protecting wild places and wildlife, for their sake – and ours June 2011 Dave Reed Melanie Finan

HIKES, BIKES AND AUTOMOBILES New White River travel plan strikes the right balance

f you’ve spent any time in our National Forests, you determine the status of every road and trail on the 2.3-mil- probably know that they’re spider-webbed by roads and lion-acre Forest. trails. What you might not know is how extensive those On May 4, Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams released Itravel networks are, and how much it matters how they’re the long-awaited final plan. We think he and his staff struck managed. the right balance, providing ample access to the Forest while The U.S. Forest Service has over 380,000 miles of roads protecting the land from damaging roads – and sparing tax- on its lands – amazingly, that’s twice as many miles as there payers the burden of a bloated and expensive travel system. are in the entire U.S. Highway System. Our local White Riv- er National Forest, which stretches from the Elk Mountains “Rightsizing” the road system to the Flat Tops to the Eisenhower Tunnel, has nearly 2,200 The plan incorporates many of the recommendations we miles of roads and motorized routes, plus another 850 miles made throughout the long process. Importantly, it takes a of mountain-bikable trails and 1,540 miles of other trails. significant step toward “rightsizing” the road system on the Given how seriously we take our fun around here, deci- Forest. Roads cause very real ecological damage, and are sions about which routes are open to whom can be touchy. expensive to maintain – an important factor in these budget- Little wonder, then, that the WRNF took nearly a decade to slashing times. The new plan recognizes this by creating finalize its Travel Management Plan, the document that will CONTINUED ON page 10

AN EPIC RUNOFF IN THE MAKING In this issue WW wilderness moni- The Hydro-Ax falls 2 toring specialist David Goodbye picnic, hello Richie reported that there restoration program 3 was still 9 feet of snow at the Aspen Mountain air Drilling targets roadless areas 4 monitoring station as we Oil shale sent back for review 5 went to press for this news- Hidden Gems go to Congress 6 letter. The deep snowpack is great news for water Summer hike schedule 7 supplies, but let’s hope it A fresh look at Sloan Peak 8 doesn’t come off all at once Crystal dam plans canned 9 or things could get a little too interesting. For more Winter 2011 in pictures 11 on what David is up to this Donor Hall of Fame 13 summer, see page 9. David Richie WW supports habitat project, with conditions he Forest Service is ments don’t violate federal Twaiting to hear wheth- roadless rules or result in er it will receive a multi- unacceptable impacts. And as million-dollar grant to burn these acres are restored, we’ll or cut 50,000 acres in the have to continually press the Roaring Fork watershed and agency to give natural pro- the Glenwood Canyon. cesses a free hand, allowing Sounds like the kind fire to fulfill its critical role of project the Wilderness and avoiding the necessity of Workshop would oppose to ongoing and expensive me- the hilt, doesn’t it? And yet chanical manipulation. we’re in favor of it (with a Future treatments should few conditions). Want to focus on “firewising” commu- know why? nities to protect life, property The Aspen-Sopris Habitat Sloan Shoemaker and infrastructure. Firewis- Improvement Project first The Hydro-Ax falls: the machine was used in a successful 2003 ing is a national program that surfaced last fall, after the habitat restoration project above Aspen Junction. promotes creating “defensible White River National For- space” around homes and est identified a number of areas where excess material and clears the way for communities and rendering structures wildlife habitat had been degraded by new growth. These natural processes more ignition-resistant – see years of development and active fire are the very essence of wildness, and www.firewise.org for how you can suppression. These stands of oak-dom- allowing them to go on unimpeded is protect your home from the inevitable inated shrublands are unnaturally thick generally the best way to ensure long- wildfire. and pose heightened fire hazard. term ecological health and wildlife vi- To qualify for funding, the White When Forest managers learned that ability. Let nature be in charge and the River National Forest has convened a federal money was available for collab- land can look after itself. Future Forests Roundtable to review orative landscape restoration projects However, not every part of the forest the initial proposal and to review po- of 50,000 acres or more, the project is appropriate for a hands-off approach. tential future projects. WW is actively grew in size and added a collaborative The parcels targeted in this project are participating in this collaborative body, element – OK, maybe the process was generally too close to communities to along with more than a dozen other a bit bass-ackwards, but collaboration be left to burn naturally in their current local groups, and also sits on the execu- is a good thing. (More about that in a condition. About 20,000 of the acres tive committee that’s formalizing the sec.) will be burned in a controlled fashion, scope and process of the roundtable’s The project’s ostensible goal of re- which is the next-best thing. The re- work. We look forward to building storing lost or degraded wildlife habitat mainder will be thinned by chainsaw or consensus on how our communities can is one we wholeheartedly support. We Hydro-Ax, which is like an industrial- live sustainably in the midst of distur- especially like the idea of improving sized lawnmower for trees. bance-dependent ecosystems. winter range, which is the limiting fac- Machine-cutting of trees is admit- In conclusion, this project is one tor for big game herds such as elk and tedly a long way from a natural process, we largely embrace and we commend bighorn sheep. but if done sparingly it can return these the White River National Forest for But even more than restoring the areas to a more natural fuel condition, this bold step. We also urge all local land to its natural conditions, we would preparing them for the safe reintroduc- residents to embrace the temporary like to see the project return natural tion of fire. discomfort caused by smoke from processes – especially fire – to the land. We’ll be urging the Forest Service controlled fire as preferable to the Our western forests are adapted to to use the mechanical treatments only smoke that’s certain to come from “disturbance regimes.” They burn peri- where conditions preclude controlled much larger uncontrolled fires if these odically. Fire thins out stands, removes burning, and to ensure that the treat- habitats aren’t treated.

