Roadless Facts, by the Numbers:
- 14,509,000 - Total national forest acres in Colorado
- 4,433,000 - Number of roadless acres
- 31% - Percentage of Colorado’s national forest acres at risk of being developed over time under the Bush Administration’s plan
- 27 - Number of public meetings and hearings on Roadless Area Conservation Rule in Colorado in 1999
- 36,331 - Number of comments generated in Colorado in on the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (previous two comment periods). 90% of those comments were in support of the Roadless Rule.
- 2,538,356 – People who participated in outdoor recreation in Colorado in 2003 (Outdoor Industry Foundation)
- Area of Special Interest: The West Elk Roadless area, located in Gunnison National Forest, contains approximately 121,680 acres of roadless lands. The region is home to both game and non-game wildlife species, from deer and elk to mountain lions, black bears, and the rare lynx.
All figures are from the US Forest Service, unless otherwise noted. Map of Colorado's National Forests courtesy of http://roadless.fs.fed.us/maps/usmap2.shtml See website for individual maps of roadless areas.
Editorial Comments
"The predictable effect of the Bush maneuver is that governors -- particularly those hostile to the conservation ethic -- will urge the federal government to build more roads to accommodate more logging and oil drilling."
-- Boulder Daily Camera, "This land is our land; Roadless rule empowers exploitive minority," July 15, 2004
"But the basic premise of the rule is flawed. Putting the onus on states to initiate protection for federal lands turns the system upside down and opens the door to manipulation by special interest groups."
-- Summit County [CO] Daily News, "Protect the forest," July 14, 2004
For More Information
- Jay Hermon, Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance, 303-573-3871 ext. 318
- Steve Smith, The Wilderness Society, 303-650-5818 ext 106
