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.