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is allowed to construct new roads or harvest timber in inventoried roadless areas, with <br /> some exceptions for valid existing rights, including oil and gas leases. However, most <br /> roadless areas within the San Juan Public Lands are not leased. <br /> The State of Colorado has asked the Forest Service to amend the 2001 rule for Colorado <br /> to include the recommendations that were developed by the state's Roadless Task Force <br /> appointed by former Gov. Bill Owens. <br /> Mark said the SJPLC is writing the draft Plan to comply with the 2001 roadless rule but <br /> is trying to incorporate the State's input as well. The differences are not great, he said. <br /> The biggest influence the roadless rule has is on oil and gas leasing decisions. There will <br /> be a large amount of area available for leasing that will be designated"no surface <br /> occupancy"because road-building will not be allowed. <br /> Thurman said the state's proposal is more flexible than the 2001 roadless rule. It would <br /> allow temporary roads to be built for purposes such as fuels reduction if those roads are <br /> reclaimed. <br /> Thurman said the team that is creating the new rule started work recently at the Forest <br /> Service Regional Office in Denver and will move quickly. The proposal has to go <br /> through the stages of a draft, an environmental assessment and a public comment period. <br /> Facilitator Mike Preston said the roadless issue was looked at extensively in <br /> Montezuma County. "Roadless"is an inventory, not a management prescription. The <br /> revised Plan and its management themes will decide what activities occur on roadless <br /> areas in SJPLC. Concerns in Montezuma County about management of roadless areas <br /> involved wildfire mitigation and access to ponds and livestock facilities. Montezuma <br /> County landowners and County Commissioners are looking to the revised Plan to provide <br /> the protections they want for access and existing uses. <br /> Thurman said the agencies must consider both the Plan Revision and the roadless rule. <br /> The more restrictive prescriptions would apply. However, Mark said, there should not be <br /> much conflict between the two. By and large, if an area is roadless on the San Juan <br /> Public Lands, there was a good reason—either you couldn't build a road there or you <br /> didn't want to. The roadless rule does acknowledge valid existing rights,he reiterated. <br /> However, the rule might have an impact if someone wants to build a new road for water <br /> development in an area in the Roadless Inventory. <br /> ORIENTATION TO WATER-RELATED SETIONS OF THE DRAFT PLAN <br /> REVISION: <br /> Thurman showed a Power Point presentation giving an overview of the nearly completed <br /> version of the Draft Plan Revision. A new section on Water Issues and Policy has been <br /> added at the request of the Regional Office. <br /> 4 <br />