LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENTS - Wilderness · PDF file · 2012-06-13and restrict vehicle...
2
LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENTS Our backyard Hunter Creek Valley protection Helped block a proposed real estate development, spur a USFS buyout and restrict vehicle access to valley Hunter Creek diversion Gathered 2,700 signatures to stop road-building for BuRec tunnel project, preserving wilderness eligibility Maroon Valley bus service Lobbied for the service to limit private vehicles in the valley, and provided the first interpretive guides on buses Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness A 10-year campaign by AWW and other groups culminated in the permanent protection of this 82,000-acre area Maroon Bells- Snowmass, Collegiate Peaks & Raggeds Led the local campaign to more than double the size of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass and to establish two new wildernesses – over 330,000 acres in all Wilderness monitoring Partnered with Aspen Ranger District to launch trail and campsite monitoring program; later added air, water and invasive-weed protocols Conundrum marble quarry Prevented potentially precedent- setting operation inside Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Spruce Creek Addition Dogged advocacy finally secured protection for this 8,000-acre jewel that was left out of the original Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Snowmass Creek instream flow Won a pivotal Colorado Supreme Court ruling estab- lishing a compromise that bal- ances ecosystem needs and human demand Flintstone Toilets Helped in the successful cam- paign to modify the overbuilt potties at Maroon Lake Red Table, Assignation Ridge recommended wilderness Our extensive inventories for the WRNF plan revision teed up 82,000 acres for future wilderness designation Mining claims With Public Counsel of the Rockies, we defeated a local attorney’s bid to develop 51 bogus claims in the upper Roaring Fork Valley Hidden Gems Campaign Proposed wilderness designa- tion for dozens of areas in and around the WRNF Thompson Divide Coalition Birthed the citizens’ group that is seeking permanent protection of this 220,000- acre area from drilling Oil shale lawsuit Helped force a legal settle- ment with Dept. of Interior to revisit oil shale approvals; Col- orado acreage subsequently reduced from 350,000 acres to 35,000 acres WRNF Travel Plan Capping a 15-year effort, obtained a more wildlife- and watershed-friendly plan governing all roads and trails on the Forest Aspen Wilderness Workshop founded Burnt Mountain expansion Though we failed to block approval of a proposed gondola, we succeeded in strictly limiting summer use; the gondola has never been built Protecting wild places and wildlife, for their sake . . . and for ours 16 15 14 13 14 11 10 2 6 8 9 2 1 5 Buttermilk-Highlands gondola Played a major role in quashing this habitat-frag- menting proposal 11 9 Basalt Mountain timber sale Partnered with Roaring Fork Audubon to nix the 1,400-acre project 13 Citizens for Roadless Area Defense Organized highly visible campaign to protect over 640,000 acres of roadless areas on the WRNF 14 16 15 10 12 4 7 8 6 3 Carbondale Aspen Basalt Independence Pass McClure Pass Redstone 133 82 Fryingpan R. Crystal R. Roaring Fork R. THOMPSON DIVIDE MAROON BELLS- SNOWMASS 5 HUNTER FRYINGPAN 4 COLLEGIATE PEAKS 5 Pitkin Garfield Eagle Mesa Delta Gunnison Lake HOLY CROSS RAGGEDS 5 3 7 12 1 Achievements are keyed to map where possible USFS lands with no protection BLM lands with no protection USFS roadless areas Designated wilderness areas Hidden Gems proposal areas Legend Red Table Woods Lake Ruby Lakes Thompson Creek Assignation Ridge Hayes Creek Treasure Mountain Gallo Hill Homestake Hay Park Hunter North Mormon Creek Adam Mountain Basalt Mountain Wildcat Independent Meredith Ogilby Glenn Randall Glenn Randall John Fielder Susie Ellison Peter Hart Deborah Richie MT. MASSIVE McClure Pass 0 2 4 6 8 10 miles Mtn. Thompson Divide area
Transcript of LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENTS - Wilderness · PDF file · 2012-06-13and restrict vehicle...
LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENTS
Our backyard
Hunter Creek Valley protectionHelped block a proposed real estate development, spur a USFS buyout and restrict vehicle access to valley
Hunter Creek diversionGathered 2,700 signatures to stop road-building for BuRec tunnel project, preserving wilderness eligibility
Maroon Valley bus serviceLobbied for the service to limit private vehicles in the valley, and provided the first interpretive guides on buses
Hunter-Fryingpan WildernessA 10-year campaign by AWW and other groups culminated in the permanent protection of this 82,000-acre area
Maroon Bells- Snowmass, Collegiate Peaks & RaggedsLed the local campaign to more than double the size of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass and to establish two new wildernesses – over 330,000 acres in all
Wilderness monitoringPartnered with Aspen Ranger District to launch trail and campsite monitoring program; later added air, water and invasive-weed protocols
Conundrum marble quarryPrevented potentially precedent-setting operation inside Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Spruce Creek AdditionDogged advocacy finally secured protection for this 8,000-acre jewel that was left out of the original Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness
Snowmass Creek instream flowWon a pivotal Colorado Supreme Court ruling estab-lishing a compromise that bal-ances ecosystem needs and human demand
Flintstone ToiletsHelped in the successful cam-paign to modify the overbuilt potties at Maroon Lake
Red Table, Assignation Ridge recommended wildernessOur extensive inventories for the WRNF plan revision teed up 82,000 acres for future wilderness designation
Mining claimsWith Public Counsel of the Rockies, we defeated a local attorney’s bid to develop 51 bogus claims in the upper Roaring Fork Valley
Hidden Gems CampaignProposed wilderness designa-tion for dozens of areas in and around the WRNF
Thompson Divide Coalition
Birthed the citizens’ group that is seeking permanent protection of this 220,000-acre area from drilling
Oil shale lawsuitHelped force a legal settle-ment with Dept. of Interior to revisit oil shale approvals; Col-orado acreage subsequently reduced from 350,000 acres to 35,000 acres
WRNF Travel PlanCapping a 15-year effort, obtained a more wildlife- and watershed-friendly plan governing all roads and trails on the Forest
Aspen Wilderness Workshop
founded
Burnt Mountain expansionThough we failed to block approval of a proposed gondola, we succeeded in strictly limiting summer use; the gondola has never been built
Protecting wild places and wildlife, for their sake . . . and for ours
16
15
14
1314
11
10 2
6
8
9
2
1
5
Buttermilk-Highlands gondolaPlayed a major role in quashing this habitat-frag-menting proposal
11
9
Basalt Mountain timber salePartnered with Roaring Fork Audubon to nix the 1,400-acre project
13
Citizens for Roadless Area DefenseOrganized highly visible campaign to protect over 640,000 acres of roadless areas on the WRNF
14
16
15
10
124
7
8
6
3
Carbondale
Aspen
Basalt
Independence Pass
McClurePass
Redstone
133
82
Fryingpan R.
Crys
tal R
.
Roaring Fork R.THOMPSON
DIVIDE
MAROON BELLS-
SNOWMASS
5
HUNTER
FRYINGPAN 4
COLLEGIATE
PEAKS
5
Pitkin
GarfieldEagle
Mesa
Delta
Gunnison
Lake
HOLY
CROSS
RAGGEDS
5
3
7
12
1
Achievements are keyed to map where possible
USFS lands with no protection
BLM lands with no protection
USFS roadless areas
Designated wilderness areas
Hidden Gems proposal areas
Legend
Red Table
Woods Lake
Ruby Lakes
Thompson Creek
Ass
igna
tion
Rid
ge
Hayes Creek
Treasure Mountain
Gallo Hill
Homestake
Hay Park
HunterNorth
Mormon Creek
Adam Mountain
Basalt Mountain
Wild
cat
Independent
Mer
edith
Ogi
lby
Gle
nn R
anda
ll
Gle
nn R
anda
ll
John
Fie
lder
Susi
e El
lison
Pete
r Har
t
Deb
orah
Ric
hie
MT.
MASSIVE
McClure Pass
10 miles
0 2 4 6 8 10 miles
Mtn.
Thompson Divide area
Carbondale
Glenwood Springs
Aspen
Rifle
VailEagleGypsumSilverthorne
Leadville
Breckenridge
Meeker
C O L O R A D O
CURRENT WORK
Sloan PeakWe’re convening a collaborative effort with recre-ational user groups to protect this backcountry area north of Woody Creek for its recreational as well as ecological values.
Hunter Creek-Smuggler MountainWe’re participating in this Forest Service-led planning process to ensure ecologically sensitive recreation development and vegetation management.
