And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: from: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X TWO COLORADO ROADLESS AREAS THREATENED BY A BIG TIMBER SALE! MASSIVE OUTCRY NEEDED BY FEB. 26 ARE YOU SICK OF THIS YET? READ ON AND YOU WILL BE!! Believe it or not, the Routt National Forest's proposed Morrison Creek Timber Sale would log over 1,000 acres total from two roadless areas. The timber sale would would take place in two roadless areas about 20 miles south of Steamboat Springs in northcentral Colorado. This sale is separate from the proposal to enter the South Fork Roadless Area north of Steamboat Springs for the purpose of removing blown down timber. That proposal was the subject of a previous alert, on which comments are due Feb. 8. BACKGROUND. The Morrison Creek Timber Sale was originally proposed in the summer of 1997. The Routt Forest Plan was being revised at that time. Because of this and the blowdown of October, 1997, analysis of the sale did not proceed, since a great deal of the Forest Service's resources was shifted to address the blowdown. The Morrison Creek area was not affected by the blowdown. The Revised Forest Plan was approved in February, 1998. Most of the Bushy Creek Roadless Area was slated for logging. The remainder, national forest land adjacent to private land near the Morrison Creek Road, was assigned to an "urban interface" prescription where logging is not encouraged. On the other side of this Road, the Morrison Creek Roadless area was assigned partially to a prescription that encourages logging, and partially to one that emphasizes backcountry non-motorized recreation. Partially because of logging prescriptions being assigned to many roadless areas, Colorado Wild, Inc. and several other environmental groups appealed the Revised Forest Plan in July, 1998. The Forest Service is now proposing to implement the most controversial parts of the plan, even though our appeal has not been decided by the Chief of the Forest Service. THE SALE AREA. The timber sale would occur in two separate areas about 20 miles south of Steamboat Springs. The large majority of it would be in the long- and narrow-shaped Bushy Creek Roadless Area, which contains 11,386 acres, much of it very steep. This area contains a spectacular natural feature, "The Slide", a large natural landslide, which demonstrates how erosive soils are here. The area extends east to the Morrison Creek Road, where slopes are more gentle. A popular hiking and mountain biking trail bisects the area and provides access to The Slide. (It can also be accessed by car from the west, outside the roadless area.) Most of the area is forested with a mixture of lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and aspen. There are also numerous small meadows. This mixture of vegetation provides a good natural defense against insects and tree diseases, since there is no pathogen that attacks more than two of these tree species. It also provides excellent habitat for a number of wildlife species. The Morrison Creek Roadless Area abuts the southern end of the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area a few miles east of Bushy Creek. The Revised Routt Plan notes that this area of 8,456 acres has low soil fertility, making it a poor place to cut timber. It also has excellent elk habitat and a high degree of naturalness. Both areas were inappropriately dropped from consideration as qualifying for wilderness designation. Colorado Wild, Inc. et al appealed this determination. Keeping these areas pristine is important in light of the fact that most of the area near Gore Pass (southeast of the proposed sale area) has been heavily cut in the past. More cutting is proposed there under the Revised Forest Plan. THE CURRENT PROPOSAL. Approximately 1150 acres would be cut, as much as 223 acres via clearcutting. Some clearcuts might be greater than 40 acres in size. Fourteen (14) miles of new road would be needed to access this timber, with 2 miles of existing road needing reconstruction. The integrity of Bushy Creek would be destroyed by this proposal, since most of the gentle-sloping eastern portion of the area would be cut, further narrowing the uncut area. One unit is also proposed for a very steep slope. Recreation there would be negatively affected, as at least three units are near the popular trail. Much high quality wildlife habitat would be degraded or destroyed. Elk may be at least temporarily displaced from the area. Part of the Morrison Creek roadless area would be altered so that it could not qualify for addition to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area. The cut is justified in both areas by a need to promote "healthy stands of timber". However, with the diversity of vegetation, forest health problems, such as very damaging insect epidemics, are rather unlikely. WHAT YOU CAN DO. WE NEED A MASSIVE NUMBER OF LETTERS AND EMAILS TO STOP THIS DESTRUCTIVE OUTRAGE. Please write, and encourage everyone you know to write, to: Norman Wagoner, Yampa Ranger District, P. O. Box 7 Yampa, CO 80483. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. Chris Wood, Special Assistant to the Chief US Forest Service Auditor's Building - 4NW Washington, D.C. 20250 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Lyle Laverty, Regional Forester U.S. Forest Service - Rocky Mountain Region P.O. Box 25127 Lakewood, CO 80225-0127 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] You can make comments orally to Kent Foster at 970 638-4516. It is best to comment by February 26, but late letters and calls will be accepted. Make the following points in your letter or phone call: --insist that the roadless areas not be entered. Note the very high value of these areas for wildlife habitat and human solitude, especially because so much land nearby has been roaded and logged. This timber sale makes a mockery of the spirit of Chief Dombeck's proposed roadless area protection policy, even if the policy doen't apply to these sales. --State that logging is not needed to protect the forest. The diversity of vegetation makes it unlikely that any insect or disease could cause massive deforestation or other destruction. State that logging would do far more damage than any destructive agent. --Note that soils in Bushy Creek are very erosive, making logging and road construction risky. --Protest the reduction in quality of recreation, everything from hiking, mountain biking, hunting, and other activities, that would occur if the project proceeds. --State that the project would likely drive elk down to private lands earlier, making them more difficult to hunt and exacerbating the elk overpopulation problem. --Note that logging traffic will conflict with recreational and residential traffic on the Morrison Creek Road, possibly creating a safety problem. For additional information, call Rocky Smith at 303 839-5900. *********************************************************************** R. Smith/Colorado Wild, Inc. 1030 Pearl #9 Denver, CO 80203 mailto:[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/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
