Why the revision matters for Southeast Colorado—and Baca County. The deadline for comment on this process is September 25, 2025 (see more below)
 

LA JUNTA, Colo. — Timpas Grazing Unit permit holders packed a room at Otero College on Sept. 16 before joining a U.S. Forest Service Zoom session on revising the management plan for the Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands. What began as a local briefing turned into pointed questions about authorship, data choices, and whether the agency’s Draft Assessment reflects the realities of ranching on the short-grass prairie.

Critics say public engagement has leaned too heavily on virtual meetings that were lightly attended and dogged by technical glitches. Across four webinars between Aug. 26 and Sept. 9, total attendance reached 57 people—just 16 were private individuals—followed by a Sept. 16 session where 20 minutes of tech problems and lengthy introductions left roughly 40 minutes for Q&A before an attempted early adjournment. Ranchers in the room called the format “unacceptable and ineffective” for rural stakeholders spread across Southeast Colorado and Southwest Kansas.

Who wrote the Draft Assessment?

During the Sept. 16 Zoom, Otero County resident Trish Pfeffer Leone repeatedly asked who created the Draft Assessment. After initial generalities, Forest Service staff identified AECOM as the contractor—an attribution critics say should appear plainly in the document and on the project page. That omission, they argue, contributes to an “appearance of impropriety” and erodes public trust at the start of a 10–15-year plan.

Former Otero County Commissioner Kevin Carney also raised concerns about road maintenance and limited on-the-ground law-enforcement presence on the grassland. With time tight, attendees said those issues went largely unanswered.

The nuts-and-bolts concerns from the ground

• Private lands managed with allotments: The assessment notes interspersed private parcels but, locals say, doesn’t reflect how many aren’t fenced out and are managed together with USFS allotments. That matters for monitoring, drought response, and how adaptive triggers are written.
  
• Ecological sites & SCC criteria: Stakeholders want all major short-grass and canyon ecological sites explicitly listed and a clearer, non-conflicting standard for designating Species of Conservation Concern.
  
• “Urbanization,” defined for a prairie: Residents asked for a practical definition that fits local conditions (e.g., scattered homes on 40s vs. subdivisions), since those labels drive restoration priorities and potential restrictions.
  
• Roads, water, wildfire: Producers emphasized passable roads for both ranch work and fire response, and prioritizing tanks, pipelines, and riparian projects that keep cattle distributed and rangeland healthy.
  
• Law-enforcement coordination: Vast distances and light staffing make clear protocols with county sheriffs and USFS law enforcement essential for trespass, fence-cutting, and illegal dumping.
  

Why this matters in Baca County

The Comanche National Grassland spans Baca, Las Animas, and Otero counties—with Baca County carrying the largest footprint. Plan language on monitoring, access, and range improvements could ripple through ranch balance sheets, Main Street businesses, school funding, and county revenues. In a cow-calf economy where a dry spring or a June soaker can make or break a season, workable definitions and adaptive tools aren’t academic—they’re survival.

Policy context raised by commenters

Some commenters questioned the assessment’s emphasis on long-horizon climate projections and state-level climate frameworks, arguing they don’t align with near-term, on-the-ground needs. Others counter that drought and climate resilience are central to grassland health. The agency says it will weigh public input as it crafts alternatives.

What happens next (and how to be heard)

The Forest Service is in the assessment phase that will shape the range of plan alternatives drafted next. The agency’s plan hub confirms the comment window runs through Sept. 25, 2025, and provides instructions, a submission email, and a public Reading Room for incoming comments. Electronic submission is the most practical option at this point. US Forest Service

How to comment today:

• Go to the Grasslands Plan Revision page (PSICC) and follow the on-page instructions. The page lists the submission email SM.FS.CCNGRevision@usda.gov

The deadline for comment on this process is September 25, 2025. https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/planning/forest-plan/grasslands-plan-revision

A big thanks to the reporting and community commentary by Norm Kincade and Anne Boswell Taylor (Colorado News Your Way).  We have summarized much of the reporting on this below

Sources & Further Reading 

• Forest Service – Grasslands Plan Revision (hub): Timeline, documents, submission instructions, and Reading Room for comments. US Forest Service
  
• Engagement Schedule: August–September 2025 public meeting/webinar list for the Draft Assessment phase. US Forest Service
  
• Press Release (Aug. 6, 2025): Announcement of assessment webinars and the public comment window. US Forest Service
  
• Project Listing (PSICC Projects page): Formal project record noting the 2012 Planning Rule (36 CFR 219) and NFMA basis. US Forest Service
  
• Federal Register – Notice of Intent (Nov. 8, 2024): Starts the assessment phase; clarifies this is a separate plan for CCNG guiding management for ~15 years. Federal Register+1
  
• Plan Timeline (FS): Phase dates (Pre-assessment Oct 2023–Oct 2024; Assessment Nov 2024–Sept 2025; Plan development Oct 2025–Aug 2026). US Forest Service
  
• Colorado News Your Way – Local coverage: Background and meeting recaps urging engagement. ColoradoNewsYourWay
  
• Kiowa County Independent – Analysis column (Sept. 15, 2025): Planning-rule context and public-process critique by Norman L. Kincaide, PhD. Kiowa County Independent
  
• Community posts (for corroborating the Sept. 16 session): Shared recaps/discussion threads. Facebook+1
  
• Norman Kincade’s comment documents are below for additional reference.

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