Other recreational hot spotsRecreation is an important contributor to our local economy, but it must be planned responsibly. We’re helping ensure that places like the Crown, Thompson Creek and Hay Park aren’t loved to death.
Recreation
Naturalist NightsWe co-present this popular winter speaker series in Aspen and Carbondale.
HikesEach summer we organize an extensive series of hikes in proposed wilderness areas.
Artist in WildernessThis program offers residencies to visiting artists to make works inspired by the lands we’re working to protect.
Education
New wildernessOur Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign has suc-ceeded in inspiring a bill in the House by Rep. Jared Polis and a Senate proposal by Mark Udall. We’re advocating strongly for both these Congressional efforts, while at the same time making the case that they should include even more areas.
Wilderness monitoringWe collect air, water and other data in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness to provide early warning of any adverse impacts.
Military overflightsWe’re working to ensure that military operations out of Colorado and New Mexico bases don’t preclude future wilderness and other protective designations.
Forests & wildlifeBark beetles & fireThrough our participation in the Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative, we’re working to prevent unwise backcountry beetle and fire treatments, and to redirect efforts toward protecting communities and critical infrastructure.
Habitat protectionWe scrutinize all proposed projects on public lands in our region - whether timber sales, mining operations, drilling applications or recreational development - with the goal of preventing disturbance and fragmentation of wildlife habitat.
Vail Pass wildlife bridgeWith other regional partners, we secured federal fund-ing for a feasibility study on a wildlife-only bridge over I-70, and we continue to advocate for this visionary project.
Public landsForest Service landsWW is the conservation watchdog of the 2.2-million-acre White River National Forest, the most heavily used in the nation. We focus particularly on defending roadless areas and other ecologically sensitive lands.
BLM landsWe also “watchdog” over 500,000 acres administered by the Bureau of Land Management. We’re currently leading efforts to ensure that the agency’s long-term Resource Management Plan doesn’t sell out impor-tant ecosystems and values.
Thompson DivideWW is providing front-line defense of this 220,000-acre landscape from oil & gas development, including leading opposition to the Lake Ridge Unit and the development of leases in roadless areas.
Roan PlateauWe’re one of the plaintiffs in the long-running lawsuit to keep drill rigs out of the plateau’s ecologically sensitive areas.
Federal lands oil & gas policiesWe’re pushing for the strongest possible revision of the White River National Forest’s oil & gas leasing plan and a similar BLM planning process that will set priorities for the next 15-20 years.
Regional air qualityWith EarthJustice, we’ve filed suit to force the BLM to revisit 1,400 as-yet undrilled gas wells which it approved without adequate analysis of air impacts.
Oil shaleWe’re a key player in the conservation community’s effort to rein in this proposed development in Colo-rado, which could have devastating regional impacts.
Volunteer projectsThese projects involve the public in hands-on work restoring wildlife habitat, in partnership with Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers and the White River National Forest. Next up: revegetating disused roads around Anderson Lake.
P.O. Box 1442, Carbondale, CO 81623 www.wildernessworkshop.org (970) 963-3977
Avon
Projects are keyed to map where possible
133
82
13
131
9
91
24
Pitkin
Garfield
Eagle
Mesa
Delta Gunnison
Lake
Rio Blanco
Summit
Grand
MT. MASSIVE
RAGGEDS
SAN ISABEL
N.F.
WHITE RIVER
NATIONAL FOREST
WHITE
RIVER
NATIONAL
FOREST
ARAPAHO N.F.
GRAND MESA, UNCOMPAHGRE &
GUNNISON N.F.
WHITE RIVER
NATIONAL FOREST
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
8
10
10
9
9
8
7
6
5
5
4
3
1
2
Routt
Energy
Wilderness
Restoration
USFS lands
BLM lands
Existing wilderness areas
Hidden Gems proposal areas
Legend
Areas proposed for other permanent designations
WRNF boundary
Lands in Sen. Udall’s proposal
HOLY
CROSS
HUNTERFRYING-
PAN
FLAT
TOPS
MAROON BELLS-
SNOWMASS COLLEGIATE
PEAKS
EAGLES
NEST
PTARMIGAN
10 miles0D
ave
Ree
d
Bla
ke G
ordo
n
EcoF
light
