Valles Caldera Trust Releases Landscape and Restoration Stewardship Plan Draft EIS

• Public Input Requested

JEMEZ SPRINGS — The Valles Caldera Trust (Trust) has released a 10-year plan for the proposed stewardship of the Valles Caldera National Preserve (preserve.)

The Landscape Restoration and Stewardship Plan (Stewardship Plan) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) details a number of actions aimed at reducing the potential for severe burning and moving the forest to a more sustainable and resilient condition. Proposed actions include forest thinning, wildland fire management, road management, wetland and riparian restoration, noxious weed control and burned area rehabilitation.

The Stewardship Plan DEIS provides a side-by-side comparison of two landscape restoration approaches and the environmental impacts each alternative may have on the preserve along with the no action alternative. A complete version of the document is available at http://www.vallescaldera.gov/stewardship/vctDevProjectMain.aspx?ProjectID=17&pageID=4

The Trust is seeking input on the Stewardship Plan DEIS and has opened a 45-day public comment period  through Sept. 26, 2013. The simplest way to comment is through the Valles Caldera Trust online public comment system. The system allows the user to enter up to 500 words of text or to upload a PDF document. To comment on the Stewardship Plan DEIS go to http://www.vallescaldera.gov/stewardship/vctDevProjectMain.aspx?ProjectID=17&pageID=6 Comments can also be submitted via email to stewardship@vallescaldera.gov or by surface mail to:

Valles Caldera Trust

Attn. Stewardship Plan DEIS Comments

PO Box 359

Jemez Springs, NM 87025

All names and submissions will be entered into the administrative record and will be available to the public upon request.

After the public comment period the document may be revised based on the comments received. The Final EIS  will then be released and a 30-day no-action period will follow. Subsequent to the 30-day period, the approved plan will be documented in a record of decision

For more information, contact the project leader, Marie Rodriguez at 505/661-3333 or email stewardship@vallescaldera.gov.

The Valles Caldera Trust oversees the Valles Caldera National Preserve, formerly the privately owned “Baca Ranch.” The 88,900 acre property is located in the Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico. It was purchased by the federal government in 2000 under the Valles Caldera Preservation Act. The property is known for its huge meadows, abundant wildlife, meandering stream, remarkable scenery and science based adaptive management. More information about the preserve can be found at www.vallescaldera.gov.