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<br />'OOfr1G~l <br /> <br />"-- ~. <br />Rick ca~USFS Regional For~fing to Legislature <br />~ ' ~ <br />-- - -- - <br /> <br />March 9, 2005 <br /> <br />General: 15 million acres of Forest Land in Colorado <br />USFS loath AJmiversary 1905 - 2005 <br />Wolf Creek Expansion- USFS won't object to county landuse decision, access will be reasonably <br />provided, Ski area & developer need integrated plan, NEPA compliance is being done <br />on access altematives. <br /> <br />Forest health is critical to all users, <br /> <br />Recreation is important <br />(More funding for all USFS activities would help) <br /> <br />4 Great Threats to Forests: <br /> <br />. Invasi ve Species <br />. $285,000 spent on non-forest lands in 25 counties for noxious weed <br />control <br />. Salt Cedar eradication being done in Montezuma & Jackson Counties <br />. Napweed and Spurge are also threats <br /> <br />. Loss of Open Space <br />. Development of high mountain valleys is a concem <br />. Goal is to keep ranchers on the land <br />. Reduced cattle grazing has been done voluntarily (permits and cattle <br />numbers are in balance) <br /> <br />. UIU11anaged Recreation <br />. Off-highway use is major concem <br />. National SUV Policy - Stay on designated roads and trails <br />. Hiking 14-teeners (people are creating multi-trails) <br /> <br />. Fire & Fuels - area that gets the most publicity <br />. Treated 65,000 acres to reduce fuels (45,000 acres in/near human <br />interface areas) <br />. Bark Beetle (4 beetles) 57,000 acres will be treated this year <br />. Forests ready to regenerate <br />. Logging helps the situation <br />. Increase timber harvest (thinning okay - commercial logging <br />percei ved as bad) <br />. Maintain current markets, 5-yr strategy with industry - goals met <br />. Partnerships with NPS and State of Colorado highlighted <br />. Forest is out of whack ecologically <br /> <br />Elk population - population larger than targets (OOW & Forests cooperating) <br />