A U.S. Forest Service
proposal to allow public rental of the historic Aldo Leopold cabin in Tres
Piedras has stalled due to political gridlock at the U.S. Department of
Interior.
“What a shame, it’s a great attraction that could really
help bring more visitors to northern New Mexico ,”
says Deb Graves, owner of the Chile Line Depot restaurant off U.S. 285 in rural
Tres Piedras.
The cabin was built by Leopold, a founding father of the
nation’s wilderness conservation movement, when he was the forest service’s
district ranger back in 1911.
The forest service first announced the proposal in September
2016 noting that it wanted to offer the public a unique recreational experience
while also providing funds for maintenance of the historic building. Money
earned from cabin and other rental properties stays within the district where
it is raised and is a valuable tool in helping the cash strapped forest service
pay for maintenance and other costs.
The Leopold cabin features 4 furnished bedrooms and can
accommodate up to 11 guests. It has a fully equipped kitchen and dining room, a
library and fireplace and would rent for $175 a night. The cabin’s wide,
covered front porch offers sweeping views of the surrounding countryside and is
perfect for whiling away an afternoon. Outdoor
recreational opportunities abound within nearby forest and wilderness areas
including the Rio Grande gorge.
The proposal hit a snag due to the forest service’s need to
have it vetted and approved by the public before it can be implemented, says
Amy Simms, a public service staff
officer with the Carson National Forest in Taos.
The forest service
needs to use an existing U.S. Interior Department Bureau of Land Management
Resource Advisory Committee to vet such a proposal in New Mexico .
The committees are
comprised of members of the public that represent various industries,
recreation and government. Members apply for appointment by the Secretary of
the Interior and routinely meet to provide public input on federal agency
operations.
But Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke soon after his appointment by President Donald
Trump suspended use of the RAC committees,
then reinstated some but failed to appoint members to others.
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| Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of the Interior. |
The Farmington District Office committee which heard from
U.S. Forest Service staff about the Leopold House rental proposal during a
recent meeting in Taos is one of
those RAC committees operating without a
full roster. It can’t conduct any official business such as approving the
forest service proposal due to its lack of a quorum.
“I’ve got the feeling they’re just going to let them die on
the vine,” says committee member Mick O’Neil, a retired New
Mexico State University Africa .
“It seems this administration just doesn’t like public input.”
The interior department isn’t saying if or when those who’ve
applied to fill the vacancies will be appointed, O’Neill said.
The department’s press office declined to answer several
inquiries seeking an explanation of what was going on.
Meanwhile the Leopold house often stands empty despite the
forest service’s best effort to put it to better use.
