Today, a Bush administration proposal to roll-back protections for Colorado’s last wild forests was heard in a public hearing by the Roadless Area Conservation National. The following is the public testimony of Pam Kiely, acting Director of Environment Colorado, who testified today in front of the committee.
Public testimony:
“Good Afternoon, I’m Pam Kiely, acting Director of Environment Colorado.
“For eight years now, Environment Colorado has carried on a dialogue with the people of Colorado about how they want to protect their national forests.
“Since 2000, Colorado residents have submitted 96,988 comments, with more than 95 percent of them in favor of protecting the state’s 4.4 million acres of roadless forests.
“It is important to Environment Colorado that the public’s involvement in this process continues. We fear that several process decisions have been made that will stifle that participation.
- First, the Forest Service will not be accepting oral comments during their open house events. Oral comments allow people in a community to give their own comments and hear the concerns of others. This is a vital part of any open and transparent process.
- Second, as now planned, half of Colorado’s open house events coincide with the Democratic Convention. This event will clearly create a scheduling conflict for many of Colorado’s leaders and the general public.
- Third, the state of Idaho just finished a similar process. They had 16 public events. We have about 3 times the population of Idaho, and we have 8 events.
“To truly ensure that the Forest Service hears the desires of Coloradans, we hope that the Roadless Area National Advisory Committee will advise the Forest Service to take the necessary steps to allow for proper public participation.
“Lastly, I would like to point out that the people of Colorado and Environment Colorado have been consistent in pushing for the strongest protection possible for Colorado’s roadless areas.
- In 2000 that was the Roadless Rule, which applied across the country.
- Under the state Task Force process, we supported 2001 Roadless Rule protections and pushed for the strongest protections possible given the circumstances.
- Now that the 2001 Roadless Rule is the law of the land once again, we still see it as the strongest protection possible for Colorado’s roadless areas.
“We hope that the Roadless Area National Advisory Committee will see that the people of Colorado have been involved at every step and recommend that the Forest Service take the time to ensure the same participation at this step.
“We strongly support the 2001 Roadless Rule as the best option for Colorado, and we would like others to have the opportunity to express their comments and opinions in the same way.
“After all, most Americans envision Colorado when they think about this great country’s national forests. There should be no rush in determining the best way to protect these lands, so we can leave them for future generations to envision on their own.”
About the proposed rule:
- Under the Bush administration’s proposed rule, miles of new roads would be punched through wildlife habitat and watersheds. Although the proposed rule says these would be “temporary,” they would remain in place for 30 years or longer.
- The new proposed rule would allow hundreds of new gas wells, roads, and transportation pipelines in roadless areas that would destroy the heart of Colorado’s protected national forests, even though this development would do nothing to lower gas prices at the pump and would—at most—only supply a few days worth of America’s natural gas demand.
- A recent Pew Environment Group report shows that nearly 100 new leases for natural gas have already been sold in Colorado’s roadless areas in violation of a promise made by the Bush administration to protect these areas while it considers their management.
For more information, visit:
www.Roadless.net
