As a full time resident of Deer Lake Estates which adjoins the Santa Fe National Forest in the Cuba Ranger District, I feel compelled to comment on the proposal to treat/eliminate noxious weeds in the forest.  Having owned property in this area since 1964 and living here since 2000 I have noticed an explosion of noxious weeds especially thistle in the past several years.  I fully support and endorse the agencies decision to implement the full spectrum of controls (Plan B) in an attempt to address this problem.  As we have a large number of cattle grazing in this area during the summer it appears that they do not elect to feed on the thistle.  I would certainly entertain the idea of utilizing other grazing species if they could contribute to the effort.  The thistle has obviously invaded private property in this community and personal experience has shown that pulling and the use of herbivores can significantly contribute to controlling the spread of thistle.  However, as predictable some property owners think the purple flowers are pretty and elect to allow them to propagate.  The Cuba Soil and Water District has made various attempts to educate people that the thistle is not a native plant and needs to be controlled and hopefully eradicated.  I sincerely hope the Forest Service proposal can be implemented ASAP as I personally believe this is a serious problem for the forest environment and the wildlife we so much enjoy having in the area.

Edward G. Case

P.O. Box 2165

Cuba, NM 87013
(575) 289-0187

edmaryCase@gmail.com