The U.S. Forest Service on Thursday asked the Grant County Board of Commissioners to consider aligning with a proposal to cap the number of outfitter-and-guide service days on the local forest, saying the change aims to reduce crowding and lessen impacts in wilderness areas.
Forest Service staff officer Hardy Alsup told the commissioners the office wants to manage a growing number of commercial hunting guides and outfitters by placing a temporary cap and allowing reductions by attrition rather than revoking existing permits. He said the forest currently records about 11,000 outfitter service days and that staff are proposing a target near 7,000 service days, a figure the agency derived from tag and usage assumptions and earlier studies of wilderness impacts.
Alsup said the proposal would not force current operators out, but would limit new authorizations until totals fall. He said the target was selected to better match the forest’s character and reduce situations where multiple guided parties converge on the same areas. He told commissioners the office has sought feedback from the New Mexico Council of Outfitters and Guides and from Game and Fish and that the proposal is a “moving target” that will be revisited.
Commissioners and residents raised concerns about equity and enforcement. Commissioner comments noted that other forest users — hikers, horseback riders and casual campers — also affect forest conditions and asked whether fees or user limits should apply more broadly. Several commissioners said they supported improving the experience for residents who hunt without guides but urged more outreach and coordination with New Mexico Game and Fish before changing permit issuance processes.
Game and Fish registration data cited during the presentation showed about 278 registered outfitters statewide, with 105 operating in the local forest area. Forest staff said the 7,000 figure was based on an estimate that roughly 10 percent of outfitter tags and an assumed average number of service days per tag would equate to about 6,800–7,000 service days.
No formal policy or ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the presentation was a request for comment and for a possible letter of alignment. Alsup said the forest will continue public outreach, reassess the numbers and consider adjustments based on community feedback.
Local officials asked the Forest Service to consider other measures alongside a permit cap, including applying existing fees more broadly, improving trailhead parking and staging areas, and exploring ways to spread recreational use to reduce congestion.
The Forest Service presentation included questions from several commissioners and public commenters, and officials indicated they will keep local leaders informed while the proposal is refined.