On February 10, 2016, New Mexico Trout submitted a comment on the Santa Fe National Forest’s proposal to protect endangered New Mexico Jumping Mouse habitat on the Rio Cebolla in the Jemez mountains. While agreeing with most of the findings and plans, the comments address two areas of disaccord:
- There is no science-based reason to exclude non-consumptive, dispersed recreational users from the site, when cattle are responsible for the habitat degradation.
- The proposed quarter-mile gap between two exclosures (to allow cattle access to the Rio Cebolla) will result in habitat fragmentation and adversely affect stream quality and downstream recreation uses.
The entire document can be read Jumping mouse EA response.