The Esoteric World of Roadless Rules and Fuel Treatments II. Roads in the 2001 and Colorado Roadless Rule

slide number 8 from presentation by Trey Schillie (https://slideplayer.com/slide/9210580/)

As we’ve said before, no new roads are allowed under the 2001 Roadless Rule. This includes temp roads and permanent roads. Existing roads are OK in the 2001, shouldn’t exist in Colorado Roadless (have been mapped out).

What does the Colorado Roadless Rule have to say about temporary roads for the purpose of fuel treatments?

(vi) The Regional Forester determines a temporary road is needed to facilitate tree cutting, sale, or removal (§ 294.42(c)(1)) within the first one-half mile of the community protection zone to reduce the wildfire hazard to an at risk community or municipal water supply system;

and perhaps in some cases:

(vii) The Regional Forester determines a temporary road is needed to facilitate tree cutting, sale, or removal (§ 294.42(c)(3)) within the first one-half mile of the community protection zone to maintain or restore characteristics of ecosystem composition, structure and processes;

What is a CPZ (from definitions)?

Community Protection Zone: An area extending one-half mile from the boundary of an at-risk community; or an area within one and a half miles from the boundary of an at-risk community,
where any land:
(1) Has a sustained steep slope that creates the potential for wildfire behavior endangering the at-risk community;
(2) Has a geographic feature that aids in creating an effective fire break, such as a road or a ridge top; or
(3) Is in condition class 3 as defined by HFRA.

Many, many, many discussions with many, many interest groups, government agencies, politicos,  and several state and federal public comment periods led to these specifics. The idea of the Regional Forester approval is that several FS layers would review and have to sign off on the proposed project.

Back to my original point, it’s hard to say that the Obama and Hickenlooper administrations were in the pockets of the (Colorado) timber industry when the CRR was finalized. Hence, in the case of Utah, it is also possible that they have their own, similar, fuel treatment concerns.  After all, Utah is next door to both Colorado and Idaho (of the two current State-specific rules) and could share similar concerns.

1 thought on “The Esoteric World of Roadless Rules and Fuel Treatments II. Roads in the 2001 and Colorado Roadless Rule”

  1. What I would like to know is who determines the “boundary of an at-risk community,” which determines where any of these rules apply.

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