In 2001, President Clinton issued the federal Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which largely protects all of the country's roadless areas in national forests from commercial logging or from new roads being built for logging, coal, gas and other mineral or energy purposes.

The 2001 Roadless Rule was created after 600 local hearings were held in communities near national forests and over one million public comments were submitted. The 2001 rule does not close any existing roads or trails for individual recreation activities, does not restrict access for private property owners, and does not interfere with existing leases or permits for ski areas, mineral development, or oil and gas operations. It does allow for new roads to be built for safety purposes such as firefighting and for habitat improvement projects.

President George W. Bush suspended this rule and implemented a new policy under which states could petition the federal government to create their own rules for the roadless areas in national forests in their states. The State of Colorado, under former Governor Owens, undertook a series of hearings and public comments to create a state rule for the current roadless areas in its national forests.

In 2006, a federal court overturned Bush's policy and reinstated the 2001 national Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Nevertheless, the Bush administration has decided to move forward with a new round of rulemaking to weaken existing protections.

 
The Proposed Plan

Under the Colorado plan, developed by former Governor Owens, many unnecessary exemptions are made for powerful special interests that would drastically reduce the protections afforded to our roadless areas. The plan would:
 
 * Open some roadless areas to be leased for ski area expansion, coal development, and mining in specific areas where the state already owns mineral rights.

 * Allow unfettered construction of new roads for livestock and pipelines.

 * Loosen restrictions on logging in roadless areas.

 
These backcountry areas protect our clean drinking water supplies, hunting grounds, recreation lands, wildlife habitat, and our Colorado heritage. Our roadless forests provide those quiet places for contemplation and natural escape that are the defining spirit of the Rocky Mountains.

Without the protections of the Roadless Rule, some of Colorado's most valuable wild areas would be at risk. For example, Herman Gulch, a popular recreation area less than an hour from Denver, provides a getaway from the urban world and is a refuge of wildflowers in the summer and an area for snow shoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. The Hermosa roadless area, just north of Durango, is home to exceptional aquatic and wildlife habitat for fishing, hunting, and other outdoor recreation. The Pagoda Peak roadless area north of Glenwood Springs is the summer range for part of the largest elk herd in North America and provides some of the best hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and wildlife viewing in Colorado.

The proposed Colorado rule would leave national forest lands in Colorado less protected than national forests elsewhere in the country, as other states would still be covered under the broader, stronger 2001 rule, which is currently the law governing the management of these public lands. Colorado's forests deserve as much protection as those in any other state.

Americans across the country, including Coloradans, have consistently submitted comments in overwhelmingly support of the Roadless Rule whenever there has been an opportunity.

Please let the Forest Service know that you want all of Colorado's roadless areas protected by the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Ask them not to weaken the current protections. With your help, we can keep these areas as they are today.

Visit Colorado's Forest Legacy at www.roadless.net for more information.