Newsbriefs

Despite the fantastic efforts by the Denver Group Conservation Committee, the Clear Creek County Commissioners unanimously decided to upgrade and pave Guanella Pass, the dirt and gravel backcountry road between Route 285 and Interstate 70. Denver Group volunteers deserve recognition for their efforts that resulted in the collection of over 3,000 petition signatures and personalized letters and a county courthouse packed full of local citizens opposed to the project. The CMC will continue to work with the counties, the Forest Service, and Federal Highway Administration to ensure that the road construction project limits damage to natural resources and is designed and implemented to retain the backcountry character of the road to the greatest extent possible.

CMC staff met with Mary Peterson, supervisor of the Routt National Forest, and her leadership team to discuss roadless area protection, off-road vehicles, and forest fuel-load reduction projects. Although the agenda was broad, the meeting was motivated by a Forest Service proposal to log three roadless areas including the Troublesome Proposed Wilderness Area.

CMC staff was invited to speak on “affecting change in off-road vehicle policy and management at the grassroots” at the first annual Winter Wildlands Conference. This conference was dedicated to protecting quiet winter use throughout the public lands of the United States.

The CMC submitted two sets of comments to the White River National Forest on travel management. The first set was on behalf of a local coalition of recreation and conservation organizations and consisted of a set of Travel Management Principles endorsed by sixteen local organizations that focus on ecological protection, the preservation and restoration of quiet use, and the encouragement of operational effectiveness. The second set was a comprehensive analysis of travel management on the Forest and was written and submitted by the CMC on behalf of the Colorado environmental community.

The CMC submitted comprehensive comments to the Grand Mesa National Forest on travel management. As with the White River National Forest, these comments were submitted on behalf of the Colorado environmental community.

The CMC is currently participating in the statewide outdoor recreation planning process. This process, spearheaded by State Parks, is required by federal law if Colorado is to receive federal dollars for land acquisition and recreation development.

The CMC, along with the Tattered Cover Bookstore, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the University of Colorado at Boulder, hosted a speaker series in celebration of the International Year of the Mountain. Nine people spoke at the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver during November. In addition, the CMC hosted a talk with Hal Clifford, the author of the recently published Downhill Slide: Why the Ski Industry is Bad for the Environment, Communities, and Skiing.