![]() ![]() The park focuses on the protection of alligator junipers before thinning is done. The National Park Service recently cut brush and trimmed trees in the same area of the monument to prepare for a series of prescribed fires to restore fire into the ecosystem, targeting the buildup of vegetation that can lead to large catastrophic fires. Park employees are encouraging the public to submit any information that would help with the investigation to the National Park Service’s tip line. But park law enforcement monitoring the area and over the past year have reported additional trees cut down, with the latest incident happening in October. The initial illegal tree cutting discovery was reported in 2020. The cutting of alligator junipers affects biodiversity within the monument, and officials said the area will take many decades to recover. Rural New Mexico residents frequently cut wood in the fall to help with winter heating needs, but cutting trees at El Malpais is illegal. ![]() Lisa Dittman, a spokeswoman for the national monument, said Tuesday that officials don’t know why the trees are being targeted or what they’re being used for. Officials said the trees that were cut down were likely hundreds of years old. A seed can take up to 18 months to mature after pollination and the growth rate for young trees is about 0.6 inches per decade, slowing as they get older. ![]() Known for their unique furrowed bark, alligator junipers grow very slowly. – Several dozen ancient alligator juniper trees have been illegally cut down at El Malpais National Monument in western New Mexico and authorities with the National Park Service are trying to find out who’s responsible. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |