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<br />., <br /> <br />R <br /> <br />OO?628 <br /> <br />January 4, 2000 <br /> <br />PRESS ADVISORY <br /> <br />State Comments on White River National Forest Management Plan Filed <br /> <br />The Colorado Department of Natural Resources today filed the State's comments on the <br />proposed new White River National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Coordinating <br />concerns, suggestions and eomments from three divisions, the comments express the State's <br />policies and views on wildlife, water and outdoor recreation issues. <br />The comments run 40 pages, plus several attachments and a map. The complete <br />comments can be viewed on the DNR web site at www.dnr.state.co.us/whiteriver. <br />The Department consolidated substantial material, running 24 pages, from the Division of <br />Wildlife, together with IS pages plus attachments from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, <br />and 7 pages of material from the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, into a single <br />document. Department Executive Director Greg Walcher signed a cover letter conveying the <br />material as three separate but related chapters, representing the Administration's views on many <br />details of the proposed plan. <br />The comments do not endorse anyone specific alternative in the proposal. Rather, <br />Walcher says the Department and its Divisions plan to work closely with the Forest Service on <br />solutions to particular concerns within the context of whichever alternative is selected by the <br />Forest Service. The document contains detailed information on the importance of wildlife values <br />in the face of increased human activities. It also includes concerns about recreation with a <br />number of proposed trail and road closures. Finally, it argues against the need for federal by- <br />pass flows, explaining the state's instream flow program. 1,100 miles of streams and 21,000 <br />acre-feet of water in 138 natural lakes in the White River Forest have been protected under the <br />State program. <br />In the cover letter, Walcher advocated a strong collaborative effort with affected <br />communities. "It is essential that the Forest Service work closely with the communities in the <br />region to implement a plan that recognizes national envirolUllental goals, but in the context of <br />regional environmental and economic values. We believe it is possible, indeed essential, to <br />balance both objectives, and look forward to working with the Forest Service to that end." <br />The letter emphasizes the range of issues that must be addressed: "The Forest Service <br />must provide an array of potential management tools to benefit the full spectrum of natural <br />resource issues: wildlife species, including threatened and endangered and declining species; <br />road and trail density, use, and restoration; watershed management; and the treatment of special <br />interest areas. The Forest Service's historic challenge is to manage the many important uses of <br />the White River National Forest while protecting and enhancing Colorado's natural resources <br />and maintaining the long-term productivity and sustainability of the land." <br />