2 Wilderness Works June 2011 Restoration program replaces summer picnic ttention everybody… few years. If you’re a fan of the picnic, If you can’t participate in the project, Acan we have your atten- you won’t be disap- we’d still love for you to join us for the tion? Thank you. We have pointed – the lunch lunch afterward. The cost for non- an exciting announce- will be much the volunteers is $10 per person or $20 for ment to make: this same as in years a family. summer, WW past, with heaps of Important: please help us plan for is launching a food, live acous- this event by registering in advance. To brand-new pro- tic music with the be sure of getting a t-shirt that fits, you gram focusing on Defiance Stringband and must RSVP no later than July 1. You can hands-on landscape optional line dancing. register by going to our website restoration projects. The only difference is (www.wildernessworkshop.org) and For a long time we’ve that this time you’ll get clicking on the Restoration Project wanted to offer more op- to earn your lunch by link. portunities for folks to roll thrashing some thistles! up their sleeves and get di- The weed-pulling will rectly involved in the work run from 8:30 a.m. WHAT: WW’s first-ever restora- of looking after our federal to 1 p.m., with the tion project & party public lands. We were waiting post-work lunch/par- WHEN: Saturday, July 23 - weed- for the release of the Travel Man- ty lasting until around pulling 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., lunch/ agement Plan (see cover story), 3. We’ll provide tools party 1-3 p.m. because the most exciting restora- and training, and all tion work that needs to be done in our volunteers will receive WHERE: Maroon Creek Valley – area is reclaiming the unnecessary roads a free t-shirt. Free please take shuttle from the Aspen and trails that the plan has slated for shuttle service will Middle School parking lot decommissioning. be provided from RSVP: by July 1; go to www. Unfortunately, the travel plan didn’t the Aspen Middle wildernessworkshop.org/events come out in time to plan route-resto- School parking lot. ration projects for this summer. Not to worry – on Saturday, July 23, we’re or- ganizing a one-time, come-one-come- all project to pull invasive weeds in and Nat’l forest rule falls short around Stein Meadow in the Maroon hanks to all of you who took the lot to be desired. Case in point: instead Creek Valley. For this event we’re team- Ttime to comment on the proposed of the existing mandate to maintain the ing up with the Aspen-Sopris Ranger new National Forest Management Act viability of all native vertebrate species, District and Roaring Fork Outdoor planning rule. the new draft rule allows local manag- Volunteers, and we hope this lays the The new rule will have a tremendous ers to pick and choose which animals groundwork for an ongoing partnership impact on our public lands across the are worthy of saving, and where. While in years to come. White River National Forest and across it may be OK to give that much discre- We’re pleased to be doing our pilot the nation. It will govern how wildlife tion to the type of progressive rangers restoration project in the Maroon and water are protected and how the we’re used to here, there are too many Creek Valley, because after all, that’s Forest Service plans industrial develop- old-school foresters whose main con- where WW’s roots lie. It also happens ment (from timber cutting to oil and sideration is just getting out the cut. to be one of the most beautiful places gas drilling) and recreation (from ski WW joined Colorado Wild and The on earth. areas to new trails). Wilderness Society in calling for sound This event will replace our annual While the new rule has noble goals science, rather than local manager dis- Wilderness Picnic, which has been held (climate resilience, clean drinking wa- cretion, to be the guiding principle in in the same general area for the past ter, etc.), the nitty gritty details leave a the final planning rule.

Wilderness Works June 2011 3 Drilling proposals target roadless areas, shale emember the Bull plays have fueled a major RMountain Pipeline? boom in Wyoming and The 300 extra wells that northeastern Colorado, were predicted? Well and there’s a concern that hold on tight, because the they could intensify and applications to drill are prolong the boom here. starting to come in. And since these shale Right now we’re look- formations are deeper ing at two separate appli- and harder than the tight cations in the vicinity of sands that have produced the new pipeline, which most of the gas in our re- runs between the North gion to date, they require Fork Valley and Silt. more drilling and a bigger Both of these projects lie frack (hydraulic fracture) within the 220,000-acre to release their gas. area that the Thomp- So make that another son Divide Coalition is Alison Galensky/CNE helping of drilling emis- seeking to permanently Antero’s Lava Boulder Project threatens the East Divide/Fourmile Park sions, and a double shot protect from drilling. And Roadless Area and New Castle’s municipal watershed. of fracking fluids. together they look like The Wilderness Work- the harbingers of a couple of unset- the agency could simply greenlight the shop is working with EarthJustice and tling new trends in our region: drilling project without appropriate roadless Western Resource Advocates to push in roadless areas, and drilling in deep protections. back on drilling in roadless areas. We’d shale formations. Confused? So is everybody. Which prefer to resolve these issues outside Antero Resources has applied to is why, if the test wells produce, it of court, but the values these areas drill up to four exploratory wells on a may be very hard to stop Antero from provide to our community and to our 2,500-acre lease it holds near the head- extending roads and well pads inside country are worth fighting for. waters of East Divide Creek, due south the roadless area. The project could set Thanks to the Aspen Skiing Com- of New Castle. The lease lies half inside, a dangerous precedent that effectively pany Environment Foundation and the half outside of the East Divide/Four- ends protections for all 74 gap leases in Laffey-McHugh Foundation for support mile Park Roadless Area. Antero pro- Colorado that don’t have prohibitions of our Oil & Gas Defense Program. poses to site its Lava Boulder Project on surface disturbance. just outside the roadless-area boundary, A second drilling application that’s so no harm, no foul, right? supposed to be in the works is at a site HOW YOU CAN HELP But if any of the test wells pan out, only a few miles northwest of McClure Emails to the Forest Service things will get problematic. Pass. Although this lease lies wholly about the Lava Boulder Project are Antero was granted its lease in within the Huntsman Ridge Roadless tremendously helpful at this time. 2003, with no stipulations against Area, it was let in 2000 and therefore So, too, are public comments on road-building in the roadless area, in isn’t subject to the 2001 Roadless Rule. the Colorado Roadless Rule. You violation of the Roadless Area Conser- By the way, the applicant is SG Inter- can do both via our action page – vation Rule. This is one of the infamous ests – the owner of the Bull Mountain go to www.wildernessworkshop. “gap leases” from 2001-04 that never Pipeline. org/action or should have been let, and which will Meanwhile, Antero’s application read the QR ultimately be invalidated (if the courts indicates that the company intends to code at right uphold the Roadless Rule) or validated explore the Mancos and Niobrara shale with your smart- (if they throw out the Roadless Rule). formations, in addition to the usual phone. Or, in the absence of any court ruling, Williams Fork sandstone. These shale

