Comments in response to Inventory and Evaluation Process draft document dated July 21, 2015, obtained at the public information meeting in Magdalena on August 4, and the Phase 2 Inventory maps for the Magdalena Ranger District. These comments concern the inventory for the San Mateo Mountains, as summarized in the above documents. The comments follow up in more detail on mark-ups I made on the maps for which comments were solicited at the public information meeting in Magdalena on August 4. The current Inventory and Evaluation process provides an excellent opportunity for the Forest Service to expand and unite two of the four Wilderness Areas in the Cibola National Forest - the Apache Kid and Withington Areas - into a major area unique to central New Mexico. I was involved in the initial study of the southern San Mateos in the early 1970s with the New Mexico Wilderness Study Committee. This was at the beginning of the USFS's RARE I and II processes, that led to the Apache Kid and Withington Wildernesses being designated in 1980. Unfortunately, a substantial part of the lands that should have been included in the original Apache Kid designation were stripped out by Congress. It is time this be fixed. The Forest Service, with help from the Landscape Planning Teams and from the pubilc, has done a commendable job of inventorying the areas that are deserving of being added to the existing Wilderness areas. Essentially all of the areas identified in the Phase 2 inventory for the San Mateos are qualified to be added to the existing San Mateo Wilderness areas. In the following I comment on the inventories. Area D3_5K16: Although classified as a standalone area, 5K16 is very closely adjacent to Withington. It is a highly natural area that plays a key role in augmenting Withington and joining the northern and southern wildernesses in the San Mateos. First, the western boundary of the area along Bear Trap Canyon road should extend up to the road below Hughes Mill campground and trailhead, rather than being displaced eastward to Spring Hollow Canyon only to rejoin the Bear Trap road a few miles to the SW. The excluded area is quite scenic along Bear Trap Canyon and provides easy access for short jaunts into the Wilderness Area. It is also just as natural with opportunites for solitude as the interior areas. Offset from the road itself will also provide a clear boundary for a recommended area. It is also not clear why the area NW of the upper part of FR 96/864 has been left out on the upper eastern part of 5K16. The presumably unimproved roads and ways in the excluded area are no less intrusive than on the opposite, SE side of 864. The area would be a substantial island in the future Withingthn/Apache Kid Wilderness and needs to be given equal opportunity and status for being evaluated as the surrounding areas. It is not clear from the Phase 2 maps which area the Grassy Lookout exclusion is in, but it is appropriately placed and sized. The recent West Red/East Red fire burned right up to Grassy Lookout and along the access road to the lookout, as well as up to and along FR 138 for several miles north of Grassy, as I saw a couple of weeks after the fire. It was an excellent natural fire that burned relatively cool and was quite well managed by the Forest Service. Inclusion of this area in the National Wilderness Preservation System will provide an excellent example and study area for how the forest recovers and is rejuvenated by such natural fires. Area D3_ADJ7: This is the area adjacent to Withington on the east side, bordering Withington along the Big Rosa Canyon road. Simply stated, it will make an excellent addition to the Withington area. Areas D3_ADJ5,J4,J1,J2,J3: like the above eastern addition, these areas valuably add lower-altitude grassy and wooded areas to the northern boundary of the Withington area. The small J2 and J3 additions along the road to Monica Saddle and FR 138 south from Mt. Withington to Grassy presumably clarify the boundary along the route, which is good. Areas D3_ADJ8: These areas are hugely important adjacent additions all the way around the Apache Kid Wilderness. It will be very gratifying to see these lands finally recognized for their worth as Wilderness. I make particular note of the southern extension ADJ8.d southward along the Burma Road and up by the Luna Park area, and area ADJ8.e northward from FR 225 into Springtime Campground up to Springtime Canyon itself and Indian Creek. It is in the latter area back in 1971 that my wife and our two-year old daughter and 2-month old baby son had a close encounter with a young bear. We had walked down into the area for a picnic, well away from where we parked the car. The encounter happened while I went off to quickly scout out the boundary up to and along Springtime Canyon. Fortunately, the bear went the other way from them. Needless to say, my wife was not a happy camper when I returned to the scene. Despite that, we have many happy memories of repeated trips to the Springtime Campground and Luna Park areas, and of hiking with friends up the trails to San Mateo Peak and Vic's Peak. I'm sure the area remains a popular entrance to the Wilderness Area to this day. The other ADJ8 additions incorporate numerous canyons and peripheral peaks in all directions away from the southern San Mateo complex. Particularly important additions apparently made during Phase 2 extended the northern-most boundary of ADJ8 from The Park and Exter Spring areas northward to the Rosedale Road, where it joins ADJ7 on the east side of Withington and encircles the Grassy Lookout area to again join and extend ADJ7 on along its SW side. This further solidifies and enhances the connection of the two Wilderness areas. Lastly, the satellite area D3_5K19 immediately east of Luna Park and Rock Spring is an area I have not traveled in, but looks like a nice adjunct to the Apache Kid as well. Kudos to the Forest Service for a job well done so far. Paul Krehbiel 705 Fitch Street Socorro, NM 87801