In 2005 the Bush administration presented the states with an offer: set your own roadless policies for national forest lands within your state’s borders. Only Colorado and Idaho took advantage of the offer. According to a report in the Greenspace section of the Los Angeles Times’ webpage, Colorado came under criticism from environmental groups who accused the state of not doing enough to protect its national forest land.Now Colorado may be set to change its policy. First, the Obama administration has rolled back the roadless policy to what it was during the Clinton administration. Meanwhile, Colorado released the new version of its state roadless policy. In the new version Colorado increases the amount of acres protected to 4.2 million from 4 million. Also, the new version eliminates a provision that allowed the construction of temporary roads in the forests so that ranchers could access grazing lands.
Still, some organizations are not satisfied. Jane Danowitz, director of the PEW Environmental Group public lands program stated, "The Colorado plan would open some of the Rocky Mountain West's best backcountry and pristine watersheds to mining, oil and gas development, logging and road-building." The public has 60 days to submit comments on the proposed plan before it is implemented.
To read the article from the LA Times click here.
Posted: 08/04/09
