Carson National Forest Management - Comment Period

jamaro · Oct 28, 2015

Carson National Forest - If you spend anytime in the Carson National Forest and have any thoughts around Sportsmen Specific Management Areas please let me know. I would like to get them included in our response to the Carson National Forest Management Team. These can be areas that you find sacred and you want to protect for sportsmen.

If you have any questions about the current plan of the process please let me know

http://www.nmsportsmenforestplanning.com/uncategorized/carson-sportsmans-alternative/

Jason

iccyman001 · Oct 28, 2015

I love Carson National Forest!
It's been good to me.

jamaro · Oct 29, 2015

Work with me... Are there any areas that you would like to be protected from a Sportsman point of view? Just looking for ideas? Maybe a no woodcutting or a woodcutting area? Areas that might need special protection during calving times. Or maybe migration corridors that you think should be protected during the late winter..

iccyman001 · Oct 29, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Oct-29-15 AT 03:35PM (MST)[p]My answer will not help you.

In the area that I hunt and camp:

- I have had no issue with people cutting wood/logging/wood hauling. They could flood the woods with masses out there and I'll still find an elk.

- I have no issue with the cattle/ranchers out there.

The only issues that I have and many others have, are things that cannot really be controlled due to manning.

Poachers, Poachers, and Poachers.....

I'm sorry I could not be more of a help.
If you're looking for areas that we want to protect specifically in Carson, I will gladly PM you the area I hunt

I don't want to see that go anywhere.

nmbighorn · Oct 29, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Oct-29-15 AT 07:15PM (MST)[p]I would suggest for all marked forest roads to all be repaired with bar ditches, culverts and gravel on all ranger districts, we should not have to put our trucks in four wheeled drive just to go hunting. FS say they maintain all roads, the reality is they maintain CERTAIN Roads in selected districts. If our roads are fixed so we can get there in pickups, then they can be selective where ATV, UTV, OHV's can go.

Also a plan needs to be put in place for more trail systems for all these OHV's, I think each Ranger District should have several areas that the public can use these OHV's with trail systems.

Stop Wilderness Study Areas or the formation of New Wilderness Study Areas, we already have 4 wildernesses and a NEW National Monument within 30-45 minute drive of Taos that the public can utilize. Most are restricting mobility Impaired hunters and public from accessing those areas as it is.

jamaro · Oct 29, 2015

I think you guys are spot on... When I have attended many of the meetings the big issues are roads... Not more roads just take care of the roads you have.

More Wilderness Areas is going to be tough to introduce because much of the Carson doesn't qualify but it is something we need to keep on our radars.

I do think that there is resource issue that needs to be addressed. I am not sure if that can be addressed with the Forest Plans but I can find out.

One thing we need to push for is to make the cost of Fighting Fires to be covered by the Disaster Relief funds not the NF normal budget. I think this is a big one. In the Gila they spent 8 million on fighting fires over the last two years, just think what type of good things they could have done with that money.

Any ideas on more controlled burns or P/J removal?

WapitiBob · Oct 29, 2015

Do you guys have road closure areas for fawning and calving setup by agreement between the game dept and Forest Service? As far as roads go, up here the logging outfit did the road maintenance or paid fees and the forest maintained them. With little logging going on I haven't seen a road grader in years.

jamaro · Oct 30, 2015

Yes, Bob there are a few areas but we need to use this as an opportunity to see if there more areas or if the areas have changed over the last 20+ years.

Their has been discussions about have the logging companies maintain the roads but to be honest NM just doesn't have solid timber industry. Some of the loggers that I have talked to said that it is a combination of sawmills that are far away and the fact the NM just has smaller trees. They don't even touch stuff that is smaller that 16 inches in diameter.

That being said, your point is well take and I will dig more into the issue.

Jason

Slygrrr · Oct 30, 2015

Plus 1 on what nmbighorn said.
I would suggest for all marked forest roads to all be repaired with bar ditches, culverts and gravel on all ranger districts, we should not have to put our trucks in four wheeled drive just to go hunting. FS say they maintain all roads, the reality is they maintain CERTAIN Roads in selected districts. If our roads are fixed so we can get there in pickups, then they can be selective where ATV, UTV, OHV's can go.

Also a plan needs to be put in place for more trail systems for all these OHV's, I think each Ranger District should have several areas that the public can use these OHV's with trail systems.

Stop Wilderness Study Areas or the formation of New Wilderness Study Areas, we already have 4 wildernesses and a NEW National Monument within 30-45 minute drive of Taos that the public can utilize. Most are restricting mobility Impaired hunters and public from accessing those areas as it is.

And no more road closures.

jamaro · Oct 30, 2015

Just so you guys know. Roads are one of the huge topics at these meetings. Not some much what is a road or what isn't a road because that is part of the Travel Management Process but let's take care and maintain the identified roads.

Jason

WapitiBob · Oct 30, 2015

"I would suggest for all marked forest roads to all be repaired with bar ditches, culverts and gravel on all ranger districts, we should not have to put our trucks in four wheeled drive just to go hunting."

Who exactly is going to pay for all that?

jamaro · Oct 31, 2015

Great Question and it is brought up and every meeting. One of the comments that I have been submitting is more financial resources for projects.

This isn't part of the Forest Plan process but we need to support the current legislation that would take the cost of fighting fires out of the regular NF budget and shift it to disaster relief.

IMO, the NF have been underfunded, I think this is a way of devaluing the land that way public land transfer seems like the better path. But as we have seen with the Dunn issue this isn't the case.

J