4 Wilderness Works June 2011 Oil shale sent back for review he Obama administration is giving early May, the BLM kicked off Toil shale a second look – which its review process with a se- could cut either way. ries of public hearings around In February, the Department of Inte- the region. WW helped orga- rior agreed to revisit Bush administra- nize a strong showing at the tion decisions that opened huge swaths Rifle hearing. of public lands to oil shale development The message that we car- and set bargain-basement royalty rates. ried: be prudent. We need That was a reprieve for 2 million acres to understand the full range of public lands in Colorado, Utah and of impacts associated with Wyoming, which are at risk of being oil shale before jumping into

turned into an industrial wasteland in commercial-scale develop- Michael Gorman pursuit of one of the world’s dirtiest ment. Citizens speaking out at the Rifle hearing. fuels. Colorado’s West Slope is WW is part of a coalition of local already experiencing a boom and national groups that has been chal- in natural gas, uranium and coal mining. ing agriculture, grazing, recreation, lenging the inadequate environmental A massive new oil shale industry would hunting and fishing. analyses and fast-tracked approvals of impose crushing burdens on our water, The BLM is running oil shale through oil shale for the past five years. In 2009 our air, our communities and our way an Environmental Impact Statement, we sued Interior, and it was the settle- of life. Thirty years ago, the collapse which is a lengthy, multi-step review ment of that lawsuit that produced the of a speculative oil shale industry process. The public comment period February announcement. devastated the region’s economy. The for the first phase closed on May 16, But now comes the hard part, as the government’s own assessment of oil but there will be further opportunities burden falls on concerned citizens to shale development shows that wherever to comment. Make sure you’re on our convince the feds to come to a different oil shale is developed, it will displace all email list so we can alert you when it’s conclusion the second time around. In other uses on our public lands, includ- time. Wild Lands policy under fire h dear – our Congress is just not being very nice when by Congress, which drives the opponents nuts. George W. Oit comes to national wilderness policy. In April a rider Bush’s Interior Secretary, Gale Norton, blocked the BLM attached to the budget bill defunded the Obama administra- from designating any more WSAs; Salazar’s countermove was tion’s new Wild Lands policy for the rest of the current fiscal to create a whole new category of protected lands. year; and another bill in the House is seeking to lift protec- Whether the Wild Lands policy will survive is an open tions for Wilderness Study Areas and Roadless Areas. question at this point. Not only is it unfunded until Septem- The Wild Lands policy has been at the top of wilderness ber, it’s also being challenged in court by the states of Utah opponents’ hit list ever since Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Alaska. The next battle will likely be over Congressional announced it last December. Salazar’s administrative order funding for the program in the 2012 budget. directed the BLM to inventory its lands with wilderness Meanwhile, the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release character and to recommend qualifying lands for the new Act, introduced by House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin Mc- “wild lands” designation. Carthy, (R-Calif.), would “release” many of the 545 WSAs To wilderness foes, that sounded like returning full circle and all Forest Service Roadless areas from their protected to 1975, when Congress directed the BLM to do a similar status – something like 60 million acres in all. inventory that resulted in 13 million acres of Wilderness The bill is apt to get some media attention as it works its Study Areas. Some 545 WSAs continue to enjoy temporary way through the House, but fortunately it’s unlikely to fly in wilderness status, pending an up-or-down wilderness vote the Senate.

Wilderness Works June 2011 5 Hidden Gems build Congressional support arth Day was a good day two other pieces of legislation Efor the Hidden Gems to fully realize the vision of Campaign. Appropriately, the Hidden Gems proposal. Congressman Jared Polis Mr. Polis’s bill only addresses chose April 22 to announce lands in his 2nd Congressio- the reintroduction of his nal District. Protecting the Eagle and Summit County remaining proposal areas in Wilderness Preservation Pitkin, Gunnison and Garfield Act on the steps of the State counties will require a separate Capitol in Denver. bill for the 3rd Congressional Congressman Polis’s bill, District, now represented by which is based on the Hidden Congressman Scott Tipton, Gems proposal (see side- and of course these House bills bar), is unchanged from the will have to be matched by version he first introduced Kurt Kunkle legislation in the Senate. last fall. But there’s one key Congressman Jared Polis at an Earth Day press conference, This therefore is an excel- difference: timing. Unlike last announcing his reintroduction of the Eagle and Summit County lent time to be talking to our year’s bill, which was intro- Wilderness Preservation Act. Colorado Senators about wil- duced very late in the Con- derness. With last year’s elec- gressional session, this one is entering the legislative pipeline tions out of the way, Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet early, giving it a better chance for success. are showing a new interest in wilderness and in the Hidden So does this mean we’re done? Smooth sailing from here Gems proposal. And while they’re getting a later start, and to the President’s desk? the Senate is relatively more likely to move such legislation. Passing wilderness legislation is seldom that easy, even Our goal in the coming weeks will be to persuade the with the strong local and statewide support Congressman senators to introduce legislation that builds on the bill intro- Polis’s bill enjoys. The bill’s introduction is a major accom- duced by Mr. Polis, adding other deserving areas. We’re also plishment in anyone’s book, but it’s only the first step in a encouraging the senators to champion Hidden Gems areas in long legislative process. What’s more, it will take at least the 3rd District.

