Draft Land Management Plan
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United States Department of Agriculture Santa Fe National Forest Draft Land Management Plan Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Mora, and Los Alamos Counties, New Mexico Forest Santa Fe Southwestern Region MB-R3-10-28 Service National Forest June 2019 Cover photo: Santa Fe National Forest visitors camping under the stars in the Pecos Ranger District. In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Santa Fe National Forest Draft Land Management Plan Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Mora, and Los Alamos Counties, New Mexico Responsible Official: James E. Melonas, Forest Supervisor Santa Fe National Forest 11 Forest Lane Santa Fe, NM 87508 For Additional Information: Jennifer Cramer, Forest Planner Santa Fe National Forest 11 Forest Lane Santa Fe, NM 87508 505-438-5442 [email protected] www.fs.usda.gov/goto/santafeforestplan DRAFT Land Management Plan Acronyms AML appropriate management level NHPA National Historic Preservation Act BLM Bureau of Land Management NM New Mexico BMP best management practice NMAAQS New Mexico ambient air quality standards CDNST Continental Divide National Scenic Trail NMDA New Mexico Department of Agriculture CEQ Council on Environmental Quality NMDGF New Mexico Department of Game CFR Code of Federal Regulations and Fish CRMP Comprehensive river management plan NMED New Mexico Environment CSU controlled surface use Department CWD coarse woody debris NPS National Park Service CWPP County Wildfire Protection Plan NSO no surface occupancy dbh diameter at breast height OHV off-highway vehicle EPA Environmental Protection Agency ORV outstandingly remarkable value ERU ecological response unit PM particulate matter ESA Endangered Species Act RD Ranger District FSH Forest Service Handbook RMZ riparian management zone HFRA Healthy Forest Restoration Act ROS recreation opportunity spectrum HUC Hydrologic Unit Code SCC species of conservation concern IPM integrated pest management TES Terrestrial Ecosystem Survey MIST minimum impact suppression TEU terrestrial ecosystem unit techniques TMDL total maximum daily load ML maintenance level USDA United States Department of MMCF million cubic feet Agriculture MOU memorandum of understanding USDI United States Department of the MVUM motor vehicle use map Interior NAAQS national ambient air quality standards USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service NAGPRA Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act WCF Watershed Condition Framework NEPA National Environmental Policy Act WSP Wilderness Stewardship Performance NF National Forest WUI wildland-urban interface NFS National Forest System Santa Fe National Forest i DRAFT Land Management Plan Table of Contents Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................... i Chapter 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Forest Plan Organization .................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose of the Forest Plan ................................................................................................................ 2 Description of the Plan Area ............................................................................................................. 3 Geographical and Biophysical Context ......................................................................................... 3 Historical Context ......................................................................................................................... 6 Distinctive Roles and Contributions of the Santa Fe National Forest ........................................... 8 Need for Changing the 1987 Forest Plan ........................................................................................ 11 Santa Fe National Forest Vision ..................................................................................................... 16 Contents of a Forest Plan ................................................................................................................ 17 Forest Plan Components ............................................................................................................. 17 Other Required Forest Plan Content ........................................................................................... 19 Best Available Scientific Information Applied in Developing the Forest Plan .......................... 21 Public Participation in the Forest Plan ........................................................................................ 21 Forest Plan Implementation ............................................................................................................ 22 Interrelationships of Forest Plan Content .................................................................................... 22 Consistency of Projects with the Forest Plan .............................................................................. 23 Transition in the Implementation of the Draft Forest Plan ......................................................... 25 Adaptive Planning and Monitoring ............................................................................................. 25 Chapter 2. Forestwide Plan Components ............................................................................................ 27 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 27 Vegetation – Ecological Response Units ........................................................................................ 27 All Vegetation Types (ERUs) ..................................................................................................... 30 Spruce Fir .................................................................................................................................... 33 Mixed Conifer with Aspen .......................................................................................................... 37 Mixed Conifer-Frequent Fire ...................................................................................................... 40 Ponderosa Pine ............................................................................................................................ 44 Piñon-Juniper Grass and Juniper Grass ....................................................................................... 48 Piñon-Juniper Sagebrush ............................................................................................................. 51 Piñon-Juniper Woodlands ........................................................................................................... 53 Sagebrush Shrubland ................................................................................................................... 55 Alpine and Tundra ....................................................................................................................... 56 Montane Subalpine Grasslands ................................................................................................... 58 Colorado Plateau and Great Basin Grasslands ............................................................................ 60 Wildland-urban Interface (WUI) ................................................................................................. 62 Fire and Fuels ................................................................................................................................. 64 Water Resources ............................................................................................................................