Rio Grande cutthroat trout streams protected in New Mexico

In keeping with a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity and Amigos Bravos, the Carson National Forest amended its Forest Plan on 6-26-02 to protect 531 miles of streams and rivers in northern New Mexico. The Carson was one of four New Mexico National Forests sued by the Center and Amigos Bravos in 1997 for failing to identify and protect rivers that are eligible for designation as “wild,” “scenic,” or “recreational” under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The Forest concluded that 67 river segments are eligible for protection under the Act, and now must manage them so as to maintain their eligibility until Congress votes on whether to formally add them to the list of wild and scenic rivers.

Though over 10,500 miles on 150 river segments have been protected under the Act nationwide, very few New Mexico rivers have been included. Combined with those determined to be eligible by the Gila, Lincoln, and Cibola National Forests, the suit has brought protection to over 800 miles of public rivers in New Mexico. On the Carson Forest, these include the Rio Tusas, Rio Vallecitos, Rio Pueblo, Arroyo Hondo, Canjilon Creek, El Rito Creek, Rio Chama, and the Red River; on the Gila Forest they include the Gila, Tularosa, and Negrito rivers; on the Cibola Forest they include the Canadian River; and on the Lincoln Forest they include the Sacramento River and Rio Peñasco.

Many of these rivers on the Carson NF provide current or historic habitat for the highly endangered Rio Grande cutthroat trout, the state fish of New Mexico. Although the Rio Grande cutthroat trout is highly imperiled, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently failed to list this trout under the ESA, as warranted by its status. The CBD and other groups will soon take legal action against the FWS to compel it to follow the law and list this trout under the ESA.

The case was argued by Matt Bishop of the Western Environmental Law Center (Taos).