The western portion of the Valle Vidal area in the Carson National Forest will be mostly closed from today through August 20th. Travelers can drive through on Forest Road 1950, but are not allowed to stop anywhere west of the boundary between Taos and Colfax counties. Shuree Ponds, a popular fishing spot located near Cimarron Campground, will remain open. The closure will only affect anglers on Commanche Creek upstream of Commanche Point to it's headwaters. Commanche Point is at Commanche Creek's confluence with the Rio Costilla. The Rio Costilla will remain open to fishing. The closure is to allow the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to apply a chemical to Comanche Creek and its tributaries to kill non-native fish and to re-establish the native Rio Grande cutthroat trout to its home waters. The chemical, called a piscicide, affects the gills on fish and their ability to take in oxygen. Although the chemical is reportedly not dangerous when used correctly, forest officials want to limit public exposure. The eastern portion of the Valle Vidal remains open. For more information, go to www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson, or call 505-758-6200.
The Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited would like to invite all TU members and friends to a series of public meeting on the Valles Caldera. The Valles Caldera Trust is seeking the public's help in developing a new long-term visitor access and use management plan. The Trust wants the public's ideas about visitor capacity of the Preserve, recreation and education programs offered to the public, and the types of facilities and infrastructure—such as roads, trails and buildings—needed to support public visitation and visitor programs. Truchas TU and TU National would like to develop a possible collaboration with the Valles Caldera to reintroduce native Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout (RGCT) into two select drainages in the VCNP without the use of piscicides. The Truchas Chapter invites you to attend one or more of these meetings and to discuss TUs perspective on Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout introduction. The Valles Caldera Public Meetings are:
1. August 14, 2007 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Student Center of the
University of New Mexico-Los Alamos in Los Alamos, New Mexico (4000
University Drive)
2. August 16, 2007 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rio
Rancho, New Mexico (1771 Rio Rancho Blvd.)
The public is invited to come to the meetings anytime between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The workshop discussions will take place at 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM. More detailed information, including the materials presented at the meetings, will be continually updated on the Trust's website at www.vallescaldera.gov . The public can submit comments directly during the meetings, through the Trust's website (www.vallescaldera.gov ), by email to Marie Rodriguez (mrodriguez@vallescaldera.gov), or by letter to Valles Caldera Trust, P.O. Box 359, Jemez Springs, NM 87025. All comments should be received at Trust offices by September 21, 2007. Please also contact Bob O'Connor ( Roboconnor@aol.com) or Truchas TU is you would like to participate in the meetings to discuss TU's perspective on RGCT reintroduction.
The Farmington Chamber of Commerce is holding their annual Bi-Fly Adult Fishing Competition on August 24th and 25th. Competition starts at 7 am both mornings. This is a fundraiser for local charites. For more information please call 505-324-5220. I will post more information as it becomes available.
Limited angling opportunities for Gila trout began July 1, 2007, in select streams in southwestern New Mexico that have been closed to fishing since 1966, when the Gila trout was first listed as a federal endangered species. The State Game Commission approved the changes at its March 2007 meeting in Las Cruces, based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to downlist the Gila trout from endangered to threatened. The new regulations allow the Department of Game and Fish to open angling opportunities for Gila trout and open select streams that previously have been closed to all fishing. Everyone who fishes in Black Canyon and Iron Creek must have a Gila Trout Permit along with a valid New Mexico fishing license. Permits are free and will be available June 1 on the "Buy licenses online" feature of the Department website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.
Local conservation groups need volunteers! The Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited, New Mexico Trout, New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, the Quivira Coalition and the U.S. Forest Service have an extensive list of projects to improve the health of our rivers and streams. These projects include fencing, trail maintenance, cattle exclosures and lake inventories. Again these projects are to improve the riparian health of our fisheries. Almost all of these projects are located near good fishing. Please, give some time to the cause of better fishing not only for you, but for your children as well. The following people are the contacts for these projects. Truchas Chapter; Art Vollmer 505-476-6004 or Dave Gratson 505-662-0707 x29, Jemez Ranger District; Derek Padilla, Amanda Webb, Chuck Dentino, Sean Ferrell, Mike Dechter, or Phyllis Martinez 505-829-3535.
