Early Spring Public Lands Update
Public Lands, Public Comment, Forest Plan High Country Conservation Advocates Public Lands, Public Comment, Forest Plan High Country Conservation Advocates

Early Spring Public Lands Update

Spring is ramping up here in the high country, and with the promise of warmer weather I’m sorting camping gear, dusting off the lenses of my birding binoculars, and planning for summer public lands adventures. But in the meantime, I wanted to provide you with some updates and upcoming opportunities concerning our public lands.

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Draft forest plan flops among conservationists
GMUG, Forest Plan, Public Comment High Country Conservation Advocates GMUG, Forest Plan, Public Comment High Country Conservation Advocates

Draft forest plan flops among conservationists

Conservation advocates this week began digesting the more than 1,300 pages of documents that make up the U.S. Forest Service draft plan for much of the Western Slope. The plan includes detailed environmental impact analyses and reams of source materials. But even a cursory look yielded a warning sign for many groups: a dramatic increase in the amount of land designated as “suitable timber” for logging.

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Draft forest plan for GMUG soliciting public comment
GMUG, Forest Plan, Public Comment High Country Conservation Advocates GMUG, Forest Plan, Public Comment High Country Conservation Advocates

Draft forest plan for GMUG soliciting public comment

The long awaited draft revision plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompaghre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest was released last week on August 13 and the public will have 90 days to make comments on the proposal. The plan is the major guiding document on how things like recreation, logging and wildlife are managed on the nearby national forests.

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Community Action Needed! Draft GMUG Forest Plan Released for Comment
Public Lands, GMUG, Forest Plan, Take Action! High Country Conservation Advocates Public Lands, GMUG, Forest Plan, Take Action! High Country Conservation Advocates

Community Action Needed! Draft GMUG Forest Plan Released for Comment

On August 13, 2021 the U.S. Forest Service released its draft revised forest plan and draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest. This initiated a 90-day comment period that will conclude on November 11, 2021. Forest Plans provide a general framework to guide the management of a national forest regarding its resources, goods and services.

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Groups Urge More Wilderness in GMUG National Forests' Draft Plan
GMUG, Public Lands, Public Comment, Forest Plan High Country Conservation Advocates GMUG, Public Lands, Public Comment, Forest Plan High Country Conservation Advocates

Groups Urge More Wilderness in GMUG National Forests' Draft Plan

The U.S. Forest Service has released its draft management plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests. The plan includes a significant increase in the amount of land that would be available for logging, and groups that advocate for public lands are raising concerns that it recommends only 34,000 acres of new wilderness across the forest.

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