Outdoors: Forest Service adds ‘new’ trails in Summit County

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Some of the "new" trails on national forest lands in Summit County lead to hidden coves along the shore of Dillon Reservoir.

Some of the “new” trails on national forest lands in Summit County lead to hidden coves along the shore of Dillon Reservoir.

Travel management plan update results in some user-created trails becoming an official part of the trail network

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — If you’ve never heard of the Hippo Trail or the Bodhi Trail, don’t feel too bad. Both are newly named trail segments in Summit County that have just recently been formally added to the national forest trail system managed by the U.S. Forest Service’s Dillon Ranger District.

Many of the user-created have been popular with locals for years, but now they’re officially on the map, said Ken Waugh, recreation staff officer for the district.

“Many of these have never been maintained and have not been on District maps,” Waugh said, adding that the Forest Service is making an outreach effort to let hikers and cyclists know about the new trails.

As part of that effort, the Dillon District is preparing Recreation Opportunity Guides for these new trails. The one-page sheets  have a map on one side and information about the trails on the other. When they’re done, they’ll be posted online at this White River National Forest website. Some of the guides are already posted at www.dillonrangerdistrict.com. The guides include directions to the trailhead, mileage, range in elevation, difficulty, and trail highlights. They’re also avaiable at the USFS visitor center in Silverthorne. (more…)

Filed under: biking, Colorado, Dillon, Dillon Ranger District, Dillon Reservoir, Frisco, hiking, recreation, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, US Forest Service, White River National Forest | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Wildfires: Forest Service moves on upgrading air tankers

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Contract awards should enable some aircraft to come online this year

m

A MAFFS-equipped Air National Guard C-130 Hercules drops fire retardant on wildfires in southern California,

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — With its old-school propeller airtanker fleet dwindling, the U.S. Forest Service announced this week that it’s taking the next step to upgrade aerial firefighting capabilities by bringing bigger and faster next generation planes online.

Specifically, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said the agency issued a notice of intent to award contracts to five companies to provide a total of seven new airtankers for wildfire suppression. (more…)

Filed under: forest fires, climate and weather, wildfires, Drought | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: Forest Service finalizes plan to protect bats

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
sdfgs

White-nose syndrome is spreading outward from the Northeast. Graphic courtesy whitenosesyndrome.org.

White River National Forest keeps a few caves closed permanently, requires cave registration and decontamination

*Click here for more Summit Voice coverage of white-nose syndrome

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — The White River National Forest is well-known for its many ski areas and stunning high-elevation wilderness areas, but the forest is also a Rocky Mountain stronghold for bats. And with a deadly disease poised to move into the region, resource managers are taking steps to try and protect the flying mammals with a new cave access policy.

Based on a regional study completed a few weeks ago, WRNF supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams has decided to keep several caves with biologically significant populations closed all year, and other caves may be closed seasonally. Year-round closures are to be enacted on ranger districts if white-nose syndrome is documented within 250 miles. The regional policy and supporting documents are online at this Forest Service website. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, Colorado, endangered species, Environment, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

California air pollution creeps into remote Sierra monument

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
asdf

Air pollution is a growing concern at Devils Postpile National Monument, near Mammoth Lakes, California. Photo courtesy National Park Service.

Wildfires, industrial sources contribute to ozone problems in the Eastern Sierra Nevada

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Devils Postpile National Monument in the eastern Sierra Nevada is about as far as you can get from California’s industrial urban centers, yet air quality at the site has suffered in recent years as pollution blows in from other parts of the state, according to a new U.S. Forest Service-led study.

The monument, near the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, features one of the best examples of columnar basalt formations and is also a gateway to High Sierra wilderness areas bordering on Yosemite National Park.

Ozone precursors (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds) from wildland fires, as well as ozone from the Bay Area and Central Valley resulted in exceedances of federal air quality standards, as well as state air quality standards during the 2007-2008 study period, at levels that pose a risk to sensitive individuals and indicate a need for long-term ozone monitoring. (more…)

Filed under: air quality, Environment, national parks, public lands, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Environment: Can forest health be legislated?

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Proposed Senate bill would require widespread national forest logging

dfg

Healthy undergrowth and lodgepole regeneration in an unlogged stand of beetle-killed lodgepole pines near Frisco, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

Salvage logging in a stand of beetle-killed lodgepole pines in Frisco, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

Salvage logging in a stand of beetle-killed lodgepole pines in Frisco, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

*This story has been corrected to include Sen. Michael Bennet as the primary author of the proposed bill. That information was left out of the previous version due to an editing error.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Federal land managers could get wider authority for more backcountry logging under a new bill proposed in the U.S. Senate by Michael Bennet (D-CO), along with co-sponsors Mark Udall (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Max Baucus (D-MT).

