The six commissioners of Montezuma and Dolores counties, who all oppose the plan, were left nonplussed by some of the Forest Service\u2019s rationale.<\/p>\n
Last week in Dove Creek, Stiles tried to answer their questions and repair bridges burned during the contentious, years-long ordeal.<\/p>\n
Much of the Boggy-Glade landscape lies north of the county line, so Dolores County commissioner Julie Kibel took the lead asking most questions.<\/p>\n
Kibel wondered why scientific evidence used to justify road and trail closures was based on pre-existing studies, some from outside Colorado, instead of brand new field work.<\/p>\n
Stiles explained that all studies are done by trained professionals with advanced degrees, and that data collected in other national forests is in many cases transferable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith watershed science, the effects of roads on sedimentation are very well-established,\u201d he said, citing research from the 2002 Hayman Fire near Colorado Springs. \u201cAfter six years of monitoring, they found that a one-time runoff event from a severely burned area is less an issue than continual runoff from roads. The (watersheds) cannot recalibrate if you\u2019re constantly adding new sediment. We found all the watersheds in Boggy-Glade were at risk, on the verge of (not) being able to maintain soil stability and water quality.\u201d<\/p>\n
WILL HUNTERS GO ELSEWHERE?<\/p>\n
Kibel worried that hunters would avoid the San Juan National Forest if long-used trails, and cross-country travel, were suddenly off limits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t discern any notable economic impact when it came to hunters,\u201d Stiles said. \u201cThe number of limited draw licenses are already oversubscribed. (The plan) will have little to no effect on them. For over-the-counter applications, there is an argument some people won\u2019t come anymore. However, even after this decision, Boggy-Glade is still among the most roaded country we have (in the San Juan National Forest).\u201d<\/p>\n
Stiles named motorized game retrieval as a Forest Service concession.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is about the only place in a multi-purpose forest with that available,\u201d he said, adding for the compromise to remain feasible, the rules must be respected. People wantonly driving ATVs in closed-off areas for non-hunting purposes, or refusing to carry the correct animal tags, could jeopardize the deal.<\/p>\n
Stiles also searched for common ground on the topic of dispersed camping. Under the plan, camping more than 300 feet off-road is prohibited. But exceptions could be made for select favorite sites, if sanctioned by the Forest Service as a official dispersed camping site.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not in a hurry to (establish) a bunch of new sites, but it\u2019s something to look at. (Rather than) fight human nature, maybe we ought to make it legal so we\u2019re not making criminals out of people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Montezuma County commissioner Keenan Ertel challenged Stiles on wildlife numbers. In the decision notice, trail proliferation and motorized vehicles were blamed for a declining elk population inside Boggy-Glade. Ertel wondered if irrigated fields in the Pleasant View and Cahone areas had lured elk from the forest and changed their migration patterns.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo extrapolate that the road system caused (dispersal) of elk seems like a real reach. It doesn\u2019t connect for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ertel also observed that the hunting season is longer than 30 years ago, saying elk are pursued by hunters \u201cfrom August to December.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stiles conceded that hunting is a factor, albeit a secondary one to road density.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe presence of roads in big game areas has been clearly documented. It spawned a whole new field of conservation biology. If you keep habitats intact, animals act differently than when they\u2019re broken up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
LAWSUITS UNLIKELY<\/p>\n
With the appeals denied, the only remaining option for opponents is a lawsuit in federal court. Stiles said, to his knowledge, none have filed such a challenge yet.<\/p>\n
Kibel said legal action was not on Dolores County\u2019s radar, with the brewing battle over Gunnison sage grouse and the Forest Service shifting its attention to the Rico-West Dolores landscape. Montezuma County commissioner Larry Don Suckla couldn\u2019t confirm either way, saying the matter needed more discussion, but implied a suit was unlikely given the expense involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not one for giving up on anything. We\u2019ll have to see. I have to be aware of taxpayer money being spent wisely. I always want to fight for the freedoms of the people, but also make sure I don\u2019t blow their money,\u201d Suckla said Friday.<\/p>\n
For travel management purposes, the San Juan National Forest is broken into three sections. Mancos-Cortez, which includes areas locally known as Haycamp Mesa, Transfer and Echo Basin, finished in 2008. Boggy-Glade is drawing to a close. The final section, Rico-West Dolores, was successfully appealed once, in December 2009, and requires fresh analysis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not eager to jump into it (immediately),\u201d said Stiles, who wants to involve the Dolores commissioners as liaisons to Rico and other communities when the plan is revived.<\/p>\n
In an interview Friday, Kibel said she looks forward to more talks with Stiles.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the meeting, I jokingly told him we\u2019ve (passed) Forest Service 101, learning how their planning and regulations work. He said they\u2019d take us to 501 level, or however far we want to go,\u201d she said. \u201cThat, to me, is crucial. If we don\u2019t understand (the procedures), fighting them makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
The impetus for stricter travel management came in 2005. All national forests were told to designate a system of roads and trails, specifying which were open and off-limits to motorized use.<\/p>\n