Forest management should serve ecosystems and communities, not degrade them.
Colorado Wild's Forest Watch Campaign works to protect old growth forests, sensitive wildlife habitat, and other ecologically important areas in Colorado's forested high country. We simultaneously work to steer fuels reduction efforts towards areas near homes where they are most effective. Through comprehensive monitoring, public education, and application of sound scientific principles, we work to stop or favorably modify ineffective fuels reduction and inappropriate commercial logging disguised as “forest health" projects. We promote sustainable forest thinning in these areas that not only protect homes, but provides quality local jobs. Colorado Wild is also the foremost statewide organization challenging inappropriate administrative rule changes that seek to cut the public out of public lands decisions.
Colorado Wild and other conservation partners are continuing efforts to proactively shape future forest management policy in the state. With a number of balls in the air, 2008 has been a productive year to date. In February, we helped convince Governor Ritter to establish a new statewide Forest Health Advisory Council with participation secured for the conservation community.
As a part of its ongoing onslaught on public lands, the Bush Administration has recently re-approved new Forest Planning Regulations that gut public involvement in national forest planning and remove all legally enforceable measures to protect soils, water quality, and wildlife. These regulations are used to prepare, revise, and amend forest plans, which govern all activities that take place on a national forest.
By many accounts, 2007 was a successful year of bringing stakeholders together, and building a common understanding of the need to better prioritize areas for possible treatment. The hurdle yet to overcome is convincing the U.S. Forest Service to implement these community-based priorities, and to focus its logging and other fuels reduction efforts around homes and communities.
With much of Colorado’s forested acreage under attack by tree-killing insects (bark beetles), the issue of Forest Health has re-emerged onto the public agenda. While insect outbreaks have been a natural element of our forests for thousands of years, they can temporarily pose concern for communities, because insect-killed trees can sometimes increase wildfire risk.