A wilderness bill we can rally around ongressman Jared Polis’s Eagle ™™ Designate Red Table, Pisgah Gems Campaign has proposed for wil- Cand Summit County Wilderness Mountain and part of Castle Peak derness. Of that, 82,000 acres are to Preservation Act is essentially identi- as special management areas with receive full wilderness protection and cal to the bill he first introduced at the near-wilderness status (differing the remaining 85,000 acres are slated end of the last Congress. Specifically, only in that they allow military for other protective designations. it would: helicopter training). The bulk of the 77,000 Hidden ™™ Designate six brand-new wilder- ™™ Include two additional special Gems acres that didn’t make the cut are in two large areas that we’d love to ness areas: Bull Gulch, Castle management areas adjacent to see added back: Lower Piney (where Peak, Adam Mountain, Williams Tenmile and Hoosier Ridge with we’re working to resolve remain- Fork, Tenmile and Hoosier Ridge. mountain biking allowed. ing snowmobiling issues) and Basalt ™™ Significantly enlarge the exist- The bill includes 167,000, or 68%, Mountain (where we’re working to ing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest and of the 244,000 acres in Eagle and satisfy the local fire department’s Ptarmigan Wildernesses. Summit counties that the Hidden concerns).

6 Wilderness Works June 2011 Wilderness proposals always bread and butter – it’s what drives attract strong feelings and a fair our local tourism- and amenity- amount of opposition, and that is based economies and accounts for more true in the current Congress most of our jobs. than ever before. It will take some The founders of the Wilderness courageous leadership to intro- Workshop – Connie Harvey, Joy duce wilderness legislation in that Caudill and Dottie Fox – led the atmosphere. campaigns in the 1960s and 1970s Nonetheless, we’re hopeful that that gave us the Maroon Bells- Congressman Tipton will embrace Snowmass, Hunter-Fryingpan, the fundamentally conservative Collegiate Peaks and Raggeds Wil- value and wisdom of landscape dernesses. Then as now, wilderness protection. In recent meetings designation was controversial, with us, he’s been unfailingly re- with opponents warning of dire spectful and open to hearing from economic consequences. Four de- all sides. Perhaps most impor- cades later, these areas are beloved tantly, he’s already demonstrating by all, and mountain resort econo- a willingness to consider new mies are the envy of the region. wilderness in his district. His And what will people think of office is, for example, starting the Hidden Gems in, say, 2050? to take a close look at San Juan Chances are they won’t realize that wilderness legislation. That’s an these areas were ever not wilder- openness on which we can build ness. They’ll take them for granted for the Hidden Gems. in the best possible way, relying Congressman Tipton has con- on the clean air and water they sistently said that his No. 1 issue provide, treasuring the wildlife and is the economy, so any wilderness vistas they protect, prospering from proposal seeking to win his sup- their abundance…and maybe once port must pass the jobs test. That in a while whispering a thank you shouldn’t be hard. We mountain back across the years to those who folk know that wilderness is our left them this legacy of wild nature.

HOW YOU CAN HELP There are thee main ways you can help the Hidden Gems Campaign at this time: ™™ Thank Congressman Polis for his bill. ™™ Urge Congressman Tipton and Sens. Udall and Bennet to take up Hidden Gems legislation. ™™ If you own a business, sign up to be listed as a business sup- porter of the campaign to send the message to Mr. Tipton that wilderness is good for business. You can take all these actions and more at the Hidden Gems Campaign’s action page, www.whiteriverwild.org/action. Oh, and there’s one other thing you can do – make a donation! Thank you to the many gener- ous Hidden Gems Campaign donors listed on page 14.

Wilderness Works June 2011 7 Taking a fresh look at Sloan Peak housands of people view the Sloan And interspersed among all those present the proposal to our members of TPeak area through their wind- human stomping grounds are some Congress for consideration as legisla- shields every day. Few know its name, remarkably undisturbed chunks of tion. or ever set foot in it. low- and mid-elevation wildlife Look for this effort to evolve in the Occupying the divide between the habitat. coming months, and to include meet- lower Fryingpan and Roaring Fork Much of Sloan Peak was originally ings and field trips with recreational rivers, the 44,000-acre expanse means part of the Hidden Gems wilderness groups, local residents and elected different things to different people. To proposal, but was removed to accom- officials. anyone driving up to Ruedi Reservoir, modate the concerns of motorized and Although wilderness designation it looks like a wall of impossibly steep, mechanized recreation groups. Three proved unviable for Sloan Peak un- dark-timbered slopes. To Woody years later, we think it’s a good time to der the Hidden Gems proposal, there Creekers, it’s a redrock landscape dis- take a fresh look at this area, to see if it remain important conservation values sected by canyons and stubbled with can be protected in a way that all par- in that landscape that warrant a height- pinyon and juniper. To snowmobilers, ties can get behind. ened level of protection. With this new who access it from Lenado, it’s a big, We’re currently reaching out to initiative, we look forward to exploring undulating play area. To dirtbikers the local mountain-bike community, other, non-wilderness designations for coming up from Gerbazdale, it’s a motorized-user groups and residents to the majority of the planning area. (One network of trails through oaks, aspens see if they’d like to work together on or two sectors may still qualify for and sagebrush meadows. To the occa- this. The goal is to figure out a protec- wilderness.) sional hardy mountain biker, it’s part tive strategy that preserves both the There are downsides to non-wilder- of an epic backcountry ride from recreational and ecological values of the ness processes. They can be extremely Aspen to Basalt. area. If all goes well, we’ll then jointly labor-intensive to get right. Not based on an “organic” act (e.g., the Wilderness Act), each one must be a customized negotiation between the various stake- holders. There’s a risk that extractive industries will get their nose under the tent and use the process to authorize logging, mining or drilling, leaving the land worse off than before. All that being said, we believe Sloan Peak is worth the attempt. If nothing else, the process can help bring us all together around what we have in com- mon, a love of the land and a desire to keep it as it is.

