|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Release Date: April 21, 2011
Seventeen Colorado and national conservation, recreation and wildlife groups are raising concerns that the Obama administration’s sweeping new national forest planning rule -- now out for comment in draft form -- ignores scientific recommendations on wildlife diversity protection, misses opportunities to ensure protection of watersheds and makes longstanding requirements for the Forest Service to maintain wildlife populations largely optional. The draft rules would replace regulations now in effect for managing America’s national forests and grasslands. The current rules were put in place in 1982 under the Reagan administration. Although the draft rules include some good provisions, in important ways they are less protective than the Reagan rules. “The Obama administration’s forest-planning rule promises more protections for wildlife than it can deliver,” said Caitlin Balch-Burnett, Defenders of Wildlife’s Colorado outreach representative. “This makes it a problem for people too. We rely on these lands for recreation, clean air, drinking water, jobs and more. To ensure their health for future generations, we must establish clear conservation standards that keep political pressures from trumping sound science. The Obama administration should strengthen the final rule with clear, concrete protections for wildlife.” “We need to have assurance that our water quality will be protected,” said Elise Jones, Executive Director of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. “The draft rule lacks the measurable and enforceable standards needed to protect the key watersheds that we rely on for our drinking water.” "While the rule has some good features, it would give a great deal of discretion to the local managers in writing management plans,” said Rocky Smith, Forest Watch Campaign Director for Colorado Wild. “As a result, adequate protection would not be assured for wildlife populations, watersheds, and other important resources, nor would protection be consistent across the nation. These resources are simply too important to risk not guaranteeing them a high level of protection.” The organizations are calling for three key revisions to the new rule. The regulations must:
The 14.5 million acres of national forests and grasslands in Colorado are among our most enjoyed and ecologically important lands -- healthy watersheds, vital fish and wildlife habitat, and world-class outdoor recreation opportunities – and they’re one of the best tools for combating climate change. Nationwide, national forest land serves as the source of drinking water for 124 million Americans, including residents of Denver and 899 other U.S. cities. Rapidly growing communities in Colorado, expanding energy development, and other harmful activities are encroaching on these forests, making it harder to effectively protect wildlife and water. National forests and the wildlife and water resources they support face unprecedented threats and challenges in the 21st century. To ensure these vital benefits continue, the coalition calls for the Forest Service’s planning rule to provide clear direction to protect, monitor and conserve the nation’s water, wildlife and lands. The Obama administration published draft regulations to implement the National Forest Management Act last month, outlining how the U.S. Forest Service will manage 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands -- a land area as big as Texas. For the next several weeks, the agency is seeking public input on its proposed plan. The comment period is going on currently and will end on May 16, 2011. The new policy comes after a decade-long legal dispute between conservation organizations and the federal government over regulations drafted during the Bush administration, which were widely viewed as a timber industry wish list. The Bush administration’s proposals were overturned twice by the courts, providing the Obama administration with the opportunity to craft forest planning rules that will ensure national forests and national grasslands continue to provide the many benefits Americans enjoy from them. The coalition includes: Central Colorado Wilderness Coalition, Center for Native Ecosystems, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado Wild, Defenders of Wildlife, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, High Country Citizens' Alliance, Mountain Park Environmental Center, Quiet Use Coalition, Rocky Mountain Recreation Initiative, San Juan Citizens Alliance, San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, Sheep Mountain Alliance, Western Colorado Congress, Wild Connections and Wilderness Workshop. |
||||||||||||
contact | log in | privacy policy | site map
