National Forests in Northern New Mexico Release Final EA for Riparian Restoration

By SFNF

The Carson, Cibola and Santa Fe National Forests and Kiowa National Grasslands today released the final environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice on a proposal to restore riparian, wetland and aquatic ecosystems in Northern New Mexico to improve habitat, watershed health and water quality. A 45-day objection period on the final EA opens today.

Although only 2.5% of the 4.8 million acres of National Forest System (NFS) lands in Northern New Mexico are wetlands or riparian areas, they provide essential ecological functions far beyond their small footprint on the landscape. Riparian zones provide the highest plant, bird, insect, reptile-amphibian, and mammal biodiversity on the forests. At the same time, they have been impacted by significant stressors, including climate change, high-severity wildfire, agriculture and grazing, urbanization, recreational use and invasive species.

Almost 60% of the subwatersheds across the three forests have been identified as “impaired or functioning at risk.” The three forests collaborated on the environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to increase the pace and scale of riparian, wetland and aquatic ecosystem restoration, restore watershed health and water quality, and recover riparian and aquatic species.

The riparian restoration proposal provides a more efficient process to accelerate project implementation using well-established tools and project-specific design criteria for five main types of projects:

• Projects to improve passage for aquatic species
• Instream, side-channel, and floodplain projects
• Riparian vegetation treatments
• Road and trail erosion control, relocation and decommissioning
• Restoration of seeps and springs

The final EA reflects public comments received during the scoping period in 2019 and the formal comment period for the draft EA earlier this year. The final EA is subject to the pre-decisional objection process. To be eligible to object, individuals or organizations must have submitted substantive comments on the riparian restoration proposal during the previous scoping and comment periods. Objections must be submitted within 45 calendar days from today.

Additional information on the Northern New Mexico riparian, aquatic and wetland restoration project, including the final EA and guidance on submitting an objection, is posted on the project webpage.