And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 12:23:58 -0700 >To: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: Ted Zukoski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> (by way of Wild Rockies InfoNet) >Subject: ALERT: Logging in Colo. Scenic River Corridor Planned! >Sender: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >+++++++++++++++++++++ > >MORE BLOWDOWN LOGGING PROPOSED >PROPOSED SCENIC RIVER THREATENED BY LOGGING, >And BRIDGE and ROAD CONSTRUCTION!! >YOUR LETTERS NEEDED BY APRIL 19 > >BACKGROUND. On Oct. 25, 1997, a big windstorm blew down trees on an >estimated 13,000 acres of Routt National Forest land about 20 miles north >of Steamboat Springs. The Forest Service assembled a task force to address >possible impacts from this event. In July, 1998, Forest Supervisor Jerry >Schmidt signed the Record of Decision for the North Fork Salvage Analysis. >Approved, among other things, was removal of blown down timber in several >units along the North and Middle Forks of the Elk River which are proposed >for designation as a scenic river corridor under the Wild and Scenic Rivers >Act. Only Congress, with approval of the President of the U. S. or passed >over his veto, can formally designate a river under this Act (much like >Wilderness), but once recommended for designation by the land management >agency (in this case the Forest Service), the values that make a river >eligible for designation must be protected. > >Mr. Schmidt's decision also approved reconstruction of the Diamond Park >Road (Road 431) to access the units along the North Fork. But in August, >the Forest Service realized that reconstruction of Road 431 would be much >more expensive and difficult than originally thought. At least until >another route is available, this road must remain open, as it provides >access to private land at Diamond Park. (Such access is required by a 1980 >law.) It also forms part of the popular, and challenging, Farwell Mountain >jeep loop. However, Road 431 was not built to proper engineering standards >and is eroding and supposedly causing sediment to enter the North Fork. As >a result of all of this and an appeal by Colorado Wild, the Forest Service >withdrew the portion of the North Fork decision that involved >reconstructing the road and removing blowdown from the proposed scenic >river corridor. > >THE LATEST PROPOSAL. In a supplement to the North Fork Environmental >Impact Statement, the Forest Service now proposes to construct a permanent >bridge across the North Fork scenic river corridor, at an estimated cost of >$159,000, to access several blowdown units nearby for salvage. Blowdown >would also be removed from three units just west of Slavonia, all of which >are near both the Middle Fork of the Elk River and the Seedhouse Road. Also >under this proposal, Road 431 would be closed and turned into a >non-motorized trail after relocation away from some wet areas. To >compensate for loss of motorized recreational access on this road, 3.2 >miles of roads in the Lost Dog area, approved for closure in the original >EIS, would not be closed. > >Also considered in the draft supplemental EIS are: a temporary bridge with >salvage logging (and no closure of 431), a permanent bridge with no logging >(and closure of 431), and doing nothing (under which the blowdown units >would still be approved for removal, but there would be no access). Under >the two alternatives proposing logging, about 3.5 million board feet (700 >truckloads) would be removed from 209 acres. Helicopters would be used on >all but 59 of the 209 acres, which may make the sale economically >infeasible. One mile of road would be reconstructed and .37 miles of new >construction would occur, the latter to connect existing roads to the >proposed bridge. > >The legality of building a bridge across the scenic river corridor and of >logging in such a corridor are questionable, as the Wild and Scenic Rivers >Act requires that scenic rivers have shorelines that "are largely >primitive", though the corridors can be accessed by roads in places. The >Routt Forest Plan prohibits new facilities and allows motorized travel only >on existing roads in scenic river corridors. However, the Forest Service >proposes to amend the Forest Plan to address this issue. One amendment >would allow new roads as long as there was no net increase in mileage. >Another would allow logging as long as there were no "substantial" adverse >impacts to the scenic river corridor. > >THE IMPACTS. In spite of the Forest Service's attempt to disclaim it, >bridge construction and logging would have a very detrimental effect on the >proposed scenic river corridor. The 100-foot bridge span would require 2000 >cubic yards of material for ten-foot high earthen fills; material would be >taken from borrow pits on both sides of the river to construct these. In >addition to the bridge itself, scars from construction would be visible >for years, as would be the results of logging (debris, ruts in wet areas, >etc.). Because of this, the required visual quality in the scenic river >corridor would not be met. > >The proposed Forest Plan amendments could legalize all of this activity, in >other words, ratify a reduction of the quality of the scenic river >corridor. In contrast, the blowdown was a natural event; leaving its >remains in place would provide an opportunity for visitors to view the >awesome power of nature. > >The sale may not be realistic anyway, as it would require helicopter >access. Copters are very expensive to operate. So far, the purchasers of >blowdown timber have not exercised the option of using helicopters to >remove optional volume that is otherwise inaccessible. > >Hauling timber would add to the already heavy logging traffic on the >Seedhouse Road. This traffic has the potential to disrupt business, >residential, and recreational traffic in the summers of 1999 and 2000, >especially since hauling from several timber sales will be taking place, >and Routt County will be doing major reconstruction of the road at the same >time. After reaching the end of Seedhouse Road, some log trucks would go >south through Steamboat Springs, contributing to already-heavy summer >traffic there. Others would go north past Columbine, disturbing the quiet, >rural nature of northern Routt County. The increased access to the North >Fork, along with keeping 3.2 miles of Lost Dog Roads open, could adversely >affect habitat security for wildlife. > >To reach the bridge site, road construction would have to cross the >historic Wyoming Trail, which is eligible for the National Register of >Historic Places. This construction would damage the qualities that make >this facility National Register-eligible, and could create a safety problem >for trail users. > >WHAT YOU CAN DO. The Forest Service will hold two open house-type meetings >on this project: > >March 17 Moonhill Schoolhouse near Clark 5 - 7 PM >March 23 Forest Service office in Steamboat Springs 5 - 7 PM > >In addition, write to: Jerry E. Schmidt, Medicine Bow-Routt National >Forest, 925 Weiss Drive, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487. Fax: 970 870-2284; >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more info from the USFS (or to get >the DSEIS) call: 970 879-1870 > >Your letter must be hand-delivered or postmarked by APRIL 19. Make some or >all of the following points in your letter: > > --State that bridge construction and blowdown removal in the scenic >river corridor are unacceptable. Protest the proposed forest plan >amendments that might legalize this. > > --Note that the proposed project would degrade the scenic qualities that >make the river eligible for designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers >Act. > > --Question the economic feasibility of using helicopters to remove >blowdown. If copters can't be used, the entire sale may not be viable. > > --Protest the addition of more traffic to the already heavily-traveled >Seedhouse Road, and to Steamboat Springs and North Routt County. > > --Express concern about the increased access, which may reduce habitat >security for elk and other species. > > --Note the educational and scenic value of leaving the blowdown in place. > > --State that the project could damage the historic Wyoming Trail. > > >For a copy of the supplemental EIS, call the Routt N.F. at 970-870-2220 > >For additional information, call Rocky Smith, Colorado Wild at 303 839-5900. > >**************************************************************************** >Colorado Wild, Inc./R. Smith >1030 Pearl #9 >Denver, CO 80203 > >Rocky Smith >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >____________________________ > >Ted Zukoski >Land & Water Fund of the Rockies >2260 Baseline Road, #200 >Boulder, CO 80302 >(303) 444-1188 x213 >FAX (303)786-8054 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >************************************************************************ >List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >News Submissions or Problems: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >This list is a public service provided by WIN: http://www.wildrockies.org &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
