Colorado Mountain Club
Conservation Update

Conservation Director Says Farewell

Choices. Webster tells us that choice infers "care in selecting." Choices frame our past, defines who we are and shapes our destiny. Even seemingly random events in nature are guided by choice. Which plant to pollinate? Where to nest? When to migrate?

As most of you know by now I have chosen to leave the Colorado Mountain Club's Conservation Director position. Last July, I made a personal commitment to northern Colorado by purchasing a house and making my permanent home there. I now have made a professional commitment to the area as well. This was truly one of the most difficult choices I have ever made. I have enjoyed my time at CMC. I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement.

The CMC is poised to become one of the most influential recreation/conservation organizations in our state. But to accomplish this goal, every member must support and exemplify through his/her actions the conservation ethic.

My vision for the CMC is that the organization will become true stewards of our mountains and all its inhabitants, make decisions based on what best facilitates that stewardship, and take "care in selecting" its priorities for action. The CMC has the power to shape Colorado's destiny. Choices.

CMC Studies South Platte Wild & Scenic Designation Proposal

In Mid-April of this year, the Pike and San Isabel National Forests released the South Platte "Wild and Scenic River Study Report and Legislative Environmental Impact Statement". The CMC is in the process of analyzing this proposal and will be issuing comments by the July 10th deadline.

The preferred alternative (alternative J) recommends designation of 48 miles from Elevenmile Reservoir to the confluence with the North Fork. It does not recommend the 23 mile North Fork study section downstream from Bailey. The section was however, included in the "environmental alternative" (alternative B). Forest Service planning officer, John Hill, says that "Values such as wildlife, fish, populations, geology, recreation, and scenic beauty must be protected in any proposals." The study also recommends a possible alternative A2 which is yet undefined and provides an opportunity for stakeholders to develop another alternative cooperatively.

But the Denver Water Board and its metro-area partners, which at one point wanted to build Two Forks Dam and create a 21 mile long reservoir in this particular stretch of river, opposes the wild and scenic designation.

If you have concerns or would like to provide your input into CMC's analysis and comments, please contact Claude Neumann at (303) 904-9700. A summary of the study is available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/wsr.htm.

State Board Lifts Lobbying Ban

At its State Board meeting on April 19, 1997 the CMC Board of Directors voted to lift the ban that has prevented CMC from participating lobbying activities. The motion to remove the ban was approved unanimously.

The CMC's new lobbying policy is as follows: The Colorado Mountain Club may engage in direct and grassroots lobbying activities as defined by the IRS Lobbying Regulations. The Colorado Mountain Club will be an electing organization subject to the section 501 (h) expenditure test*(see below). All lobbying activity must be approved by the CMC Board of Directors. The Executive Committee may approve lobbying activities on an interim basis between Board meeting. No CMC regional group will conduct any lobbying activities without first obtaining approval from the above people. The CMC state office will be responsible fro all tracking and the accounting of lobbying activities conducted by the State office and regional groups. *Section 501 (h) expenditure test (electing): sets specific dollar limits, calculated as a percentage of a charity's total exempt purpose expenditures, on the amount public charities electing to follow this method may spend to influence legislation without incurring penalty taxes or losing their exempt status.

If you have any questions regarding CMC's lobbying activities, please contact our Executive Director, John Juraschek, at (303) 270-3080.

CMC Seeks New Conservation Director

The CMC is seeking a new Conservation Director to take our policy, education and project goals into the 21st century. Applicants must have in-depth knowledge of western public lands, ecosystem protection, and resource management issues. Applicants also need excellent written and verbal communication skills, computer skills, and administrative abilities. An aptitude for working with volunteers, land managers, and communities is a big plus. This is a rare chance for the right individual to make a real difference in western public lands policy.

B.A. or B.S. degree is required. Salary range, $23,000 to $27,500 with benefits to start in July/August 1997. Please send resume with cover letter, references, and writing sample to Conservation Search Committee, the Colorado Mountain Club, 710 10th St., #200, Golden, Colorado 80401. Applications must be received by June 15, 1997.