HOW YOU CAN HELP If you have any particular knowledge of the Sloan Peak area you’d like to share, or if you have any bright ideas or suggestions, Richard Compton/Ecographics please contact Will Roush at 963- In the Sloan Peak area (shown in tan), dispersed human activities occur amidst 3977 or will@wildernesswork- otherwise undisturbed wildlife habitat. A new initiative seeks to permanently protect shop.org. both the recreational and ecological values of the area.

8 Wilderness Works June 2011 Gems proposal leads to Crystal breakthrough ecades-old plans for a pair of “The closest the West Divide Project Placita Reservoir (now confined to Dmassive reservoirs in the Crystal can show to actively maintaining any Forest Service land around Bogan Flats Valley came to an abrupt, welcome end plan to build the dams is the request Campground). this spring – thanks in part to the Hid- to the Wilderness Workshop to move While the threat of inundation is den Gems Campaign. the boundaries of the proposed Hidden gone, Emerick says there are still ad- Since 1958, the West Divide Project Gems Wilderness.” vantages to pursuing Wild and Scenic has been allocated conditional water That request turns out to have been status for the Crystal. Designation rights to fill two massive reservoirs that the last lawyerly gasp on behalf of the would help protect riparian areas and would flood the town of Redstone and reservoirs. In April, the water district prevent further degradation of the much of the valley from there up to suddenly announced it would abandon river, he notes, and the river district Marble. The water was to be impound- all its conditional water rights for the should now have little reason to ed for agriculture in the Grand Valley Osgood Reservoir (the one that would oppose it. or for oil shale development further have flooded Redstone), and retain only Did someone say Crystal River Wild north. The Crystal Valley Environmen- limited rights for a much scaled-back and Scenic Campaign? We’re there! tal Protection Association formed in the 1970s to fight the reservoirs, but over the years the threat faded, and most folks assumed the plans had been Free summer course offered abandoned. So it came as a rude surprise last November when the Hidden Gems to local high school students Campaign received a stern letter from avid Richie is getting ready for contact David directly at richie@wil- the Colorado River Water Conservation Danother busy summer. WW’s dernessworkshop.org or 925-8432. District, which holds the water rights wilderness monitoring specialist since David isn’t exactly idle in winters for the project. The letter requested 2006, David takes weekly air-quality and springs, either. In 2009-10, after that the campaign pull back some of its readings at the top of Aspen winning a place for WW in boundaries “so that the wilderness area Mountain year-round, and a national pilot program, he wouldn’t ‘inundate’ the West Divide in the summer months he performed a massive data re- Project – sort of an interesting way to also samples water at sev- view and “wilderness charac- put it,” remarks John Emerick, vice- eral high-elevation lakes, ter assessment” of the Maroon chairman of the Crystal Valley Caucus monitors invasive weeds, and Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. and a WW board member. gauges the overall “wildness” The program, initiated by Gems campaigners shared the let- of the Maroon Bells-Snow- David Richie the Aldo Leopold Wilder- ter and accompanying maps with the mass Wilderness. ness Research Institute, aims Caucus and CVEPA. The groups alerted This work is supported by funding to quantify how well Forest Service their members and revived discussions from Pitkin County, the City of Aspen management is remaining faithful to about strategies for blocking the dams, and the U.S. Forest Service. the Wilderness Act. (The upshot of his including Wild and Scenic River desig- This summer David is offering a free findings: the MB-S is doing pretty well nation for the Crystal. two-day introduction to monitoring according to most standards of wilder- What may have ultimately forced the techniques for local high school stu- ness character, although lags in issue was the threat of a taxpayer re- dents. The tentative dates are: “naturalness.”) volt, as Crystal Valley residents started ™™Saturday, Aug. 6 – water sampling David’s report was so highly re- questioning why the district was spend- at Tabor Lake garded that he was hired this spring by ing money to demonstrate its contin- ™™Monday, Aug. 8 – air monitoring on the Forest Service and the Society for ued diligence on the far-fetched project Aspen Mountain Wilderness Stewardship to do a similar at a water court hearing scheduled for The program is limited to eight assessment of the Holy Cross Wilder- late May. As CVEPA’s newsletter noted, students. If you’re interested, please ness.

