Salt Creek and Priest Mountain roadless areas comprise a haven of old-growth Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir and aspen forests, magnificent meadows and life-giving wetlands and streamside habitat in the midst of the Sheep Flats portion on Grand Mesa National Forest. These two areas, about 30 miles east of Grand Junction, have long been home to a rich array of rare and declining wildlife species, including the marten, lynx, goshawk, boreal owl, boreal toad, northern leopard frog and Colorado River cutthroat trout. Salt Creek Roadless Area contains the headwaters of Grove Creek and is bordered on the northeastern side by the steep cliffs of Grand Mesa. Salt Creek and Priest Mountain Roadless Areas provide important summer elk calving ground.

Large, robust old-growth forest is poorly represented in the larger Sheep Flats area. Thus, Salt Creek and Priest Mountain play an essential role in maintaining habitat for species that rely on intact old-growth landscapes. Hunting and wildlife-viewing activities are considered key to the economic health of towns near these two roadless areas, and the watersheds that the two areas harbor supply irrigation water for ranchers and farmers around the town of Collbran.

"My husband and I have ranched in the Plateau Valley on the north slope of the Grand Mesa since 1972. We believe that opening up the last roadless areas in Colorado to development would hurt our livelihood and that of many other ranchers. Water is the life-blood of a ranch. Roads increase erosion and stream sedimentation, which reduce our water quality and clogs our irrigation ditches and streams. Unroaded areas maintain the snow pack for longer periods, which helps ensure that we'll have water in the drier summer months. More roads mean more people on motor vehicles in the forest. This drives elk onto our ranch where they eat pasture and tear down fences. We need to protect the roadless areas in Colorado for all of us!"
- Sharon Jordan, Reverse K Bar Ranch, Collbran

Logging Threat
But timber companies have their sights set on the Priest Mountain and Salt Creek Roadless Areas, among others. The Sheep Flats Timber Sales would log nearly 11 million board feet and nearly 3 square miles of forest within the roadless areas. The Forest Service would bulldoze 15 miles of new roads within these roadless areas.

The most pristine parts of the Salt Creek and Priest Mountain Roadless Areas would be destroyed, as would more than 1,600 acres of old-growth forest located in these two roadless areas, harming wildlife that depends on intact, large chunks of mature forest for survival.

In its Final Environmental Impact Statement, the Forest Service admits that logging would severely harm northern goshawk and pine marten habitat in the 3,600-acre sale area. These timber sales would occur over a twelve-year period, displacing elk and adversely affect the economy of nearby towns, such as Collbran, that count hunting and wildlife viewing as key to their economic survival.

In 2001, the Forest Service deferred a decision on the Salt Creek and Priest Mountain timber sales when the Clinton Administration announced its intent to revise rules that prohibit logging in many roadless areas on National Forests. But the Forest Service has been pursuing these timber sales for more than a decade, and if management of roadless areas is substantially weakened, it is likely that the agency will proceed with the sales at some point in the future.

Roadless Rule Would Protect Salt Creek and Priest Mountain from Logging
The Roadless Area Conservation Rule would protect nearly 60 million acres of unspoiled National Forest land across the United States, including 4.4 million acres in Colorado, from road building and most logging. The Rule is under assault by the Bush administration, which appears intent on dismantling it as quickly as possible.

That would be bad news for Colorado and the more than one million roadless acres on the GMUG National Forest. If the Rule is revoked, the Salt Creek and Priest Mountain Roadless Areas and dozens of other equally beautiful roadless wildlands on the GMUG National Forest could be logged or otherwise developed.

Roadless Areas Sustain Colorado's High Quality of Life
The Roadless Area Conservation Rule makes good economic sense for Colorado. Our economy and quality of life are tied to Colorado's outstanding public wildlands. Millions of tourists and numerous new businesses and residents come to Colorado each year to enjoy these special places, not to see clearcuts and sediment-filled streams caused by logging and road building. Logging and wood products industries contribute less than one percent to the state's pool of jobs. The Rule would not limit public access to roadless lands for recreation nor would it close any existing roads.

Coloradans Support the Roadless Rule
The Forest Service issued the Rule after three years of research and analysis that included extensive public involvement. More than 600 public meetings were held nationwide, including 27 in Colorado. More than 1.6 million public comments were submitted, including more than 28,000 from Coloradans. The vast majority of comments nationwide and 92 percent of those from Colorado supported the Rule or urged stronger protection for roadless areas than the Rule would provide.