Colorado’s final plan to steer management of 4.2 million acres of roadless lands is a reasonable document that will preserve wild elements that make the state unique, but will allow limited flexibility for industries important to Colorado’s economy.
We hope the roadless plan, submitted to the federal government this week, is approved.
The issue of protecting roadless areas has been kicking around for more than a decade, complicated by several factors, including court challenges to a Clinton-era national plan.
Colorado and Idaho were the only two states to go their own way, taking advantage of a process the Bush administration created to allow states to devise their own roadless plans. The plan Colorado submitted last week is the result of numerous public hearings, revisions and considerable public input. It was started in the administration of Republican Gov. Bill Owens and finalized by Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter.
It is a bipartisan effort, crafted to reflect the state’s values in balancing the needs of industries such as skiing and coal mining with the desire to keep pristine areas off-limits to development.
The latest roadless plan includes a dozen changes from the last plan — changes that we think update and strengthen the document.
It relies on a revised land inventory that takes into account the current state of development in the state’s forests. Some of the lands had been categorized as unaltered when they already had roads through them.
The latest plan also identifies 410,000 additional acres not previously designated for protection.
The document provides for what Ritter’s administration describes as modest flexibility. We agree with that characterization.
It allows for forest fire mitigation activities on land close to communities at risk from fires. It makes allowances for venting systems for coal mines near Paonia, a $450 million industry that employs 1,000 people.
And it sets aside 8,250 acres of road- less lands for the expansion of ski areas within their permitted boundaries, should slope operators get the necessary environmental permits. The state’s ski resorts employ 30,000 people and are responsible for $2.6 billion in annual economic activity.
These ski and mining carve-outs could result in activity on less than 30,000 of the 4.2 million acres in the state’s inventory of wild lands. That’s a reasonable exception to preserve industries that contribute significantly to the state’s economy.
Some — but not all — environmental groups have objected to Colorado’s plan, preferring the state adhere to the national plan, which is in legal limbo.
We disagree. The plan that has been sent to the federal government was tailored to fit the state — like a custom-made suit. Reverting to an off-the-rack version would be a step backward for the state’s residents and its wild places.
