Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Logging in New Mexico Blocked by WildEarth Guardians

Old Growth and Water Quality Concerns Returns Upper Bitter Creek Timber Sale to Square One
Contact: Bryan Bird (505) 988-9126 x1157

Taos, NM – An appeal filed by WildEarth Guardians and Carson Forest Watch has reversed the decision for logging with inexcusable impacts on old growth and water quality on the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico. On September 24, the Forest Supervisor concurred with the conservation group’s objections and sent the Upper Bitter Creek timber sale back to government planners. For now, wildlife and clean water will have a reprieve from the logging boosters.

“In a time of alarming impacts on North America’s forests from climate change, logging our public lands is senseless.” Said Bryan Bird with WildEarth Guardians. “Old Growth and clean water are assets for our country to be cherished not squandered.”

The forests’ decision approved logging and thinning on 2,542 acres or nearly four square miles of high elevation spruce-fir forest on the Questa Ranger District. It authorized a variety of logging activities requiring 11.6 miles of road construction and opening of 12 miles of closed roads.  The appellants as well as respected scientists identified severe scientific flaws in the logging projects’ justification and intolerable impacts on old growth forest, roads that pollute already suffering trout streams and critical wildlife habitat impacts, loss of standing dead trees or snags.

“The Forest Service budget is strained as it is with competing demands including fighting wildfires and protecting communities. “Said Bird. “It is senseless for taxpayers to foot the bill to destroy stressed forests. Limited federal dollars should be directed at improving watershed conditions and creating fire safe communities.”

The Obama Administration Forest Service has focused on protecting and restoring precious watersheds on lands that it manages for the American people.  Logging is largely a thing of the past on federal lands in New Mexico as the agency redirects funds to collaborative projects aimed at restoring forest functions and protecting communities from inevitable wildfires. The Upper Bitter Creek logging project strayed radically from the general consensus and established forest science and was destined for failure.