What comes to mind when I say “Colorado”? Is it the last concert you saw at Red Rocks? The Denver Broncos? Or is it, inevitably, the landscape? Is it “logging near Denver?” Probably not …
Colorado is best known for inspiring awe in locals and transplants alike, mainly due to the vast Rocky Mountains overlooking numerous grasslands, canyons, lakes, and rivers. All year round, people are drawn to Colorado to engage with the land through hiking, fishing, skiing, and other numerous recreational activities. The forests that facilitate these activities are some of the most diverse ecosystems in America, including the Pike and San Isabel National Forests. The Pike national forest is south of Denver and west of I-25, extending down to Colorado Springs. Near Breckenridge, it attaches to the San Isabel National Forest, which extends southwest toward Salida.
The Pike and San Isabel National Forests encompass a broad range of elevation changes as they spread from the foothills into the Rocky Mountains. Other geologic features nearby, including the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers, contribute to the growth of many different species of trees and plants. This diversity of terrain contributes to a wide diversity of forest types, which in turn host a variety of resident animal species, including the Mexican Spotted Owl, the Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse, and the American Goshawk.
Mexican Spotted Owl
These species, and the habitats they call home, are at risk because of the proposed Lower North-South Vegetation Management (LNS) Project .
The LNS project is a 261,096 acre project proposed by the U.S. Forest Service with the goal of reducing high-intensity wildfire risk for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests.
Given the current drought conditions in Colorado, and the close proximity of these forests to Denver, it is appropriate for the Forest Service to act to protect communities from the risk of wildfire. The Forest Service’s proposal does include controlled burning, which has significant support in the scientific community as a strategy for mitigating wildfire risk. However, two major boxes are left unchecked: keeping old-growth trees off the chopping block; and addressing the risk to threatened species.
As proposed, the LNS project does not include any specific protections for old-growth trees. Old-growth trees are more resistant to fire, drought, and changing climates than younger trees, and they are one of the most effective water filters for replenishing clean, safe drinking water.
Cutting down old growth trees is not the right way to mitigate wildfire hazard. The benefits they provide to the forest when left standing outweigh the risk of them contributing to wildfire spread. There is a 100% chance that a tree will die when marked for logging; there is a less than 100% chance that a tree will burn if left standing. For old growth trees, which are less prone to fire damage than younger, less-established trees, this statement is especially true. That is why we need to keep older trees off the chopping block in Colorado.
Another problem with the LNS project proposal is that it does not explicitly address the potential impact of logging on wildlife. Information on the habitats of at-risk species tells us that there are likely to be significant detrimental impacts on numerous species.
Both the Mexican Spotted Owl and the Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The American Goshawk, while not threatened, is considered a rare species for this area, and so the utmost care should be taken in ensuring its continued presence in these forests.
The US Forest Service has a responsibility to take action to protect the people of Colorado from the dangers associated with severe wildfires that might burn in our national forests but it is also the agency’s job to use the best available science.
There is still time to take action to stop the Forest Service from implementing the LNS project as proposed. Please join us in telling the Forest Service to protect old growth trees and wildlife so that Colorado forests can continue to inspire awe for generations to come.
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Ellen runs campaigns to protect America’s beautiful places, from local beachfronts to remote mountain peaks. She sits on the Steering Committee of the Arctic Defense Campaign and co-coordinates the Climate Forests Campaign. Ellen previously worked as the organizing director for Environment America’s Climate Defenders campaign and managed grassroots campaign offices across the country. Ellen lives in Denver, where she likes to hike in Colorado’s mountains.