Society of Conservation Biology Newsletter Online

Starting with the February 1997 issue (Volume 4, Issue 1), Society for Conservation Biology Newsletter can be found on the SCB's web site at http://conbio.rice.edu/scb/newsletter/. The newsletter generally will be posted within a week of its mailing date.

CMC Formalizes Motorized Recreation Policy

On April 19, 1997 the CMC's State Board of Directors unanimously approved CMC's policy on the off-road use of vehicles. This policy was established because of concern over the ecological damage that may be caused by off-road vehicle use in areas that are designated for non-motorized use only. The policy is comprised of two components addressing both mechanized and motorized vehicles as is as follows:

1. Mechanized Transport in Wilderness Areas

The CMC supports the Wilderness Act's prohibition of "mechanized modes of transport," from entry into designated wilderness areas. The CMC recognized mountain bicycles as being a mechanized mode of transport.

2. Motorized Transport in Undesignated Areas on Public Lands

The CMC opposes the use of motorized vehicles, including snowmobiles, on all trails and areas on public lands that are not specifically designated for motorized use. The CMC will not ask for closure of motorized trails that are designated as such by the managing public lands agency as of this date, unless future evidence indicates that there is significant on-going environmental damage or user conflicts resulting from motorized use. The CMC opposes the opening, building, or designation of new motorized trails unless: 1) the trail is determined to be appropriate for motorized use through completion of an environmental analysis, review, and implementation process; and 2) the trail must be officially signed as open to motorized uses. The process must be conducted by the managing public lands agency and include the application of objective criteria to assess whether or not environmental quality can be effectively maintained and whether safety and enjoyment of all users can be protected. A public review and comment procedure involving all interested parties must follow the analysis. On trails where no negative environmental impacts will occur and motorized use is approved by the land use agency, regular (no less than annual) monitoring for environmental damage or user conflicts must be implemented by the managing public lands agency. Where significant environmental damage or user conflicts occur as determined by the managing public lands agency, the trail must be closed to vehicles unless effective corrective regulations are enforced.

Indian Peaks Working Group Seeks Volunteers

The Indian Peaks Wilderness Area needs your help. Located west of Boulder along the Continental Divide, it is the most popular wilderness in the Rocky Mountains. The Indian Peaks Working Group is seeking volunteer backcountry wilderness hosts from late June to mid-September to hike and backpack the trails in the Indian Peaks Wilderness and to educate its visitors. They also need volunteers for trail-building and trail maintenance.

Hosts receive many benefits. Some of those include resume quality experience, including U.S. Forest Service letters of reference, professional training and supervision, the opportunity to spend a minimum of three weekends or six days hiking, backpacking and enjoying this special alpine area - all fees waived, and the satisfaction of giving back something to an area which gives us so much pleasure.

For more information, call Glen Swiekatun, Backcountry Host Program Director, at (303) 770-1919 or write to the Indian Peaks Working Group, PO Box 2214, Boulder, CO 80306.

Don't Pave Our Public Lands!

(Adapted from a 5/26/97 article in High Country News by Greg Hanscom.)

As Congress rushes to pass a flood relief bill, lawmakers are tossing controversial pieces of legislation into the mix in hopes of floating then through unnoticed. The bill itself would provide $5.6 billion in relief money to flood victims and ranchers who lost livestock to bitter winter weather. But the worst of its riders could send bulldozers barreling over endangered species habitat and through national parks and wilderness areas.

One rider, introduced by Alaska Republican Ted Stevens, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, takes a shot at federal control of public lands. If it passes it will resurrect R.S. 2477, a Civil War-era law that made it easy for settlers to build roads on federal lands.

Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt called the move "devastating." He told Stevens the rider "could effectively render the federal government powerless to prevent the conversion of footpaths, dogsled trails, jeep tracks, ice roads, and other primitive transportation routes into paved highways." He has recommended a veto if the bill hits the president's desk with the rider still attached.

R.S. 2477 - Rights of Way Settlement Act- is a one sentence provision in the Lode Mining Act of 1866 that states, "The right-of-way for the construction of highways over public lands, not reserved for public uses, is hereby granted." More than one hundred years after it was written, this sentence continues to generate controversy and conflict. This antiquated statute has been used to justify reopening, widening and paving old roads, pack trails and footpaths.

