The U.S. Forest Service has released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Taos Canyon Wildfire Resilience and Habitat Improvement Project in the Carson National Forest of New Mexico. In 2024 BRC sounded the alarm on the potential impacts of this projects during the scoping period. This large-scale proposal aims to address wildfire risks and improve ecological health across more than 24,000 acres of public land in Taos Canyon.
While BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) strongly supports the goals of fuels reduction and wildfire mitigation (as we advocated for here), we are concerned that this EA proposes to close or reclassify numerous roads and trails, including currently undetermined routes, without using the appropriate travel management planning process. If adopted as proposed, this project could result in the permanent loss of motorized access in an area highly valued by our members. We have serious concerns about how motorized access is being handled in this project:
- Travel Planning Shouldn’t Be Tucked Into a Forest Health EA: Decisions about route designation and access should be made through the formal travel management process, where stakeholders can evaluate all routes in context, not through a forest restoration EA.
- Loss of “Undetermined” Routes Means Loss of Access: Many of these routes are used regularly for recreation, hunting, camping, firewood gathering, and forest stewardship. Decommissioning them could permanently cut off valuable access.
- No Clear Accounting of What’s Being Closed: Without a clear breakdown of what portion of the 107.4 miles are new, existing, or decommissioned routes, the public can’t meaningfully assess or comment on the changes.
- No Public Meetings to Clarify Impacts: The agency has not offered in-person meetings or high-resolution maps to help the public understand the extent of the proposed changes.
Find further details and the form to add your comment below. Comments are due July 8th!
The EA includes a wide range of management activities aimed at improving forest conditions, mitigating wildfire risks, and protecting watersheds and wildlife habitat. Some of the key proposals include:
Fuels Reduction & Forest Thinning
- Prescribed fire and mechanical thinning across 24,339 acres in and around Taos Canyon.
- Treatments target overly dense stands, overgrown pinyon-juniper, and encroachment into meadows and historic openings.
- The goal is to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health and biodiversity.
Habitat and Watershed Improvements
- Seeding of native grasses and forbs following thinning and burning.
- Removal of invasive species like Russian thistle and kochia.
- Installation of erosion control measures, water bars, and sediment basins to improve watershed function and reduce runoff.
Road and Trail Work: The Most Concerning Piece
- 107.4 miles of route work is proposed, but the EA does not clearly state how much is new construction vs. reconstruction of existing routes.
- Numerous “undetermined” routes—those not yet officially designated—are proposed for decommissioning.
- Some motorized routes may be reclassified as nonmotorized, with vague justification.
- Work includes road closures, culvert and drainage work, road recontouring, and full decommissioning of some routes and spurs.
- Motorized trails are not clearly inventoried, making it hard for the public to assess what is actually at risk.
BRC supports fire mitigation and habitat improvement goals, but we have serious concerns about how motorized access is being handled in this project:
- Travel Planning Shouldn’t Be Tucked Into a Forest Health EA: Decisions about route designation and access should be made through the formal travel management process, where stakeholders can evaluate all routes in context, not through a forest restoration EA.
- Loss of “Undetermined” Routes Means Loss of Access: Many of these routes are used regularly for recreation, hunting, camping, firewood gathering, and forest stewardship. Decommissioning them could permanently cut off valuable access.
- No Clear Accounting of What’s Being Closed: Without a clear breakdown of what portion of the 107.4 miles are new, existing, or decommissioned routes, the public can’t meaningfully assess or comment on the changes.
- No Public Meetings to Clarify Impacts: The agency has not offered in-person meetings or high-resolution maps to help the public understand the extent of the proposed changes.
However, we oppose the inclusion of widespread route decommissioning, closures, and reclassifications under this EA. Trail decisions must be made transparently and with full public involvement, through a proper travel management planning process, not buried within a forest restoration proposal.
We urge our members and all public land users to submit comments using the tool below to send a strong message to the United States Forest Service. Comments are due by July 8, 2025.
