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Colorado's Roadless Forests Need Your Help!
On August 9th, the Roadless Areas Review Task Force released for comment its draft recommendations for the future management of Colorado's roadless forests. While the recommendations are on the right track, they MUST be strengthened to ensure that Colorado's remaining wild forests receive the protection they deserve.
The draft plan protects roadless forests from new roads and logging, but it creates sweeping exemptions for coal mining and fails to protect these areas while a final rule is being developed. Many fear that this could cause a 'last minute rush' to get into these areas during the long federal rulemaking process. If Colorado's roadless forests are to win strong protections, the task force needs to hear from you now.
Colorado's roadless areas are treasured by hunters, anglers, and hikers and are home to many imperiled species, including the northern goshawk, Canada lynx, and cutthroat trout. Colorado's tourism- and recreation-based economies, its residents' quality of life, and a range of outstanding backcountry opportunities rely on the preservation of these lands.
Please, send the letter below to the Colorado Task Force. We encourage you to add your own personal comments. Please send your letter now, as August 25th will be the last opportunity for citizens to shape the Task Force's recommendations.
If you have a moment, please add your own comments or rewrite the sample comment — it can make your letter much more effective.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Comment Letter on Roadless Task Force Recommendations
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I would like to thank you for taking the time to address the important issue of protecting Colorado's last remaining wild forests. Although the task force has offered some great recommendations, I believe they fall short on a few very critical areas:
* The task force must call for interim protections for all roadless areas in Colorado while finalizing a state-specific rule. Every day without interim protections, we lose recreation lands and wildlife habitat to oil and gas rigs
* Please recommend roadless classification for the 70,000 acres of the North Fork Valley currently designated for coal mining. The mine can be accommodated through the provisions of the 2001 Roadless Rule without providing new exemptions.
* Recommendations to the final rule need to limit exemptions that permit logging to reduced the risk of wildfire insects, and disease outbreaks. These areas are remote and far from homes and communities. Unless there is risk to health or property, natural ecological processes, including natural disturbances like fire, insects, and disease, should be allowed to carry out their natural roles in remote backcountry areas.
Our last wild forests are important parts of our natural heritage and future generations of Coloradoans depend on us to leave a legacy of conservation. Please consider my comments when finalizing your recommendations to Governor Owens.
Sincerely,
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