Although the law was repealed in 1976 under the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA), states, counties and individuals continue to cite R.S. 2477 as justification for thousands of "right-of-way" claims on public lands. Because the 1976 repeal recognized "pre-existing" claims, rights-of-way established before FLPMA remain valid. A 1988 decision by Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel further enlarged this loophole, legitimating claims for any route in existence before 1976, including animal tracks and trails. According to this interpretation, rights-of-way can be expanded without environmental review or public input, regardless of whether the road passes through a national park, sensitive wildlife habitat, or a wilderness area.

Summer Conservation Tip: Cadillac Desert - A National Call for Public Dialogue about Contemporary Water Issues

Beginning in June 1997, public television's Cadillac Desert will focus on the history of water in the American West - how it was bought, sold, diverted and managed - and the contemporary legacy of abundance and risk this history has created both here and abroad.

Dramatically-rendered history and compelling present-day analysis, Cadillac Desert offers an opportunity for community dialogue around the historic, economic, environmental, social, and political issues sparked by the usage and control of the world's most precious resource.

There are several ways that you can get involved: 1) watch the broadcast of Cadillac Desert on PBS, beginning in June (broadcast dates and times may vary; check local listings); 2) plan a field trip to a local dam, fishery or watershed. Hold a screening and talk at your local school, church, or community center; 3) volunteer to work on environmental initiatives in your community; 4) visit the Cadillac Desert web site at: http://www.crpi.org/cadillacdesert or http://www.pbs.org/cadillacdesert; 5) order a Cadillac Desert: Discussion and Viewers Guide. This free guide provides summaries of the episodes, and related discussion topics and activities. It also provides helpful ideas for citizens to mediate public dialogue and for teachers to use in the classroom. To order a free Cadillac Desert: Discussion and Viewers Guide, or to find out more about upcoming events and forums in your area, please contact: Cadillac Desert Outreach Office, 486 Shawmut Ave., Boston , MA 02118. (617)867-4095.
cadillac_desert@crpi.org.

Conservation Biology 101

We continue our conservation biology education with a discussion about "non-native" species.

"Non-native," "exotic," "alien,"introduced," and "nonindigenous" are all synonyms for species that humans intentionally or unintentionally introduced into an area outside of a species' natural range. The invasion of non-native species is one of the most serious threats that public lands face today. If non-natives are not actively and aggressively managed, our public lands are at risk of losing a significant portion of its biological resources.

Non-natives do not wait to be invited onto public lands , where they often out-compete the native species, they take every available avenue to invade, colonize, and conquer.

So why are non-natives such a threat? For many reasons. Non-natives species disrupt complex ecosystems, reduce biological diversity, jeopardize plants and animals, and degrade habitats. They can do this because non-natives often out-compete native species for precious resources such as sunlight, water, nutrients, prey, and breeding habitat. The native and non-native species evolved in different regions and the non-native have not evolved any defense mechanisms against the non-natives. Therefore, the non-natives take over. In much the same way, non-natives may transmit exotic diseases to native species, against which the natives may not have any defense. Additionally, non-natives are known to hybridize with native species, alerting native genetic diversity and integrity.

It is imperative that public land managers include management options for dealing with non-native species. It is important to note that while many fungi, insects, rodents, diseases, and other species may be perceived as pests, they are native plants and animals existing under natural conditions as natural elements of the ecosystem. Most non-native management plans will not be directed toward these native species if they exist within natural conditions, natural population sizes, and are no threat to the survival of other native species.

Conservation Events Calender

June 7& 8 - Capitol Hill People's Fair, Civic Center Park, Denver. Visit the CMC booth in the National Trails Day Village.

Month of June - See "Cadillac Desert" information above.

Month of June - National Trails Month - check your local media for events in your area.

Volunteer Opportunities

Summer 1997 - Install road closure sinage at Como Lake. Look for more details in upcoming issues of Conservation Update.

Summer 1997 - See "Indian Peaks Wilderness Hosts" article above.

Return to the Conservation page.

Created by Patti Biddle. Last Modified July 27, 1997 by Keith Jensen .