Gov. Bill Owens on Monday asked the federal government to protect most of the state’s 4.4 million acres of roadless areas from new development and permanent roads, ending a year-long review of U.S. forest lands in Colorado.
In what is expected to be one of his last major acts as governor, Owens accepted the full recommendation of a 13-member bipartisan task force that held hearings around the state, considered more than 40,000 public comments and determined that the bulk of the natural lands should be preserved.
“Few things are more important to Coloradans than the responsible stewardship of our National Forests. The scenic landscapes, abundant wildlife and mountain vistas make Colorado such a wonderful place to live …,” Owens wrote in his letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johans.
The request – technically a petition that still must be approved by the U.S. Forest Service – is part of a state-by-state process established by the Bush administration to end the 30-year debate over roadless protections.
But the rule, which overturned a previous blanket set of nationwide protections written in the waning days of Bill Clinton’s presidency, remains in limbo in the federal courts amid numerous legal challenges.
Owens didn’t alter any of the task force recommendations, despite noting that conflicting demands for natural resources typically foster intense debate.
“It’s kind of testament to the quality of work that the task force did,” said Mike King, deputy director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and one of the staff members assisting the group of political appointees and interest-group representatives.
In general, new roads would be prohibited in areas of more than 5,000 contiguous acres of roadless forest lands, but exceptions would be made for fire protection, resource management and, in some specific areas, energy exploration.
David Petersen, who represented Trout Unlimited on the task force, said tinkering with the recommendations would have been controversial.
“He’s an outgoing governor. If he had made any changes to the petition, he would have taken flak from one side or the other.”
Like representatives of other environmental organizations, he lamented that the task force didn’t recommend so-called interim protections for the lands so they cannot be developed while the legal fights continue.
Steve Lipsher can be reached at 970-513-9495 or slipsher@denverpost.com.
