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Call to resume use of national forests

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Human uses alongside Mexican Spotted Owl recovery

WASHINGTON, D. C. - U.S. Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Deb Haaland, D-N.M., and Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M., wrote to the U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen Sept. 27 pressing the agency to take immediate action to comply with the law and allow the resumption of traditional forest activities on national forests in New Mexico.

“We write regarding the reported impacts of the recent pause of several forest activities on national forests in New Mexico as a result of the District Court of Arizona’s decision that the U.S. Forest Service is not taking the necessary steps to recover the Mexican Spotted Owl as required by the Endangered Species Act,” they said in the letter.

“We strongly encourage the Forest Service and other parties to the lawsuit to work quickly to respond to the ruling and resolve a variety of issues, including, but not limited to, traditional firewood gathering, tribal cultural activities, and forest restoration and fire mitigation projects. We likewise strongly urge the Forest Service to undertake the action necessary to comply with the Endangered Species Act to allow the resumption of forest activities and minimize impacts to traditional uses and projects that improve the long-term health of the forest,” they concluded.

The legislators asked the USFS to work with all due speed, so that traditional uses like firewood gathering, tribal cultural activities, forest restoration and fire mitigation can resume in addition to the efforts to recover the Mexican Spotted Owl.

Staff Reports