Wilderness Works June 2011 9 Hikes, bikes & automobiles CONTINUED from page 1 a road and trail system that reduces of bandit mountain bike and dirtbike redundant and damaging routes. routes. Many of these are in recreation As Fitzwilliams told reporters, “We playgrounds such as the Hunter Creek don’t need as many roads as we had and Valley north of Aspen, the Red Can- we can’t afford them.” yon/Sloan Peak area north of Woody Under the new plan, most of the Creek, and the upper Cattle Creek area tangle of old logging roads in the Kobey north of Basalt Mountain. Park area, north of Lenado, will be Illegal trail development is a growing decommissioned. There will also be problem on our public lands, and legiti- significant reductions in road and trail mizing such trails is bad public policy. densities in the Vail Pass-Tennessee Pass Without any oversight or planning, lynx corridor; in the Thompson Creek- bandit trails often get built in ecologi- Sloan Shoemaker East Willow area and the Williams Fork cally inappropriate locations, and like The road up Huntsman Ridge from Range, which provide important elk graffiti, they tend to attract more of the McClure Pass is heavily eroded and should habitat and migration routes; in the same. Public lands belong to everyone, be closed. It actually was slated for closure Spraddle Creek area immediately north but that doesn’t mean that anyone can in the previous draft of the Travel Man- of Vail; and in the Sweetwater area at treat them as their own private prop- agement Plan, but was mysteriously left the eastern edge of the Flat Tops. erty. Grandfathering bandit trails only open in the final plan. Altogether, the plan closes 519 encourages further abuse. miles of official routes (mostly disused Another worrisome feature of the come the law of the land until after any logging and mining roads and obscure plan is that it continues to allow visitors appeals have been settled. hiking trails) and another 692 miles to drive to dispersed campsites within So we’ll have to continue our advo- of “bandit” roads and trails. Decom- 300 feet of existing roads. Existing cacy for a little longer, to support the missioning these routes will be a big campsites are cool, but the problem White River National Forest’s laudable job, which is one reason why we’ve with the 300-foot rule is that it can decision to rightsize the system. Mean- launched our new restoration program lead to a proliferation of new marginal while, we’ll evaluate whether an appeal – see page 3. campsites and “social” routes that fur- is the best way to address our remain- Incidentally, the Hidden Gems Cam- ther fragment the landscape. ing concerns. Either way, you can count paign inappropriately took the heat for And while the plan is replete with on us to keep pushing for what’s best many of these closures while the final lengthy discussion of the extensive trav- for the land. travel plan was in preparation. Oppo- el system that may be needed for natu- nents looked at the maps and assumed ral gas development and bark-beetle the campaign was shutting down mo- mitigations, it punts on any meaningful HOW YOU CAN HELP torized and mechanized routes to make analysis of what that system will look The Forest Service needs to way for more wilderness. In reality, the like or how it will impact other impor- hear as many comments as pos- closures depicted in the maps reflected tant values like recreation, hunting and sible from members of the public the Forest Service’s recommendations ecological health. This was a missed in support of the strong elements in the previous draft of the travel plan; opportunity. A long-range plan like this of the Travel Management Plan. our proposal boundaries were built one is supposed to be a framework for We make it easy at our action around the very clear direction the For- big-picture, holistic planning, in order page – go to www.wilderness- est Service was headed in. to avoid the death by a thousand cuts of workshop.org/ piecemeal decision-making. action or read Room for improvement Although this is supposed to be the the QR code at There are also aspects of the plan final version of the Travel Management right with your that we’re not so excited about. Plan, interested parties have until June smartphone. For one thing, it legalizes 225 miles 3 to appeal it, and it won’t actually be-

10 Wilderness Works June 2011 Winter 2011 in pictures

Board member Cici Fox organized an incredibly successful sale of watercolors by her late mother, Dottie Fox, to benefit WW. (Left) Cici with Carol Trulove and Kay Hannah. (Right) At the same February First Friday, WW opened “Roadless,” an exhibit of photos by Nelson Dave Reed

Guda. Dave Reed

One of the highlights of the 2011 Naturalist Nights series was the screening of Josh Fox’s powerful documentary “Gasland” (far left). Tara Meixsell, Dee Hoffmeister and Rick Roles, all featured in the film, spoke afterward about their direct experiences of gas drilling in the Grand Valley. Dave Reed Dave Reed

(Left) About 200 people attended the “Gasland” screen- ing in Carbondale. (Right) Aron Ralston competing in “Minute to Win It,” where he won an astounding $125,000 for WW and publicized our work to a national audience. NBC Dave Reed

In April we were able to bring to the Third Street Center an ex- hibit of design models and plans for a pro- posed wildlife bridge at Vail Pass. Center for Native Ecosystems Melanie Finan

Wilderness Works June 2011 11 Help us save paper; join our email list Being an organization whose mission is to protect forests, we’d like to mini- mize our paper correspondence. Please let us know if we may acknowledge your donation by email rather than by paper mail – just check the box under the big “YES” on the remit envelope stapled into this newsletter. And whether you make a donation or not, please make sure you’re signed up for our email list. It’s the best way to hear about upcoming events and important conservation issues affecting our area. “Chair Mountain from Huntsman Ridge” – one of 16 images being offered by winter You can join our email list by going 2011 Artist in Wilderness Glenn Randall. to our website, www.wildernesswork- shop.org. If you’ve already signed up Amazing offer from Artist but you’re not receiving our emails, you might want to check to see if in Wilderness Glenn Randall they’re getting caught in your spam filter. ur Artist in Wilderness program renewing member who increases their Odid something different this past giving by at least $10 per month. And winter. After hosting six painters, it of- if you make it $20 a month, he’ll even fered the latest residency to a photog- throw in the framing and matting. WW Facebook rapher, Glenn Randall. You can see a gallery of available photo of the week If Glenn’s name doesn’t ring a bell, images at www.glennrandall.com/ This summer, we his work will be instantly recognizable ww.html, and there’s a link from there want you to get out into – his magnificent photo of Treasure to our donation page (wilderness- the backcountry and Mountain is the signature image of the workshop.org/donate). If you have any send us your photos – Hidden Gems Campaign. A Boulder questions, please contact Melanie Finan each week we’ll post native, Glenn has been specializing at (970) 963-3977 or melanie@wilder- our favorite at our Face- in Colorado landscape photography nessworkshop.org. book page. Please stay tuned for details since 1993 and has published hundreds But wait, there’s more! Anyone who on this in an email. of photos in everything from Outside donates $100 or more to WW before And by the way, make sure to “like” magazine to Sierra Club calendars. Sept. 1 will receive a free set of six Art- us on Facebook to start getting our During his residency, he captured a ist in Wilderness blank notecards as a updates and event invitations! number of stunning snowy images from token of our appreciation. (The note- Red Table, Huntsman Ridge and the cards are also available for purchase, Tenmile Range. $10 per sixpack.) Not only is Glenn a fabulous photog- Member survey rapher, he’s also an extremely gener- How are we doing? We want to know ous one. Until Sept. 1, he’s offering a what you think. We’ll be sending out a free unframed 11x17 print of one of short member survey by email in early his images to any new WW member June, and we hope you’ll take the time who signs up to make automatic dona- to complete it. tions of at least $10 per month, or any

