u.s. forest service
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Untie state foresters’ hands so they can help prevent devastating wildfires
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Recent spring snows won’t eliminate the serious wildfire season that Colorado faces this summer. Worse, state agencies can’t help property owners in the “red zones” (where forests and subdivisions intermingle) remove dense undergrowth or dead and diseased trees near their homes. So, either property owners give up and don’t attempt to mitigate against wildfires, or,…
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Out West Roundup: Most municipal workers quit in Utah polygamous sect town
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Utah Most municipal workers quit in Utah polygamous sect town SALT LAKE CITY – The new mayor of a mostly polygamous town on the Utah-Arizona border is finishing off a complete overhaul of municipal staff and boards after mass resignations when she took office in January to become the first woman and first non-member of…
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Sens. Cory Gardner, Michael Bennet want to keep federal ski fees closer to the slopes
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Colorado Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet introduced a bill Tuesday that could help keep some of the money generated by fees for ski areas that use national forests closer to the slopes. Gardner, a Republican from Yuma, and Bennet, a Denver Democrat, along with Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, think a portion of…
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Forest Service releases draft of plan to manage Colorado’s Hanging Lake
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GLENWOOD SPRINGS – The U.S. Forest Service has released a tentative plan to manage crowds at the popular and overused Hanging Lake Trail area in Glenwood Canyon. The Post Independent reported Tuesday that the plan is still subject to a formal objection process. It comes after an environmental assessment last year concluded that a management plan limiting…
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Updated: Trails to Colorado 14ers and along the Continental Divide make national priority list
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U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn’s office pointed that he played a big role in the House version of the bill that got the Colorado trails on the priority list. He was one of the House bill’s 86 co-sponsors, along with Colorado Reps. Mike Coffman, Jared Polis and Scott Tipton of Cortez. “This is an excellent bill…
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Out West Roundup: Idaho lands nation’s first International Dark Sky Reserve designation
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Idaho Idaho lands nation’s first International Dark Sky Reserve BOISE – A giant chunk of central Idaho with a dazzling night sky has become the nation’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. The International Dark-Sky Association designated the 1,400-square-mile Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. The sparsely populated area’s night skies are so pristine that interstellar dust…
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Colorado senators seek to renew law allowing sales of federal land
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WASHINGTON – Colorado’s U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner are trying to revive a law intended to protect federal lands in western states they describe as having “conservation value.” The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act was a federal law enacted in 2000 that authorized some federal agencies to buy and sell land. The law…
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Colorado congressmen criticize regulatory burdens for projects
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WASHINGTON – Colorado U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton used the West Elk Mine near Somerset as an example of unnecessary delays from environmental regulatory procedures during a congressional hearing Wednesday. The coal mine won U.S. Forest Service approval to expand its operations in September. Work to build roads and methane vents on the site is scheduled…
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Saving our forests before they all go up in smoke
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Tucked between the midwestern plains and the western prairies lie some of our nation’s most iconic forests. These lands comprise an incredibly diverse ecosystem, support local economies, and provide critical water supplies, recreational opportunities and sanctuary for wildlife populations. However, both our publicly and privately-owned forests are facing increased threats, ranging from insect infestation, development…
