Roadless
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Issue
On August 3, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources released proposed revisions to the draft Colorado Roadless Rule. The rule would determine management for Colorado's 4.1 million acres of roadless national forests. The public may review and comment -- comment period closes October 4. After the comment period closes, the state says it will consider making additional changes before finalizing its recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture later this fall. For the full text of the draft rule, as revised by DNR, go to: http://www.dnr.state.co.us/roadlessrule
CWF has conducted a thorough review of the proposed roadless plan that state officials released on August 3. CWF and NWF have submitted specific comments and recommendations as advocates for Colorado's wildlife and the habitat species need to survive. CWF wants a roadless rule that is best for Colorado and that emphasizes protection for crucial wildlife habitat while recognizing the needs of communities that are situated adjacent to roadless areas. We focused upon several areas: timber removal and fire treatment within roadless areas in close proximity to communities at risk for catastrophic wildfire. CWF supports a science-based decision. As to coal mining within roadless areas, we have mapped the wildlife habitat within Currant Creek. We do not believe this roadless area should be opened to coal mining as it is very important wildlife habitat. We also believe wildlife protections must be provided with respect to roadless areas where oil and gas leases have been made since 2001. See CWF-NWF comment excerpts under the Blog on the left side of the home page. The full text of the comments appears at www.coloradowildlife.org - on the home page, see Our Stand.
One of the more complicated issues is avoidance of catastrophic wildfires in the wildland - urban - interface, in communities that are situated adjacent ot roadless areas. How far into a roadless area should the US Forest Service be authorized to build temporary roads or cut trees to prevent a catastrophic wildfire? What factors must be considered? We have been studying this issue carefully. We recommended that a panel of scientists be convened to enable assessment of what distances and treatment tools are reasonable to protect communities situated at the edge of a roadless area - and which would intrude too much into wildlife habitat. Everyone would benefit from a frank public discussion among top scientists, coupled with questions posed by the public. Such panel was convened by Department of Natural Resources on September 1.
Background
Issue Background
The draft roadless plan was released to the public in July 2008. The public comment period closed in October. CWF submitted comments in October. Since that time, the State and US Forest Service (Region 2) have continued to work on the draft. On July 13, 2009 the Governor announced that the draft, as revised, would be released to the public on or about August 1 and another public comment period would begin.
CWF submitted comments in October 2008 to the draft Colorado Roadless Rule. The comments are posted on the CWF website, www.coloradowildife.org
Also note that on May 28, 2009 the Secretary of the USDA , Tom Vilsack, issued a press release that he is signing an interim directive that "will provide consistency and clarity that will help protect our national forests until a long-term roadless policy reflecting President Obama's commitment is developed." Although this does not retinstate the 2001 roadless rule in the 9th Circuit, it prohibits roadbuilding without his authorization for a year. Colorado is continuing to work on its recommendations for a Colorado roadless Rule.
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