From: Brooke Teufel To: FS-RGNF forest plan Subject: Input on National Forest Plan Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2017 12:14:24 PM Hello. My name is Brooke and I am a concerned nature-lover wanting to share my input with the Rio Grande National Forest planning team regarding the twenty-year Forest Plan revision. First, thank you, Forest Service, for already recommending 58,000 acres of wilderness in the following areas in the Sangres: Butterfly Creek-Miller Creek, Cotton Creek, Kit Carson Peak and Blanca Peak additions. I would like to express my support for Alternative D, the most conservation focused alternative and, in particular, the conservation designations in that alternative. I support designation of these areas for several reasons. First, I want to make sure that the national forest provides good habitat for fish and wildlife, landscape level connectivity, and outstanding nature-based recreation. I would like for places in the San Luis Valley to continue to be protected the solitary experience, and remain pristine and undeveloped. Establishing native fish protection areas with strong management requirements will help sustain and restore the native trout populations, so important when fish are increasingly stressed by climate change and human activities. The designations of the Chama Basin Watershed Protection Area will protect this remarkably scenic and unusual basin and the water it provides to New Mexico. Designating the Spruce-Osier wildlife corridor connecting the Carson National Forest and the Rio Grande National Forest will ensure deliberate management for wildlife movement and habitat connectivity. Lastly, designating the expanded La Ventana SIA will protect the larger footprint of a significant geologic landmark that also overlaps with areas identified by Colorado for unique and rare botanical values. I would also like to recommend the following places for wilderness: Wannamaker Creek-Deep Creek addition to the La Garita Wilderness (Saguache Ranger District). This addition includes five miles of the South Fork of Saguache Creek. The area is naturally appearing, and supports a broad diversity of aquatic and terrestrial habitats and contains a largely undisturbed hydrological regime. Adams Fork Addition, Three Forks addition to South San Juan Wilderness (Conejos Peak Ranger District). The Adams Fork trail provides outstanding hiking, backpacking, horsepacking, angling, and backcountry hunting. The Adams Fork addition is a documented high use area for lynx and was part of one of the initial core areas lynx established after reintroduction. It also supports a recreation population of Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Antora Meadows Recommended Wilderness is a critical area for regional wildlife connectivity and conservation that will help fill the largest gap in protected areas in the Southern Rockies between La Garita Wilderness on south and Collegiates and Sangres to the north. Protecting it will increase ecosystem functions currently under-represented in the wilderness system, as well as conservation of imperiled or at-risk species: Rio Grande cutthroat trout conservation population; and habitat for lynx, wolverine, and Mexican spotted owl. In addition, it has many wonderful trails and is great for recreation. Saguache Creek Recommended Wilderness is mainly grasslands and ponderosa pine, low- elevation ecosystems that desperately need more protection in the wilderness system. It also, like Antora Meadows, helps fill in major gaps in regional protected areas networks and offers outstanding recreation. We currently live and operate under a presidential administration that seems to prioritize business, manufacturing, and economic growth over maintaining our natural world and the beautiful outdoor places available to us. It is important for us to conserve and protect anything we can, whenever possible. Thank you, Brooke Teufel [email protected].