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<br /> <br />000301 <br /> <br />The threatened and endangered species which may be found on the White River <br />National Forest include the peregrine falcon, bald eagle, whooping crane, <br />wolverine, lynx, and Colorado River cutthroat trout. The last three are State <br />Endangered Species. No known threatened or endanagered plants occur on the <br />Forest. <br /> <br />Range <br /> <br />The Forest has 923,789 acres classified as suitable rangeland, with 169,000 <br />ADM's permitted annually. To mairttain satisfactory ecological conditions, <br />more intensive range management is needed in many allotments. <br /> <br />For the future, it is expected the local economic base will continue to shift <br />away from agriculture. Grazing permits will be consolidated as smaller <br />ranchers sell their base property for recreation and residential development. <br />However, the Forest will continue to be a forage producer capable of support- <br />ing 169 to 199 MADM's. <br /> <br />Timber <br /> <br />Approxima tely 1,221,000 acres of the Forest are classified as sui table for <br />timber production under the previous timber management plan. Under the new <br />plan, 888,075 acres are classified as capable, available, and tentatively <br />suitable. During the period from 1960 to 1981, the average annual sale volume <br />on the Forest has been 14.3 MMBF. A major concern is the lack of timber pro- <br />cessors on the Forest. At present there are a number of small operators, and <br />a major firewood operation is planned. <br /> <br />Timber management on the Forest has a broad range of resource objectives <br />which form the basis for a coordinated timber managem'1nt program. Without a <br />timber management program, many other resource manage~ent programs would cost <br />a great deal more or could not be accomplished at all. For example, about <br />2,800 acres of aspen need to be regenerated annually to maintain the aspen <br />species near present levels. Also, to control insect and disease, the amount <br />of mature and overmature timber must be reduced. Finally, water yield from <br />the Forest can most effectively be increased by small patch clearcuts. Com- <br />mercial sale of the timber cut can accomplish these objectives at a reduced <br />cost to the public and provide additional benefits from the timber harvested. <br /> <br />Water <br /> <br />The Forest produces about 2.084 million acre-feet of water per year in the <br />Colorado River basin. Annual runoff from the Forest is comparable to about <br />16 percent of the flow of the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry, Arizona. The <br />Forest is also a major supplier to municipalities outside of the Colorado <br />River basin, including Aurora, Colorado Springs, and Denver, as a result of <br />trans-basin diversions. Water quality in the Forest is generally good, but <br />water quality standards are violated at specific locations due primarily to <br />mineralized acid drainage from adits, tailings ponds, and spoils piles. <br /> <br />In the future it is <br />the Colorado. River <br />development within <br /> <br />expected the demand for water will continue to grow within <br />basin. Numerous water projects are proposed for future <br />the Forest. These include trans-basin diversions and <br /> <br />21 <br />