The National Forest Insect and Disease Treatment Act is being pitched as a way to   help Forest Service treat insect and disease epidemics and promote overall forest health. As drafted, it directs the agency to treat threatened watersheds while prioritizing preservation of old-growth and large trees when possible. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, Forest health, forests | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Forest Service holds public meetings on ski area water rights

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

After legal showdown, agency, resorts start down collaborative path to address critical water questions

asdfg

Who owns the water originating on national forest lands? Bob Berwyn photo.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — After losing a court showdown, the U.S. Forest Service will restart a process to try and clarify the future of water rights associated with permitted uses on national forest lands, especially with regard to ski areas in the West. Click here to see related Summit Voice stories.

In December, a federal court ruled that the Forest Service failed to meet legal requirements when it updated the rule administratively. Now, the agency will hold a series of public meetings, starting April 16 in Denver, to take input from the public and key stakeholders. Additional meetings are set for Salt Lake City on April 17, and Lake Tahoe, Calif., on April 18. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, ski industry, skiing and riding, water | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: Breckenridge Ski Area wants to develop new summer recreation facilities on national forest lands

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Resort submits plan to U.S. Forest Service

sdg

A summer view toward Breckenridge from the flanks of the Tenmile Range near Peak 6.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Breckenridge Ski Area is preparing to create an outdoor-themed summer amusement park on the public lands it leases from the U.S. Forest Service. The resort wants to add  14 miles of beginner, intermediate and family oriented mountain biking trails across peaks 7 and 8, as well as adventure hiking zones, zip lines and ropes courses.

Vail Resorts submitted a formal proposal to the U.S. Forest Service this week. Following acceptance of the proposal, the agency will begin an comprehensive environmental review to analyze and disclose site-specific environmental impacts. If the U.S. Forest Service approves a plan, Vail Resorts would begin construction on Epic Discovery activities in the summer of 2015.

In a press release, the company touted the environmental and educational components of the planned new activities. According to the release, the company will partner with The Nature Conservancy and will donate 1 percent of all summer lift ticket and activity revenue toward forest restoration projects. (more…)

Filed under: business, Colorado, Environment, public lands, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Wildfires: Forest Service contracts for ‘legacy’ airtankers

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
dfhfgg

A P3 air tanker drops flame retardant on the Las Conchas fire in New Mexico, July 2011. Photo courtesy Kari Greer/USFS.

Parts of West expecting another dangerous wildfire season

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — The U.S. Forest Service has finalized contracts for several large legacy airtankers, ensuring that the agency will have at least eight large airtankers to support wildland fire suppression through the 2013 fire season.

Legacy aircraft are those that have been used as part of the Forest Service aviation program for years, and in some cases, decades. The agency is transitioning to the next generation of airtankers that can fly farther and faster with a bigger payload.

“These legacy airtankers will continue to be part of our overall strategy as we prepare for another busy season of wildfires,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief TomTidwell. “These large airtankers play an important role in wildfire suppression by helping slow the progress of wildfires, allowing firefighters on the ground to safely contain them.” (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Drought, Environment, federal government, wildfires | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Environment: Roadless rule critics run out of time

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
sdfg

The 2001 national roadless rule has been upheld by yet another federal court.

Federal court rejects Alaska challenge

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A national roadless rule that protects watersheds, buffers wilderness areas against invasive plants and provides habitat for wildlife has withstood its final legal challenge from the state of Alaska.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia this week rejected the same worn-out arguments that critics have been repeating for a decade or more, affirming the legality of the rule and protecting tens of millions of acres of roadless forest lands from logging and road building.

The court dismissed the state’s lawsuit for being filed after the six-year statute of limitations. Conservation groups who helped galvanize a citizens’ campaign in the late 1990s to protect America’s last wild national forest lands breathed a sigh of relief after more than a decade of legal challenges. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, forests, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Forest Service close to awarding new airtanker contracts

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Vilsack says latest contracts could also face protests, despite efforts to minimize potential issues

Feds mobilizing air resources for wildfire season. PHOTO COURTESY KARI GREER/USFS.

Federal contracts for airtankers have still not been finalized for the 2013 wildfire season. Photo courtesy Kari Greer/USFS.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Last week’s Galena Fire near Fort Collins was a stark reminder that firefighters need to be ready for the upcoming season, which could be long and hot in of the country.

Wrangling over air tanker contracts has already delayed Forest Service efforts to bring new planes online, but U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack this week said he’s done everything possible to make sure that up to seven “next-generation” large air tankers will be available for the 2013 fire season. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, federal government, US Forest Service, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 5,552 other followers