FLOOD10384 ‎(2)‎

• County: Statewide
• Title: Natural Resources of Colorado
• Date: 1/1/1963
• Prepared By: US Department of the Interior
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

..

m Forest Service
Programs

The Forest Service of the Department of
Agriculture works in three major fields that
affect the resources of Colorado: Administration
of National Forests and National Grasslands;
cooperation with the State Forester in pro-
grams for management and protection of State
and private forest lands; and research in forestry,
range management and related fields.

National Forest Administration

The Regional Forester in Denver administers
11 national forests and two national grasslands
in Colorado through the respective forest super-
visors and their staffs. Another national forest
extends into Colorado from Utah, but is admin-
istered by the Regional Forester in Ogden.
The national forests of Colorado cover a gross
area of 15,188,000 acres of which 13,710,000
acres are federally owned. They are located
on the mountains and high plateaus throughout
the State west of the Great Plains.
The Comanche and the Pawnee National
Grasslands, totaling 627,000 acres, are located
in the Great Plains section of Colorado. They
consist primarily of badly deteriorated agricul-
turallands that were purchased by the Govern-
ment under several emergency programs, were

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rehabilitated, and are now being managed under
multiple use management principles.
The national forests are managed for a sus-
tained yield of their many renewable resources
and benefits. They are the primary source of
nearly all of the usable water in Colorado,
since their boundaries include the high moun-
tain watersheds which receive the heaviest
precipitation. They also include nearly all of
the 8 million acres of commercial forest, essential
summer range for 166,000 head of cattle and
506,000 sheep, some of the best hunting areas
and fishing streams, and recreation opportunities
that draw more than 10 million visits annually.
In recent years, the many uses of the national
forests increased at such a rate that it became
imperative to intensify management and pro-
tection activities to avoid serious deterioration
of resources and facilities. The Forest Service
has embarked on a .. Development Program for
the National Forests," aimed at developing
and managing all resources to meet the demands
anticipated by 1972 and including long-term
planning for the year 2000.
In terms of on-the-ground work the develop-
ment program will mean: Construction of 2,920
new camp and picnic areas and related facilities:
planting 175,000 acres to trees; revegetation of
194,000 acres of depleted range; construction
of 1,183 miles of fence and 524 water develop-
ments; and many other major protection
measures and resource improvements. A
thorough analysis of all range allotments is
underway, and an inventory of the total forest