Rio Grande Valley Broadband • Entered by Susan Ostlie on March 31, 2022
Mountainair Collaborative meeting
January 27, 2022
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | 0.5 |
| Post Admin hours | 0.5 |
| Activity Hours | 2 |
| Participants | 2 |
| Total Hours | 5 |
Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Grant Funded Climate Education & Stewardship Program
Key Partners: NM Highlands Univ., Claunch-Pinto SWCD, RGVBB, Mountainair RD and Cibola NF personnel, NM OHVA, NM Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, Pattern Energy, Isleta Pueblo, Sun Zia/SW Power Group, Torrence County Planning and Zoning, etc.
Short Description of Activity
Forest Plan Update – Ernest Taylor – The Cibola National Forest Plan is in the objections resolution stage. The goal is to have the plan signed sometime this spring.
Recreation Fees Update – Ernest Taylor – Public comments are being summarized and the report is being prepared to be sent to the Washington Office. Once approved the new fees policy will be sent to the Recreation Advisory Council for approval. If approved, the new fees will be implemented in the third or fourth quarter of 2022.
This meeting featured the following presentations:
Desired Conditions: Ernie Taylor, District Ranger for the Mountainair Ranger District will provide an overview of the USFS implementation of the Desired Condition concept. Desired Conditions are a key approach to how the Forest Service manages its forests and a foundation of planning goals and assessing forest conditions. They objective goals for the management of the forest affect decision-making in very important ways. This presentation will give you better insight as to why the forest is managed the way it is.
SunZia Power Transmission Project Overview and Update: “The SunZia Southwest Transmission Project consists of two bi-directional, extra-high voltage electric transmission lines and substations that will transport energy from Arizona and New Mexico to customers and markets across the Desert Southwest.” It will traverse the southern edge of the Estancia Basin.
Reflection/Evaluation
Presentation on Desired Conditions was interesting, in that it is a way to justify doing whatever the FS wants to do with a given management plan. Sun Zia presentation is pretty much a given, but it’s not particularly good for NM to put money into infrastructure for energy generated instate, but then sold in AZ and CA. Local grid development would be a better investment. This collaborative has not made a transition to being stewards of public lands that benefits wildlife and not just extractive users…