Rio Grande Valley Broadband • Entered by Susan Ostlie on September 9, 2020
Mediation of a ROD on military training permit
August 20, 2020
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | 6 |
| Post Admin hours | 1 |
| Activity Hours | 2 |
| Participants | 4 |
| Total Hours | 15 |
Key Issue: Public Lands Health & Protection
Activity Type: Advocacy (rallies, lobbying, meeting decision makers, letters/calls/emails)
Key Partners: NM Wilderness Alliance, the Wilderness Society, Dr. Arian Pregenzer, USFS Region 3 supervisor and personnel and lots of USFS/ Kirtland AFB personnel
Landscape/area: Cibola National Forest (1616435 acres)
Short Description of Activity
This conference call was a mediation to resolve objections to the inadequacy of the EA to expand the military landing pads from 1 to 4, and to expand the incursions for on-the-ground training exercises into Inventoried Roadless Areas that should be protected to become recommended Wilderness. The mediation was courteous, but seemed unlikely to change the outcome our objections to the final EA proposed.
Reflection/Evaluation
The Region 3 office was supposed to get back to us by August 27th, but they have not done so yet – as of 9/9. The attorney for NMWA is in discussion with his Board of Directors as to whether or not they want to litigate. The RGVBB did comment on the initial proposal to renew and e expand the permit, and I also attended an educational field trip to assess the environmental impact, which seemed really extreme. I also signed on to the objection letter. It is unclear yet whether or not any litigation will occur, and what the RGVBB’s role will be able to be. Dr. Pregenzer’s husband is (I believe) an attorney, and she seemed pretty determined to force them to redo the EA, in order to establish whether or not enough alternatives were considered. (Basically only one alternative…) There are large areas of NM that are owned and controlled by the military that could be used for these trainings. (White Sands Missle Range, for one…)