The Coronado National Forest is seeking comments on their Draft Land and Resource Management Plan. The Forest Plan is intended to guide forest management decisions for the next 10 to 15 years. The current management plan was written in 1986. The public review period has already started with deadline to comment on February 20, 2014.
UPDATE: The Forest Service has announced an extension of the public comment period. It has been extended an additional 14 days ending on March 6, 2014.
Area conservation organizations have formed a working partnership in order to effect management recommendations to the new Forest Plan. The Coronado Planning Partnership (CPP) formed in 2006 in response to the Coronado National Forest initiating revision of its Forest Plan. The Partnership includes nearly 40 groups and landowners devoted to influencing and overseeing the new Forest Plan. Their mission includes promoting “the protection of wild species, their habitats, and ecological communities, as well as the processes that sustain them, on the Coronado National Forest.” The Partnership has released a report, State of the Coronado National Forest: An Assessment and Recommendations for the 21st Century, that they encourage the public to use to formulate their own comments on the Draft Forest Plan. It can be found on their website: skyislandaction.org/state_of_coronado.html.
One issue raised by the CPP includes the effects of climate change on forest resources. Managing the Forest to protect watersheds and wildlife in a time of a rapidly changing climate should be top priority in the Forest planning process. The proposed mining activity in the Patagonia Mountains is a major stressor on watersheds and wildlife that would exacerbate the effects of climate change. Strategies for minimizing or mitigating the effects of mining should be written into the plan, with Standards to ensure that these strategies are followed.
Additional issues raised by the CPP regarding the draft Forest Plan that pertain to our area include the activities of Border Patrol. The Coronado National Forest needs to take a strong position that Border Patrol actions will be expected to go through a legitimate NEPA analysis. This position statement should be included in the new Forest Plan. The impacts of migration, interdiction, and Border Patrol infrastructure should be added to the Cumulative Effect analysis when looking at site specific projects in forest areas south of Interstate-10. This does not currently happen and is a major oversight.
CPP member organizations are hosting public meetings to encourage folks to comment on the Draft Forest Plan. Below is a list of meeting dates and times.
Tuesday, January 28th at 5:30pm. Location: TNC Ramsey Canyon Preserve, 27 Ramsey Canyon Road, Hereford (Sierra Vista area). Hosted by The Nature Conservancy. Contact Brooke Gebow for more information, 520-378-2785 or bgebow@tnc.org.
Thursday, February 6th at 5-7pm. Location: Martha Cooper Library, 1337 N. Catalina Ave, Tucson. Hosted by the Arizona Wilderness Coalition. Contact Barbara Hawke for more information, 520-326-4300 or barbara@azwild.org.
Thursday, February 6th at 3pm. Location: Fire House Classroom, Portal. Hosted by the Chiricahua Regional Council. Contact Helen Snyder for more information, 520-558-2413 or helensyder@vtc.net.
Thursday, February 13th at 6-8pm. Location: REI, 160 W Wetmore Road, Tucson. Hosted by the Arizona Wilderness Coalition. Contact Barbara Hawke for more information, 520-326-4300 or barbara@azwild.org.
The Draft Forest Plan can be found on the Forest Service website: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coronado/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fswdev7_018673
Public comments about the Draft Forest Plan can be submitted via: Coronado Forest Plan Revision P.O. Box 1919 Sacramento, CA 95812, by fax (916) 456-6724 (Subject: Coronado National Forest, Plan Revision); or by email to CoronadoNF@fscomments.org (Subject: Coronado National Forest, Plan Revision)
