Please choose at least one statement to elaborate on (listed below). You need to identify the statement(s) and what page it was on in your letter. So for instance, your letter may look like one of these:
Dear Forest Service,
Thank you for the opportunity to let me comment on the preliminary environmental assessment for travel management on the Questa Ranger District. Below you will find my comments/concerns:
EA, page 135: The economy of the study area, Taos County, New Mexico, is driven by the larger population center. Questa, Red River, and Taos Ski Valley are important economic centers within the study area, but are dwarfed by the population and economic power of the Taos area.
As a business owner in Red River it is of no significance to me that you may consider Red River’s economy smaller than that of Taos. The community of Red River is MY community and the economy here is MY economy. If your decision affects my local economy negatively it doesn’t make a difference what impact it has on the region as a whole. It will devastate the economy that affects my
business the most; that of Red River.
Sincerely,
Joe Q. Business Owner
Phone
Address
Dear Forest Service,
Thank you for the opportunity to let me comment on the preliminary environmental assessment for travel management on the
Questa Ranger District. Below you will find my comments/concerns:
EA, page 124 –Recreation is an important part of the Town of Red River’s tourism industry and economy. The Town and its businesses sponsor motor vehicle related activities to draw visitors from local areas and outside of New Mexico. Visitors come from mainly Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to escape from the summer heat. A large percentage of Red River tourists come to enjoy the national forest. Red River visitors and residents tend to use mechanized/motorized forms of recreation, such as jeep driving, ATV driving, mountain biking, and to access fishing and hiking areas. Most of the district’s transportation system (roads and trails) surrounding the Town of Red River is used by recreationists driving jeeps and ATVs.
My family and I have been coming up to Red River to use the trails for over twenty years. We drive seven hours to get there, rent three homes while we’re there, and spend on average $1,500 a day during our trip on meals, activities, lodging, etc. We were devastated when you closed Middlefork Lake Trail to motorized traffic and now understand there’s a possibility of closing more trails in the surrounding area. As OHV enthusiasts we beg you to reconsider. We know dozens of families like ours that love coming to Red River to enjoy the forest but will be forced to vacation elsewhere if you limit the trails in the Questa Ranger District. Sincerely,
Joe Q. Vacationer
Phone
Address
You can include specific financial figures to your business or how much your travel party spends while vacationing in Red River; you can include specific trails that are your favorites or that you’d like to see kept open; you can include any additional that pertains to the social and economic impact of OHV users in Red River. Statements that should be addressed:
EA, page 124 – Recreation is an important part of the Town of Red River’s tourism industry and economy. The Town and its businesses sponsor motor vehicle related activities to draw visitors from local areas and outside of New Mexico. Visitors come from mainly Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to escape from the summer heat. A large percentage of Red River tourists come to enjoy the national forest. Red River visitors and residents tend to use mechanized/motorized forms of recreation, such as jeep driving, ATV driving, mountain biking, and to access fishing and hiking areas. Most of the district’s transportation system (roads and trails) surrounding the Town of Red River is used by recreationists driving jeeps and ATVs.
EA, page 138 – The economy of surrounding communities, based on data obtained, do not depend solely on the lands within the Carson National Forest. While the Red River community might be expected to depend on NFS lands, the data indicate tourism is a large percentage of the economy. The setting of the community, surrounded by the national forest draws many tourists. In addition, Red River has many activities designed to draw people to the community without actual interaction with NFS lands. Tourism based economies are subject to many factors outside the immediate community, such as fuel prices, changes in the larger economy, weather both in the immediate community and the larger regional area, and a change in the type of individuals and families visiting the area (motorized enthusiasts to hikers, for example). The proposals for travel management on the Questa Ranger District have no discernable indirect effects on economies of the local communities.
EA, page 136 – The Red River economy is driven by the retail trade, accommodation and food service, and the construction sectors. The retail trade and accommodation and food service sector depend on incoming monies from outside the local area. Taos and Questa benefit from Red River activities, since many visitors access the Red River area from the south and the west.
EA, page 135 - The economy of the study area, Taos County, New Mexico, is driven by the larger population center. Questa, Red River, and Taos Ski Valley are important economic centers within the study area, but are dwarfed by the population and economic power of the Taos area.
EA, page 135 – Since Red River is surrounded by the Carson National Forest, many of the visitors who come during the summer recreate on the national forest. Visitors, as well as, local residents, drive their motor vehicles along NFS roads and trails to sightsee, camp, access fishing areas and wilderness trailheads, or just to be outdoors.
EA, page 136 – The Town is concerned the changes to the Questa RD’s transportation system may limit or negatively impact local businesses or its visitors who are attracted to Red River because of its easy access to the national forest.
How to Comment:
Email to: [email protected] Please include your name and address The letter MUST BE AN ATTACHMENT in .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, or .pdf (it can’t be in the body of the email) Subject line: Travel Management – Questa RD
Fax to: Carson Forest Supervisor Attn: Travel Management Questa Ranger District Subject line: Travel Management – Questa RD (575) 586-2010 AND (575) 758-6213
Drop your letter off at Red River Town Hall (100 E. Main Street) to be delivered to the forest service by hand no later than 5pm on Thursday, July 28th.