DOW’s stand on roadless areas firm
To some, the letter that arrived recently on the desk of Colorado Department of Natural Resources chief Russell George might have seemed a mere formality, a restatement of a position already stated in other forums.
But in another light, this statement by Bruce McCloskey, director of the Division of Wildlife, represents a show of firm resolve regarding wildlife values and the state’s roadless review process.
As part of a task force initiative to inventory an estimated 4 million acres of national forest lands in the state, DOW personnel already had delivered reports detailing the negative impacts should these pristine lands be opened to road building and assorted development.
Now, with the process winding toward a late-summer conclusion, McCloskey’s letter carries the full weight of his office while substantiating DOW’s role as resource protector.
“We are confident that managing roadless areas with a goal of protecting and maintaining benefits to wildlife (and wildlife habitat) will promote significant additional benefits to Colorado citizens in general and forest visitors in particular,” McCloskey wrote. “Maintaining the resource values of these lands can optimize ecologic health and sustain the numerous economic benefits derived from watersheds, view-sheds, wildlife and outdoor recreation and other compatible uses made of roadless areas.”
The review process, channeled through a task force appointed by Gov. Bill Owens with George as its chairman, has been pursued through a series of statewide meetings involving extensive public testimony.
Subsequent meetings are scheduled for June 21 in Glenwood Springs, June 22 in Grand Junction and July 19 in Denver.
Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson filed a petition Wednesday for complete protection of 1.7 million acres of roadless national forest in that state. Richardson thus became the first Western governor to petition the Bush administration for such blanket protection.
The petition also calls for protection of the 100,000-acre Valle Vidal area in the Carson National Forest, a prime habitat for elk and trout under risk to oil and gas development.
Arkansas upswing
The combination of a diminished runoff and a caddis hatch has boosted fishing prospects on the upper Arkansas River in recent days. Flows on Friday had dropped to 566 cubic feet per second in the Hayden Meadows area south of Leadville, where this annual insect emergence stirred trout activity.
With the outflow of about 400 cfs from Twin Lakes, the flow at Granite measured approximately 1,000 cfs but with good clarity. The reading for Browns Canyon and Buena Vista is about 1,500 cfs. Warm weather over the weekend is expected to initiate a final surge of runoff.
Greg Felt of the ArkAnglers fly shops recommends a two-nymph rig featuring a golden stonefly. Even with increased runoff, anglers using large stonefly patterns take fish from quiet pockets along shore.
Arsenal reopens
Following a closure in April and May to facilitate a waste cleanup, Rocky Mountain Arsenal reopened Saturday to public use. The area northeast of Denver, part of the National Wildlife Refuge system, is available for various nature programs and catch-and-release fishing. For information, call 303-289-0930.
Getting hooked on a new design
Whether the world needs a better mousetrap is a matter of debate. But a better fishhook? That’s another matter entirely. Denver-based Matzuo America, a company that manufactures a variety of popular warm-water lures, now offers a revolutionary design in hooks. Called the Sickle, this style features a unique angle bend that keeps fish tethered better than common U-shaped hooks. This novel design also resists bending, which allows for a more slender hook with greater penetration. They’re available as both bait and worm hooks. Phone 720-941-9400.
