|
<br />\
<br />.,
<br />
<br />Roads or
<br />no roads?
<br />
<br />t
<br />l
<br />1
<br />I
<br />,
<br />,
<br />
<br />. Forest roadless plan
<br />
<br />draws diverse opinions
<br />
<br />By GARY TAYLOR
<br />. DEL NORTE - Twonty-sovon San
<br />Luis Valley residents on Tuesday night
<br />expressed n range of opinions on the
<br />Clinton Admln\slrntlon's new nntionnl.
<br />rorest. rood. building initiative. saying
<br />to both lock the gates hOW and throw
<br />Rway the key, and to open up the forests
<br />to much morc motorized Activities.
<br />Several speakers, from among the
<br />motc than 100 pt>ople Dttcnding, specu-
<br />lnted that the hurried Rondless InitiA-
<br />tive, aiming nt adoption next Fall. is Il
<br />political ploy to win votes for presiden.
<br />tial candidate Al Gore. The speakers
<br />sow themselves 8S pawns in the pro.
<br />cess, giving testimony that would be
<br />ignored in the rush for an environ men.
<br />tnli!;t CArrot.
<br />The USDA Forest Service's Ron
<br />Jablonski, of Monte Vista, who led the
<br />two-hour meeting, said on Wednesday
<br />that he worried residents were being
<br />worn out by all the public policy mak-
<br />ing. He snid he expressed this concern
<br />in a meeting follow-up repDrt.
<br />"We hnvehnda myriad of public meet.
<br />ings with folks in tho Valloy, nnd I
<br />worry that it's just too much," said
<br />Jablonski, the Forest Service's public
<br />information oencer,
<br />
<br />. Please see Roads page 5
<br />
<br />I
<br />"
<br />i
<br />,.
<br />j'
<br />:~
<br />!,
<br />~"
<br />i;
<br />,J.
<br />~
<br />
<br />\'
<br />
<br />Snlu\'<lny, December ll,199()
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />SLY.L . I
<br />. .
<br />. , .
<br />. ~ <,.~_.-::::.' ,oca
<br />. . ../>" '" ." ,.... '."' ". -. . ..
<br />. . .,
<br />
<br />Roads
<br />
<br />. ~ontinued from [mgell
<br />
<br />."P(>oplq here tnke puhlic lnnd
<br />mnnnJ:l:l'mcnt vcry !';criouF;ly, nnd
<br />th(>)' hclR \1S ns 111\ICh ns thl'Y
<br />cnn." ~.
<br />Occnusc of the diYcr~it)' orper.
<br />spcctives expected to be ex.
<br />pressed- nnd the emotion at-
<br />wched, he :J.!;kcd nttcndcesonrly .
<br />in the meeting to he respectful of
<br />others. .
<br />"They were nbl>olutt'ly respect-
<br />ful. It wns n wonderrul ~roHP or
<br />people to oenl with," he snid,
<br />
<br />. The suhject
<br />'The meeting, one of mnny
<br />nr'ound tlie countrv mnndnted to
<br />be held before Dec. 19, \Vns to
<br />gnthcrpubliccommentson whnt
<br />is being cnlled President
<br />Clinton's Rondless Initintive, The
<br />Initintive, (:cmcrnlly. WO\lld, if
<br />ndopted in lnte 2000, clirflinnte
<br />future rand bllildin~ in nntionnl
<br />forests,
<br />Snid, n Forest Servict' stnte-
<br />. mcnt: "President Clinton kicked
<br />orr thc process to protect rond les's
<br />nreas with this nnnounccment
<br />in ,enrly Octoher...These p\lblic
<br />meetings, nre part of n p\\hlic
<br />rule.mnking process to provide
<br />long-tcr'm protection for: more
<br />thnn 40 nlillion acres ofpfistine
<br />llntionnJ rorest thnt rema'in' un-
<br />disturbed by logging or oth~r con.
<br />structed rands."
<br />
<br />"-'
<br />
<br />'''Comm~nt period
<br />"~'A 60-dAY comment period will
<br />end on Dee, 20, ond ,,"ablonski,_
<br />with Acting' Supervisor Greg
<br />Thoinp~on of' the Rio'GrAnde
<br />, NntionnlrForcst and others, so-
<br />licited n.s rWany comments DS the)'
<br />t'.loul'd. :"gct,L', 'On Thll.'rsdflY,
<br />Jnblonski reiterated thnt people
<br />,shouldl$end comments to- '. '
<br />
<br />
<br />- PhOlo by Glry Tllylor
<br />Rio Grande Nalional Forest spokesman Ron Jablo' .,
<br />addres.es aboul1 00 people who packed a Del Norle
<br />Ing room Tue.daynlght lora briefing on President Clin.
<br />Roadless Initiative. After the briefing. dozens of residents
<br />who use the Rio Grande and San Juan national forests
<br />spoke In advance of submltling written comments.
<br />Editor's note: This pholograph .is being republished be-
<br />cause the wrons caption was placed with It in Friday's
<br />paper.
<br />
<br />. U~lJA F'oreBtSorvico'CAET,
<br />Attn: RORdlessAroos,..NOl P.O..
<br />1>"*;221099,. Salt Lake City. Dr
<br />84122', j,' :"'11 .' ',". ",'
<br />. . or fax comments' to'SOl-51?.'
<br />1021,:.. .. . ,
<br />. or e-mail Rondlesslwo cs'ct-
<br />slC@fs.fod.us. . . -. .
<br />","I would cncourRge }leople to
<br />bring their. comrilertts by the. of. i
<br />fic.~ ..iia 'ilie'lI get' th~mto Salt
<br />
<br />~.~k~~f~;~er~~~~:~:;i~~~(. ~~t-~':'
<br />est headquRTtcrs is on -Highway'.
<br />160 jl.i"st west ~(Monte,vistn'/:
<br />I..""..., '"L.-
<br />, l-Impact statement
<br />-.,j Mer the commcmt period ends,
<br />. a Content'Analysis Team in SRlt
<br />Lake, which is tlIking comments
<br />nationwide. .will..write a,' draft
<br />environmental impact 'state-
<br />ment. That will.be released for
<br />scrutiny in the spring, Jablonski
<br />said: .
<br />I, The Team will "build the range
<br />of..altcrnativcs 'thol, will. come
<br />o.u.~n. the, draft EIS. Wo have to
<br />logelly do,. full range of altorna-
<br />. tives," Jablonski s3id. ,
<br />. Whon the droft EIS is reloasod.
<br />it will be mad~ 'nvailnble and
<br />.th"n there will be a public meet-'
<br />
|