12 Wilderness Works June 2011 based nonprofit that often helps us out with Incoming staff & interns flights over areas of concern. Please welcome the newest addition to Meanwhile, we’re eagerly anticipating our staff, Michael Gorman, who’s helping the arrival of two summer interns. Ellen part-time with summer events, hikes and Vaughan comes to us with credentials that social media. go way beyond those of the typical intern, A Glenwood Springs native, Michael re- including a Master’s in Environmental Policy cently got his degree in parks and protected from the State University of New York/Syr- area management from CSU, and hurried acuse and experience as the director of the straight back to the valley. Renewable Natural Resources Foundation in “Growing up here, I really learned and Bethesda, Maryland. developed an appreciation for public lands,” Our second intern is Josh Darling, who he says. That passion has also landed him a by the time you read this will have gradu- part-time position with EcoFlight, an Aspen- ated from Glenwood Springs High School. Michael Gorman

DONOR HALL OF FAME he Wilderness Workshop wishes to thank the follow- the previous newsletter. New members are indicated by an Ting generous people who have made donations since asterisk (*).

$100,000+ John Emerick and Dee Malone Nancy and Garry Chinn* Reese Henry & Co. Aron and Jessica Ralston Jeremy and Angela Foster John and Chuckie Chung Sue Rodgers Cici Fox Gesine and Jack Crandall Pat Spitzmiller $10,000-25,000 Jim and Mary Griffith Lenir Drake Dr. Rick Voorhees Anonymous Lucy Hahn/Humphreys Foun- Kristen and Casady Henry Craig and Becky Ward Jim Bonesteel and Caroline dation Joe Henry King Woodward Bob and Sue Helm Ann and Sam Johnson Cochener $100-249 Peter Looram and Owen Bill Hunt/Oak Lodge Founda- Frank Peters and Marjory McHaney tion Musgrave Aspen Skiing Company Branden Cohen/True Nature Fred and Susan Lodge Deidre Stancioff Environment Foundation, Healing Arts McBride Family/Aspen Busi- Linda and Chuck Vidal on behalf of David Kerr Hansjoerg Wyss ness Center Foundation Jay Webster Skip Behrhorst Marcie and Robert Musser Richard Beresford $5,000-9,999 David Newberger $250-499 Carl and Katie Bergman Aspen Skiing Company Lynn Nichols and Jim Gilchrist Kathryn and Bruce Baker Sarah Broughton and John Environment Foundation Pajwell Foundation Lisa Cashdan and Peter Stein, Rowland Climateworks Foundation Fonda and Charles Paterson in honor of Beth Cashdan and Kim Chang and Jim Condit Wendy and Hank Paulson, in Paul D’Amato Maggie DeWolf $1,000-4,999 honor of Mary Dominick Joyce and Bill Gruenberg Carlyn Dodds* Anonymous (2) Marty Pickett and Edgell Pyles Ann Harvey and Mike Camp- John Fielder Tom and Currie Barron Sara Ransford bell Ginni Galicinao Shelley Burke and Al Nemoff Sue Edelstein and Bill Spence Gail and Phil Holstein Ryland Gardner Beth Cashdan and Paul Mark Taché and Christin Jimmy Ibbotson Monique Gilbert D’Amato Cooper Sandy Jackson Lynn and Judy Hancock John Catto and Laurel Garrett/ Michael and Adelaide Waters Junee Kirk Mary, Shep and Nick Harris Marianne and Sheldon Lubar Michael Hassig and Olivia Catto Charitable Foundation $500-999 Marcia Corbin Tim and Donna McFlynn Emery R.H. Crossland Foundation Anonymous Kent and Elizabeth Meager Trautlinde Heater Mary Dominick and Sven Buddy and Connie Bates Everett Peirce Coomer Steve and Molly Child Anne and Arny Porath CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Wilderness Works June 2011 13 Lynda Palevsky John Starr Donor hall of fame Bruce Parlette Cynthia Vandeveer CONTINUED from pREVIOUS PAGE Everett Peirce Gayle and Richard Wells James and Hensley Peterson Andy Wiessner and Patsy Batchelder Casady Henry Barbara Pitchford Hugh and Mary Wise Ann Hodges Jacquelyn Powers and Jourdan Dern, in Janis and George Huggins honor of Harry and Karin Teague $50-99 Judy Hutchins Irma Prodinger Bob Adams David Hyman and Barbara Reid Missy and Steve Prudden George and Frances Alderson Leslie and Patrick Johnson Robert and Carolyn Purvis Daniel Alpert Albert Kern Sally Ranney Marty Ames and Steve Hach Susie Kincade and Mark Chapin Ron Reed Paul Andersen Tommy Latousek* Will Roush John Baird Henry and Nancy Lowe Greg Russi Dawn Barton Patricia Maddalone Sally and Craig Sakin* Lee Beck and John Stickney Joanie Matranga Gail and Alan Schwartz Bruce Benjamin Dan and Tita McCarty John and Ingrid Seidel Robert and Tracy Bennett Martha and Mike McCoy Tara and Casey Sheahan Katey Buster Bill Meadows Carolyn and Dick Shohet Joy Caudill Tom and Lindy Melberg Sandra Smith Laurence Cohen Kerry and Ricki Newman Jill Soffer Janet Coursey Virginia and Rick Newton Erica and Ryan Sparhawk* Don Davidson

