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NEPA Number: DOI-BLM-NM-F020-2017-0023-RMP-EA
Project Name: Taos RMP Amendment: Sabinoso Wilderness Grazing Allotments

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Project Information

NEPA Number

DOI-BLM-NM-F020-2017-0023-RMP-EA
Project Name

Taos RMP Amendment: Sabinoso Wilderness Grazing Allotments
Project Type

RMP Amendment - EA
NEPA Status

Completed - Completed
Lead Office

Taos Field Office
Last Updated

Project Description

The Wilderness Land Trust, a private non-profit organization, has purchased 10 parcels of private land, known as the Rimrock Rose Ranch (ranch property), totaling 4,361 acres adjacent to the Sabinoso Wilderness in San Miguel County, New Mexico.  The Wilderness Land Trust is offering to donate 3,595 acres of the ranch property to the United States to be included as part of the Sabinoso Wilderness, administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Taos Field Office (BLM).  The donation would provide public access for the first time to Sabinoso Wilderness, an area completely surrounded by private lands.  While this proposal would provide an important opportunity to the public, it also poses a unique challenge in terms of resolving issues pertaining to livestock grazing.</p>

<p>In summary, under Alternative A, the BLM proposes to accept the donation of 3,595 acres for addition to the wilderness under the authority of Section 6 of the Wilderness Act of 1964 (PL 88-577, 16 U.S.C. 1131-1136).  The BLM also proposes to acquire the remaining 766 acres through purchase when funds become available under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 or other sources, to be managed as part of the Sabinoso Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), an administrative designation adjacent to the wilderness.  </p>

<p>The BLM is also proposing to make the two allotments for which the Rimrock Rose Ranch served as base property (per 43 CFR 4110.2-1) unavailable to livestock grazing.  The grazing leases for these allotments, 00735 and 00736, were cancelled at the time the former owner sold the ranch property to The Wilderness Land Trust.   These allotments, therefore, are not currently being grazed under an existing lease.  The decision to make the allotments unavailable for grazing requires an amendment to the 2012 Taos Resource Management Plan (RMP), the applicable land use plan, since making lands unavailable for livestock grazing is considered a planning-level decision per BLM regulations.</p>

What's New

Taos RMP Amendment Approved!
The Taos Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment Addressing Livestock Grazing on Two Allotments in Sabinoso Wilderness was approved on September 25, 2017. A 30-day protest period and a 60-day Governor's Consistency Review was offered on the Proposed RMP Amendment beginning in late December 2016. No protests were received and no inconsistencies with state plans or policies were identified.

See also the "Rimrock Rose Donation Acceptance Project," listed separately in the BLM's ePlanning system as NEPA document #DOI-BLM-NM-F020-2016-0011-EA.

Contact Information

Brad Higdon
Planning and Environmental Specialist
Bureau of Land Management
Taos Field Office
575.751.4725
[email protected]

Project Location

City	State/Territory	Zip Code	County(ies)
Las Vegas	New Mexico	87701

Application Information

Applicant

Case File Number

Program

Sub-Program

Project Dates

Start Date

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End Date

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FONSI Date

9/25/2017

Project Office Information

Lead Office

Taos Field Office
Offices

Taos FO
Cooperating Agencies

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Contacts

Contact 1 Name

Contact 1 Email

Contact 1 Phone