Free Declaration - District Court of Federal Claims - federal

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-32

Filed 08/15/2008

Page 1 of 3

EXHIBIT 28

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-32
Forest Service
Cloudcrof\
J4111ger

Filed 08/15/2008

Page 2 of 3

Q

United Sto.les Dcpiu"tmenl or
AgricuUuTe

P.O. 80x :iSS Cloudcroft i NM 88317
(505)682-2551
Reply to: 2200

District

Dntc: Octolicr 20, l!l!ll

HoJJis ¡"'Iunson, Presi,,kI\L

Sacramcnlo Gra~iiig A~sociat\oii Weed, Nt.1Y i-icxico 8835,1

Dear Hollis:

The Sacramento Grõling ,'~ssoci;i(ion h:is tl'iucslcd thaL they be "bl.. to USc' the rCl\a;co

Exclosure, located at ihejuiictiol\ orFR H.I and the Sunspot JIgliway,;i a lrap to hold
your call'es for not iiorc Lliõlii Ihe days dUT.ing the I;iL week in October. This cxclosurc Wa5 constructed iii 1085 from Tlireatciicd and E:ndangercd SpecÎes rnnds tu prutect the upper Rio Penasco w;ilershclL.;u well as La proiecl S;icramcnio ~10UIli¡iill Thisl1e rroiii livestock gr:ziiig, At the meeting in ihe SlipcC"isor's omc" in AlarnogorJo on S.:pteiiber is, it wns decided th"t Don DelorenzQ, 1.)'llll \\'essinan, nnd i would re..iell the exclosure iii (he field wiih you to disciiss the usc of this e)(dosure, ris well:t~:uy other optiollS (hat there may be to hold your calves this year,

Ou September 20, Don DeLorenzo, Forest Wildlife Stair, rind Renee Galeano.Popp, Forest
Doianisi, examined the exdosiire by thems"!""s, because tlley had coinmittJlicnts the (ullowi ng week and were unable to meet you iii the fidd ;i WnS previously pl"niicd. Their rccoliiri;il\daLioll

w;i that the exclosure reiiaiu intact wiih no livestock grazing permitted. Their reasoiis ror ihis
recommendation were; I) that

the exclo~ure has a good portion of we.iland haLitat included; :2) the area is reconled .i occupied habitat for tlic Sacra.ncnlo Jumping 1l,lousc; ¡¡lid 3) (he concerri
that the thistle habitat rna)' be seriously damriged from Ir;irnpllng because it o¡:curs in a wetland

situation with hydric soils.
Don aiiJ nen~ aha e:qir(:sscll Cuii""rn thai horse: haJ usud thu ,r"l's around th" cunal,; l" tiLe

point thai you had linle forage available in the maln trap for gathering. When Doii and Renc~
disçuss,,d ihis with the Range StaITin llie Supervisor's Omçe, it appeared llH'l ihe aiiimals were

not p~rmilled on your term permit, Thesc animals were not aULhoriie,i.

On September 27, Lynn Wessman and I met with you at the Rio l'cn:ico çorrals to e:tpla.ii the forest's dedsion not lo permit gruing lIilhin the exdosurc for this ,year. The a.leriiativc that \Va. discussed during Lhc meeting on September 18, regarding a cross fence within the exc10surc
at Dall Canyon, m"y be an oplion iii future rears, however we fclt tliore was not cnough time Lo
consult with the U.S, Fish iLnd Wildlire Sen'ice before you needed to usc the area this ye;ir. We

realze tli¡LL rou do havc problems. In the future we m¡is want ,0 look al alternaih'e are~ for
your main corrals th;,t arc not located in such a sensitive aru;i ¡is the Rio Penasço. The presC'IlC""

or SanallU)lto Thistle iii Water Canyon aiid Wiihiii ihe exdusurc mak" th" area "cry ,lilìciili to use wi~houl complications,

~

Caring fOf the Lund iiiid Serving People

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-32

Filed 08/15/2008

Page 3 of 3

l) ;) j /1911
q~"
We also discussed the horse question. To help you with your livcstock rnanagcmcnt, Lynii was
aware of the hora\) uso) this yenr, ¡¡nd has alowed you to lea,'1l ,vour horses in the pasture ahove the Penasco corrals. W(, inquired inLo the possibilties of ;"OU clianging your tCrln permit to

reduce Lhe number of cattle to include horses for livestock managemciil. It is iiot rcasiblc aL this

Lime to chiiige the pemliL. Permit modifications require an en\'ironment;i assessment. What was recommended to us was tliii we allow horses within the corr;i ani)', or that yo'u put horses in the
upper tTiP ahove the corrals only during the time which )'OU are using thiim on the allotmciit.

This would be permiUcd on il ¡¡,,'c.tock usc permit. Specific dales arc required ror our records.
The)' would nol be permitted ror the entire summer s~a50n, but during _,pring and rall Il"thcriiig.

Jimmy Goss e.''(pressed deep concern over the presumed hea"Y usc that wjJ oc~ur in the

M;iciil Trap, nnd around the corrals lhis year withoul thc usc or the lcna.co E..dosure. We açknowlcdge ihilt therc wil be very hCil\'Y usc, and alihough we do not reel th:it this is
acceptnbl" for ¡h" 1001;: term. we wil allow it roi' iIds y"ar wiih the iiiiderstaiiding that lh~

situation will be improvcd llC:lL year. with couirol of iiiiorsc UBC, iilhe rins.oihilî'-y or

. 051a.iiiig tbe private laiid leases adjaccnl to the trap.
We also discussed ilie oi'crall concern that hM been escalating o\'cr livestock use on the lain Thistle, M well as the Sacramento Prickly Poppy. These two species are Sacramento Moun
rederally lisLed, wliicli makes U.S. Fish and Wildlirc Service responsible for the protection or these plants. Doth occur on the Sa.ramento :\Ilotmeiil. There lia. been recent coii.:"rn over

hcilvy lii'estock grazing on individual planls iii Lucil CaJl)'on ilnd Scott Able Can;..oii. We have scheduled a mcetiiig lo visil Lhese popul1Jtions on llie ground on Odober 21, to discuss the
situaiion, and to e..change ideas on how Iiyeslock impact the planis, ilml potential ways that

we nia~' howe to reduce or enhilnce these impacts. We IHWe inviled Ann Cull~' or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bob Sjl'¡IISki, Dotani~t for the State of N~w ;"lcxico, Dr. L"iini Iluenneke, Professor at New Mexico Stilie Unh'ersity, Sacramento Gr:iing Association, Sam Fairchild, ilnd
a.sorted Liiicoln Niltional Foren Speci..Jists. Wc h¡,,c asked thai )'011 inl'ile Nuw Mexico Range

linproycineiii T;ik Force, and New Mexico Depilrtricnt of Agriculture Siiccialists to participate. We hope lhal this meeting willlil! informative ai\d productivc ror .lIi parties concerned. il is not
mcal\! to threaten or ;iccns(!, bllt to ,hare il\rorm;ition aiid gain insight ¡iito the pl;"ILt ;inn ils
lLecds.

Sincercly,

,. c~! j,t,.o
SA~IUEL J. TODlAS
A.:ting D!Sirict R.i.nger

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