Hidden Gems donors The following are donations made to the Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign, for which WW is the fiscal agent. $10,000+ Jill Soffer Sue and Greg Mozian Trudi Wilkes Anonymous Robert Walker Paula Nicholas Brad Zeigel Mo Shafroth and Barr Hogan Carol Racine $100-249 Up to $49 Charlie Stein $1,000-4,999 Terrie Allon Ginny and Pete Yang Jorge Andromidas Annie Cooke Art on a Whim, LLC Diane Argenzio $50-99 Gesine and Jack Crandall Steve Blanchard and Debbie Jane Click Marty Head and John Feagin Webster Amanda and Gavin Brooke Michele and Will Darken Marianne and Richard Kipper Cassidy Brush Kathy Farrell and Gordon Neal Ann Egan Josh and Christina Lautenberg Stephania Bunka Lois Harlamert-Teegarden Martin Gerra Gay and Richard Steadman Linda Bush Donald and Sheila Kava Barbara and Bob Kauffman Tom and Sydney Cerato Catherine Kling Karon Lundy $500-999 Graham Cowling Peter Kleinman Erin Makowsky Rose and George Gillett Anthony Czarnecki Sonja Knaisch Brady Robinson David and Janet Robertson Alan and Silvia Danson Kurt Kunkle Lyn and Steve Rys Buck and Holly Elliott Ed and Margi Lane Laurie Shannon and Tom $250-499 Anne Esson Rachel Light-Muller Powers John Fielder David Hatcher Ann and Dave Phillips Rosalinda Shearwood Barbara Gibbs, in honor of Art and Elaine Kelton David Stonington Jordan Fisher Smith Cassidy Brush Susie Kincade and Mark Shelley Supplee and Hawk Ellen and Doug Stewart Tom Gordon Chapin Greenway Marina Valenzuela Knute Holum Tim and Donna McFlynn Samuel Szarka, in honor of Brian Von Dedenroth Matthew Mckenna Sharon and Quim Moya ColoradosWildAreas.com

14 Wilderness Works June 2011 Rachel Dayton and Chip McCrory Douglas Wheat Doris and Chuck Downey White House Pizza Dorothea Farris Dorothy Frommer Up to $49 Connie Gallant Anonymous Sara Garton Russ Arensman Jon Gibans Anne Austin-Clapper and Willard Clapper P.O. Box 1442 Randy Gold David and Janet Boyle Carbondale, CO 81623 Donna and Bernard Grauer Jack and Marsha Brendlinger* Offices in the Third Street Center, 520 S. 3rd St., Carbondale Nancy Caponi Les Gray* Tel (970) 963-3977 John and Maggie Hillman* Helen and Roger Carlsen www.wildernessworkshop.org Richard and Sheryl Herrington Hal Clark [email protected] Kimothy Cross Heidi Hoffmann and Tom Griffiths The Wilderness Workshop’s mission is to John Isaacs Alan and Silvia Danson protect and conserve the wilderness and Sarah Johnson Stephen and Jennifer Ellsperman natural resources of the Roaring Fork Wa- Deborah Jones and John Katzenberger Janice Estey, in honor of Randy Johnson tershed, the White River National Forest, Patrick and Donna Keelty Chris and Sally Faison and adjacent lands. Mary Jo Kimbrough Al Fiorello WW is a nonprofit organization that Pamela Kling and Michael Rausch Bruce Gabow and Deborah Murphy engages in research, education, legal Ellen and Steve Knous Bev Goss advocacy, and grassroots organizing to Bill and Carol Lightstone Doug Graybeal protect the ecological integrity of local Soozie and Hans Lindbloom Kay Hannah landscapes and public lands with a focus George and Connie Madsen Adele Hause on the monitoring and conservation of air and water quality, wildlife species and Martha Madsen Robin and Kendall Henry habitat, natural communities, and lands of Ann and Peter Martin* Mick Ireland wilderness quality. Mary Millard Sandy Ives Carol Miller Sandra and Peter Johnson Board of Directors Quim and Sharon Moya Kenneth Jones Steve Smith, President Karin Teague, Vice President Ralph Jones Barney and Dot Mulligan Peter Van Domelen, Treasurer Tom Oken Ellie Kershow John Emerick, Secretary Connie Overton and James Gilliam Laura Kirk and Dave Carpenter Beth Cashdan Ginny Parker Brad and Laurel Larson Steve Child Julie Paxton Julia Marshall Mary Dominick Maggie Pedersen and Bob Millette Robert and Trudy Matarese Cici Fox Fred and Sandra Peirce Brody Jakob Nielsen Ginni Galicinao Liz and Tom Penzel Gracie Oliphant Charles Hopton Peter Looram Dale and Sally Potvin Rachel Richards John McBride, Jr. Glenn Randall Suzanne Richman Tim McFlynn Donna and Ken Riley Polly Ross Michael McVoy Ruth Ross George Ryerson Aron Ralston JoAnne and Richard Rubinoff Jill Sabella Mike Stranahan Marius and Clare Sanger Sarah Schmidt Andy Wiessner Beth Schaefer Cam Scott Founders Renata Scheder-Bieschin Jean Smith Joy Caudill Jill and Michael Scher Linda Smith, in honor of Aron Ralston Dottie Fox Janne and Valand Schultz* Shelley Spalding Connie Harvey Sandy Shea Becky Sparks Staff Tyler, Kim and Lori Spence Philip Straffin Sloan Shoemaker, Executive Director Sandy and Stephen Stay Phyllis and Bob Throm Melanie Finan Karn Stiegelmeier Gerry Vanderbeek* Michael Gorman Shelley Supplee and Hawk Greenway Polly Whitcomb Peter Hart Tom and Donna Ward William Lukes + Associates Architecture Dave Reed Melissa Waters Dexter Williams David Richie Bill Wesson Marion, Jean and Hayden Winkler Will Roush

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