GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo.-
The Colorado National Guard and federal land managers agreed Monday to limit high-altitude helicopter training flights in the White River National Forest to 3,000 hours a year, instead of up to 6,000 hours as the Guard had proposed.
The Guard, the National Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management also agreed on new stipulations on the training flights, forest planner Wendy Haskins said.
The Guard and the two land agencies agreed that 3,000 hours of training flight time was the best figure, she said.
The agreement also calls for pilots to avoid flying over designated wilderness areas and for reducing the number of landings in two areas recommended for wilderness areas, Red Table and Dome Peak.
The training is based at Eagle County Regional Airport in Gypsum. Landing sites were not disclosed because of security reasons, Haskins said.
The White River is Colorado’s largest national forest, with 2.3 million acres, including 750,000 acres of designated wilderness. It has 10 peaks over 14,000 feet and several major ski resorts.
