June 7, 2025
Carson National Forest Supervisor’s Office
208 Cruz Alta Road
Taos, NM 87571
575-758-6200
Attn: Taos Canyon Restoration Project- NEPA Team and Peter Rich
Dear Taos Canyon Restoration Planning Team,
The Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Taos Canyon Restoration Project and respectfully requests your consideration of the following input.
The TPA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving off-highway motorcycle (OHM) recreation. We work with land managers—including the USFS, BLM, and CPW—to ensure balanced and sustainable access for OHM users. We also support local clubs, lead outreach and education efforts, and promote responsible recreation through initiatives like our Trail Crew, which builds and maintains trails and provides on-the-ground stewardship.
We encourage the planning team to consider designating some of the roads created for fuels mitigation as public access routes after project completion. Many of these project roads could form strategic loops that offer ongoing recreational benefits and serve as valuable firefighting infrastructure. Retaining them for public use could:
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Enhance wildfire preparedness: Roads used regularly by the public tend to remain open and free of vegetation, making them more effective as burn breaks or tactical fire lines.
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Support prescribed fire operations: Maintaining these roads increases operational flexibility and access for fire crews.
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Improve community safety: More safety zones and tactical control options reduce firefighter risk during wildland and prescribed fire events.
Restricting these roads to administrative use or decommissioning them would not only waste taxpayer dollars but also risk frustrating the local public who have grown accustomed to accessing them – regardless of their official system status. Additionally, keeping these roads open could lower future fuel mitigation costs by enabling public firewood collection and mulch removal from chip piles.
We also strongly encourage the USFS to host open, town hall-style meetings and field visits as part of the planning process. Transparent engagement and public participation – through maps, Q&A opportunities, and site tours – would help to foster public understanding, reduce misinformation, and build long-term support for this and future projects, including prescribed burns.
Thank you for pursuing this proactive Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WFCS) project. These efforts offer opportunities not only to improve forest health and public safety but also to enhance recreational access and opportunities. Considering that trail construction can cost about $20 per foot (or more), each mile of road created holds an estimated recreational value of over $100,000.
The TPA strongly supports the multiple-use mandate of our public lands, including responsible motorized access and recreation to roads and trails. Our team includes several former USFS staff members to help facilitate collaboration and communication with agency planners.
Sincerely,
Chad Hixon
Executive Director
Trails Preservation Alliance