Some of Colorado's most spectacular scenery is found in the White River National Forest (NF). One of the most popular forests in the country for recreation, the White River NF spans central Colorado along the I-70 corridor. Here resides the nation's largest elk herd, along with some of the best habitat in the state for lynx, wolverine, goshawk, and eagles. The forest also has a wealth of undeveloped roadless lands that provide stunning scenery, clean drinking water, prime wildlife habitat, and outstanding backcountry recreation. The White River NF is redoing its management plan, which will determine how its 2.2 million acres will be managed for the next 15 years. At stake are up to 300,000 acres that the Forest Service has found eligible to be added to the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), wildlands surrounding 12 ski resorts, the integrity of wildlife habitats, quality of experience for nonmotorized recreationists in the backcountry, and the ecological health of the forest itself. "Not only are the unique and spectacular lands of the White River NF at stake, but if the Forest Service fails to recommend additional wilderness protection or backs down from its reasonable proposals to more responsibly manage unchecked and environmentally damaging recreation, it will set back national forest management across the country," said Michael Francis, director of the TWS National Forests Program. Development In its draft plan, the Forest Service has analyzed and considered several "alternatives" for managing White River NF. One alternative considered and rejected by the agency is the "Conservation Alternative," known as Alternative I. This is the best alternative for protecting wildlife habitat, recommending additional wilderness, preventing logging in roadless areas, and restricting ski areas to their current boundaries. Unfortunately, the solution proposed by the Forest Service, although it takes some significant steps in the right direction, falls short of these objectives.
The Forest Service has taken a long, hard look at the effects of motorized routes and off-road vehicle (ORV) use and has designed a plan to manage them within the natural limits of the forest. Specifically, the agency proposes to limit all nonwinter motorized and mechanized recreation to designated routes and to close unnecessary or environmentally damaging routes. In addition, the agency proposes modest restrictions on snowmobile use to create some "quiet use" areas for backcountry skiers and snowshoers outside of designated wilderness. This comprehensive ban on cross-country travel has sparked major opposition from the ORV community, even though it would provide ample opportunity for motorized recreation. Agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, as well as other national forests, are watching to see if the White River NF will back down under pressure or become a pioneer in the reasonable management of ORVs. Wildlands Protection Industrial Recreation They promote sprawl, traffic congestion, and unaffordable housing prices for long time residents and resort service workers, who routinely commute 50 to 75 miles each way to work. On the White River NF, the Forest Service has for the first time proposed to limit the growth of existing ski areas to within their current permit boundaries. Although this proposal will allow modest growth, it has triggered massive opposition from the ski industry. Whether the Forest Service stands firm will have major implications for our National Forest System. Ecological Health "The quality of life we all agree we must preserve for our children is not easy to maintain. That preservation requires strong will, passion, persistence, and a willingness to stand up in the face of opposition. Some decisions require compromise. Our fragile mountain forest lands cannot survive more compromise. The last 150 years of human-wilderness interaction have compromised our mountains enough. It is time to make decisions for wise, protective management." -Dorothea Farris, Pitkin County commissioner Dorothea Farris, a longtime Colorado resident, is a commissioner for Pitkin County in central Colorado and has spent a lifetime advocating for the environment, education, and the cultural arts.
The Wilderness Society urges the Forest Service to stand firm in its plan to manage ORV use and ski resorts in a more sustainable manner and to do more to protect potential wilderness and roadless lands. We support Alternative I as the best proposal to reach these goals. The White River has become a bellwether for forest management nationally, and the Forest Service needs to set a high standard here. Although the official public comment period on the draft plan ended May 9, 2000, concerned citizens should continue to contact Regional Forester Lyle Laverty and urge him to ensure that the final plan for the White River NF:
Lyle Laverty, Regional Forester Region 2, U.S. Forest Service P.O. Box 25127 Lakewood, CO 80225 Suzanne Jones Michael Francis |
