Environmental Health News

In a media teleconference today, County Commissioners from La Plata, Pitkin and Clear Creek Counties lauded the task force for its hard work and asked that protections be strengthened for Colorado’s forests.

“The Roadless Areas Review Task Force should be commended for their hard work over the last year. After nine public meetings and numerous more working sessions, they came up with some thoughtful recommendations,” said Harry Dale, Clear Creek County Commissioner. “While they are on the right track, the recommendations should be strengthened to protect Colorado’s forests and the values cherished by Coloradans.”

The Colorado Roadless Areas Review Task Force is set to finalize their recommendations to the Governor on September 11 th. This will mark the end of one year of work listening to the public, local governments, land managers and other stake-holders on how best to protect Colorado’s roadless areas. Several local elected officials from communities that supported continued roadless area protection weighed-in with their view of the task force recommendations.

“The task force should be applauded for agreeing that road building for future oil and gas development is inappropriate. They also stated that existing leases with road building prohibitions should be honored,” said Wally White, La Plata County Commissioner.

“In the HD Mountains roadless area between La Plata and Archuleta counties, there are a number of existing mineral leases that prohibit surface occupancy,” continued White. “I’m happy that the task force recommends that these existing stipulations should be honored to protect the San Juan’s roadless forests.”

One area where local elected officials thought the task force fell short are the sweeping exemptions for the coal mining.

“The task force should have chosen a more balanced approach that allows road building for the health and safety of mine workers while still protecting wildlife habitat and watersheds in the strongest possible way,” said Dorothea Farris, Pitkin County Commissioner. “The task force can act at their final meeting and achieve a win-win situation for Colorado.”

Also, while the task force did make progress on roadless protections, it could be years before a final Colorado roadless rule is adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Despite the fact that the USDA has promised “interim protection” for roadless areas, several proposed drilling and timber projects have moved forward that would harm roadless areas in Colorado National Forests.

“The task force should ask Governor Owens to call for interim protection of Colorado’s roadless forests until the Colorado roadless rule is finalized.” said Farris. “Last month several thousand acres in 17 roadless areas were leased for oil and gas development in the White River National Forest.

“If the federal government continues to lease roadless acres it will undermine the work the task force and the thousands of Coloradans who have spoken in favor of roadless protections,” Farris concluded.

Public comment has been robust throughout this process. During a short two week comment period, over 3,000 comments were submitted by the public with 98% expressing support for strong roadless area protections. Many of the comments asked the task force to strengthen the recommendations.

A summary of public comments can be viewed at www.roadless.net or by following this link: www. tinyurl.com/pgr9e

For more information on Colorado’s roadless areas visit www.roadless.net.

Additional Contacts
Harry Dale, Clear Creek County
(303) 915-7962
Dorothea Farris, Pitkin County
(970) 948-9470