Colorado’s Roadless Rule is being pitched by environmentalists as a way to protect Colorado’s remaining undeveloped forests. Ironically, the regulation may well destroy them.
The proposed Colorado Roadless Rule will encompass approximately 4.186 million acres, or about 29 percent, of National Forest land in Colorado distributed among 363 separate roadless areas. The Rule will prohibit road construction and reconstruction of roads in roadless areas (don’t ask) and limit timber cutting except under certain exceptional circumstances. Except that the Rule allows mountain bikes and motorized vehicles on trails, roadless management is a kissing cousin to Wilderness.
That may be all well and good, except for the inconvenient fact that all of Colorado’s National Forests, including the 4 million plus acres of Roadless Areas, are not in a natural condition. Environmental groups describe these “roadless” areas as the last remaining pristine undeveloped forestlands. However, virtually all of Colorado’s National Forests have been fundamentally altered by humans. These are not pristine or natural. As a result, composition and fuel loads are way out of any natural condition.
The situation ensures catastrophic wildfires will be in Colorado’s near future. Just as our forestlands are unnatural, so are modern forest fires. Natural fire is beneficial, ensuring a diverse age and type of vegetation across wide areas. Unnatural fires, on the other hand, devastate wildlife habitat, water quality and overall forest health.
Colorado must come to terms with the fact that modern forests have radically changed from historic natural forests. We live near and depend on these forests for resources ranging from timber and water to recreation and safety. The Forest Service must be able to restore our forests to structures and compositions that are both natural and sustainable, with full regard for both the environment and human necessities.
Sadly, the current Roadless Rule ties the hands of forest managers, putting the very forest it seeks to protect at mortal risk. If temporary road construction, tree-cutting and other activities can restore these areas to a more healthy ecosystem function, then it seems worthwhile at least not to preclude these activities. Yet Colorado’s roadless rule does just that.
It is foolish to ignore that humans have altered the natural ecosystem function on our National Forests. It is just as foolish to ignore the fact that humans can, and should, take a pro-active role in restoring a more natural ecosystem. Years from now we may look back at the effort to protect the forest, only to realize our efforts were the ultimate cause of its destruction.
Brian Hawthorne is the Public Lands Policy Director for the BlueRibbon Coalition, a national group dedicated to protecting responsible recreational access to public lands and waters. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
