Action Alert: Comment on Colorado Roadless Rule

Posted: 07/08/2011

By: Thomas O'Keefe

Colorado's backcountry is a human-powered recreation paradise. For paddlers we enjoy great rivers like the Animas or dropping Adrenaline Falls on Lime Creek. For those who enjoy other pursuits it may be mountain biking the Monarch Crest trail, backcountry skiing at Berthoud Pass, bouldering at Independence pass, or simply hiking up Mount Elbert--Colorado’s backcountry has it all. Right now, through the Colorado Roadless Rule, the U.S. Forest Service is trying to come up with a plan to take care of these places. We can help make sure they are taken care of the right way by giving the Forest Service some input from the human-powered outdoor recreation world.

After almost 10 years of development, the proposed Colorado Roadless Rule is close, but not quite on the right track. Our goal is to make sure the rule is as strong or stronger than existing roadless protections elsewhere in the country. The way to get there is to close some development loopholes and greatly increase the number of mountains, crags, trails and rivers in the “Upper Tier” category of protection. Comments from our community carry quite a bit of weight in matters like these, so drop the Forest Service a line and help us take care of Colorado’s backcountry roadless gems so that they keep giving us clean air and water, a home for wild things to thrive and a places for us to paddle, climb, ride, hike and ski.

TAKE ACTION

Want to get a better sense of what Colorado roadless areas are all about? Then check Outdoor Alliance’s latest film, featuring the spectacular outdoor recreation of Colorado.

WATCH THE FILM

Thomas O'Keefe

3537 NE 87th St.

Seattle, WA 98115

E-mail: okeefe@americanwhitewater.org

Phone: 425-417-9012

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Associated Rivers

Animas CO

03. Silverton to Tacoma IV-V

Cache La Poudre CO

01. Long Draw Reservoir to Big South Campground V+

Canyon Creek CO

01. To Animas River V+

Clear Creek of the Arkansas (an Arkansas River Tributary) CO

01. Missouri Creek TH to Dirt Road V

Hermosa Creek CO

01. Hermosa Park 16 mi to Dutch Creek, 8 mi to US 550 IV-V

Lake Creek CO

01. MM 69 to Wills Gulch picnic area V+

Lime Creek CO

01. 1st Gorge V+

Lime Creek CO

02. 2nd Gorge V+

Mineral Creek, South CO

01. Above South Mineral CG V+

Needle Creek CO

01. Forest service Trail 504 Hike and Huck V

Piedra CO

01. Upper Piedra CG to 1st Fork Bridge II-IV

Piney CO

01. Piney Crossing to State Bridge V+

Saint Vrain Creek, North CO

01. Peak to Peak Hwy to Buttonrock Preserve V+

San Juan, East Fork CO

01. East Fork to 160 Bridge III-IV

San Juan, West Fork CO

01. Footbridge to road near WF Campground IV-V

Documents

Roadless Area Maps for UT, CO, AZ, NM (1/28/2008)

A Google Earth map layer of USFS Inventoried Roadless for Southwest states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

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