed Project
The
La Jara Interdisciplinary Team reviewed the comments received at the March 7th
Collaboration Meeting. The team broke
the information gathered into the following categories:
Protection of Communities and
Infrastructure
Watershed Protection and Improvement
Water Production
Vegetation Management/Improvement
Natural Range of Variability (return
to a fire-adapted ecosystem wit the reduction of Condition
Class 3 vegetation, reduction in fire severity and
expected vegetation mortality for a fire, and return of fire into the area in
regular return intervals)
Wildlife
Recreation
Transportation
Request for specific project
information (who/what/when/were/how)
Fire Education
General Comment
Social and Economics – Availability
and Type of Products
NEPA Process
The
comments were also reviewed to see if they were:
Outside the scope of the analysis or
Outside of Forest Service
jurisdiction.
The
Interdisciplinary Team provided written responses to every comment, question
and suggestion brought up at the March 7th meeting. In almost every case, they responded
favorably to the information gathered at that meeting and included steps to be
taken for implementation in the final project.
They also pointed out areas they could not include in the project
because they were not within their jurisdiction (such as culvert design and
mitigation along Hwy 64).
The
draft of the proposed project received favorable acceptance from the
audience. The draft has now been
finalized into the La Jara Hazardous Fuel Reduction and Restoration Project
proposal that will be presented to the general public at an open house meeting
on May 16, 2005, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Sagebrush Inn conference
room in Taos, New Mexico.
The
La Jara Canyon area is located at the top of Pala Flechada Pass. The area included in the project starts below the pass in the Angel Fire area
and continues down Hwy. 64 into Taos Canyon.
It is bordered by forestland, the Taos Pueblo, Taos Pines and Angel
Fire. The analysis area is
approximately 6,216 acres. The proposal
is to treat approximately 3,880 acres.
To make implementation manageable, the project has been segmented into 4
phases or priorities. The project is
expected to take 3-7 years (2005-2013) to implement.
The
purpose and need for the project is:
To reduce fire severity
To improve protection of at-risk
communities and infrastructure in the Taos Canyon area
Protect and improve soil and
watershed resources
Return fire to the area, and
Provide other resource benefits as
possible (wildlife, recreation)
Funding
for the project will need to be a cooperative effort. Several funding options will need to be used such a (1) National
Forest dollars, (2) Sikes Act – New Mexico Game and Fish and (3) community CFRP
grants.
Heritage,
Northern Goshawk (NGO), Mexican Spotted Owl (MSO), fuels and vegetation (stand
exam) surveys have been completed.
First
and 2nd public collaboration meetings were held (March 7 and April
15). The open house public meeting in
which proposal for the project was presented was held May 16 in Taos, NM. The proposal was sent to all Taos Pines
Ranch owners.
The final environmental analysis was mailed to all concerned citizens (including Taos Pines Owners) in August 2005. After going through an objection process period, the plan was approved and work will commence on the project in the spring of 2006. For more information contact the Camino Real Ranger District (505)587-2255.
Prepared by Diana Johnson