The San Juan National Forest’s Pagosa Ranger District invites your input on a proposal for the Turkey Springs Vegetation Management Project. You can participate in the planning process by sharing suggestions for how to make the project better, specific concerns, or information you may have about the project area. The public scoping period is open for 45 days with comments accepted until February 1, 2020.
The proposed project area is west of Pagosa Springs and west of Pagosa Lakes in Archuleta County. This is a high priority area due to the dense population, high recreation use, and important wildlife habitat. Proposed treatments include fuels reduction and vegetation management activities such as thinning, mowing, mastication, and tree harvests. Variations in forest conditions, management objectives and past vegetation treatments across the landscape will result in the use of different approaches in different areas.
The need for the proposed project is to reduce or rearrange fuels to facilitate safe and effective wildland fire management, to promote a forest structure and composition resilient to disturbances such as wildfire and drought, to promote conditions that provide for long-term wildlife habitat sustainability, and to provide wood products for commercial and non-commercial uses. These activities would improve the forest ecosystem, moving it closer to desired conditions outlined in the 2013 San Juan National Forest Land Resource Management Plan.
You can view the scoping letter, maps, and information about how to comment at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=59146.
There will be additional opportunities for input as the planning process continues, but early participation is encouraged.