U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Region 3 Tribal Relations Manager Yolynda Begay, is responsible for the government (Forest Region) to (Pueblo) government relations in the FS Southwest Region (3), in Jemez Pueblo, NM, Sept 10, 2019.
A highlights in the region is the Walatowa Timber Industries mill that produces wood pellets, poles for utilities, Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, White Fir and Spruce beams and vigas for conventional and traditional home building, ties for railroads, posts for fences, milled lumber, mulch and firewood.
Use of the Tribal Forest Protection Act project between the Santa Fe National Forest and the Jemez Pueblo helps to reduce the threat of wildland fire through hazardous fuels removal, this promotes forest health through reducing insect infestation and disease, and the harvest of small diameter timber will support the tribe’s nearby Walatowa Timber Industries mill. The project would be on land bordering Jemez Pueblo tribal land. The USDA FS Southwest Region recognizes the authority as a valuable tool for restoring landscapes and has used it with other Tribes. These conversations between the Santa Fe and the Pueblo demonstrate the good collaboration and relationship between the Pueblo and the Forest. The project supported the district’s Palliza prescribed fire, as well as complementing the ongoing Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program project awarded in 2010. The 210,000-acre project comprises the 86,000-acre Valles Caldera Nation-al Preserve, 110,000 acres of the Santa Fe National Forest, and 14,000 acres of nearby state, private and Jemez Pueblo lands. The Tribal Forest Protection Act project is not only an opportunity for meaningful collaboration with Jemez Pueblo, but also a benefit to the overall ecosystem of this part of the Jemez Mountains.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung with permission of the Pueblo of Jemez.
Original public domain image from Flickr
Get Premium
Professional design resources and creative tools
- Unlimited downloads
- Ad-free experience
- Unlock millions of creative assets and our entire Creative Studio of editable templates, mockups and design tools