Access Issues — Archives
New Mexico
Forest Service
Carson
- NMOHVA Has Appealed the Questa Ranger District Travel Management Decision
Last Updated: March 9, 2012
The New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance (NMOHVA) has appealed the Carson National Forest's decision on Travel Management for the Questa Ranger District. The agency's Nov 17th decision closes popular roads and trails to motorized use, including Middle Fork Lake Road. In addition, NMOHVA and the Town of Red River co-signed another appeal challenging the inadequate economic impact analysis in the Environmental Analysis (EA). The Forest Service is closing roads and trails to motorized use, severely restricting camping, and eliminating motorized big game retireval. The EA doesn't show that vehicles are causing damage. Overall, the EA concludes the Forest's wildlife, soils, and water quality are all fine. The Carson doesn't even have traffic count numbers for vehicle use. There is no logical connection between the facts and the decision. The NMOHVA appeal explains how the EA disobeys NEPA laws and Forest Service planning regulations. It ignores specific laws banning buffer zones around widlerness areas. It makes no connection between the existing motorized activitiy and any measuable detrimental impact to resources. We carefully pointed out all of these errors in our comments on the Draft EA. The agency did not fix these errors in the Final EA they published. The Forest Service also did not adequately address our comments on the draft EA as they are required by law. Some of the responses provided by the agency don't even mention the topic we raised in our comment. The appeal will be reviewed by Region 3 of the Forest Service. The Forest Service has to provide a written decision on the appeal within 45 days. If Region 3 fails to hold the Carson National Forest accountable for not following the approved process, the next step would be to consider legal action. More information is available by visiting www.nmohva.org or by contacting NMOHVA at 505-321-3155
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