Conservation groups unite to protect threatened species in Colorado

Below is a press release that was issued today by a coalition of conservation groups in regards to to lawsuits filed against the Forest Service today over its newly revised land management plan for the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado. – mk

DENVERToday, Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, San Juan Citizens Alliance, WildEarth Guardians and the Western Environmental Law Center filed two lawsuits against the United States Forest Service over its newly revised land management plan for the Rio Grande National Forest. Over the past six years, conservation groups provided science-based recommendations and concrete solutions for protecting species and their diverse habitats in the Forest.  But in the face of these needed steps, the Forest Service’s plan slashes protections for the threatened Canada lynx and the endangered Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly in violation of the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and the Forest Service’s own regulations.

The lawsuit filed by Defenders of Wildlife challenges the rollback of critical protections for lynx habitat in the Rio Grande National Forest. The Canada lynx relies heavily on the Rio Grande National Forest in the Southern Rocky Mountains, which contains more than half the locations in Colorado where lynx are consistently found. But the population is in dire straits, and federal scientists predict that the lynx may disappear from Colorado altogether within a matter of decades. The Forest Service’s new plan has now opened the extremely important lynx habitat in the forest to logging, one of the biggest threats to the cat.

“Scientists are saying the Canada lynx population in the Rio Grande National Forest is in the ‘emergency room,’ but the Forest Service refuses to provide this species with the care it needs,” said Lauren McCain, senior policy analyst for Defenders of Wildlife. “It’s baffling that the Forest Service chose to weaken protections for lynx on the forest. They left us no option but to sue to help recover the species in the Southern Rockies.”

The lawsuit filed by The Wilderness Society, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, San Juan Citizens Alliance, WildEarth Guardians, and the Western Environmental Law Center challenges the forest plan’s failure to adequately protect habitat for species including the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly, or to regulate recreational uses appropriately. The Rio Grande National Forest is also home to five of the 11 colonies of critically endangered Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly. The species can only be found fluttering above 12,000 feet and in just a small area of Colorado. Despite identifying threats to the species, including trampling by humans and livestock and climate change, the Rio Grande’s revised forest plan fails to do anything specific to protect this species,  much less contribute to its recovery.

In addition, the plan missed a key opportunity to connect important habitat areas so species can move from summer to winter habitat, and to assure that recreation avoids key habitat areas. Both of these factors are crucial to ecological and resource protection.

“This plan encourages a crisis-management response,” said Christine Canaly, director of the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council. “After years of public meeting participation, providing substantive comments and reviewing hundreds of letters from concerned citizens – who clearly support the management of healthy forests, ecosystem services, and protection of critical habitat – the Final Forest Plan instead renders a hands-off approach, abdicating responsibility for providing upfront baseline analysis. Standards and guidelines have been removed, leading to less comprehensive, more reactive decision making.

“The Rio Grande Revised Forest Plan took a completely wrong turn by omitting protections for a range of imperiled species,” said Adam Rissien, ReWilding advocate with WildEarth Guardians. “We were hopeful the Forest Service would have reversed course, but this plan still fails to restore or maintain habitat, not only for Canada lynx, but also the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, river otter, western bumblebee, bighorn sheep and the endangered Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly.”

“The Rio Grande National Forest finalized an incredibly inadequate plan that fails to protect the values of the forest we all know and love, like important wildlife habitat and opportunities for people and families to enjoy our shared public lands,” says Jim Ramey, Colorado state director for The Wilderness Society. “Unfortunately, the Forest Service ignored years of community input and scientific analysis, resulting in a plan that doesn’t work hard enough for us to hand down a healthy forest for future Coloradans. We must hold the Forest Service to a higher standard for protecting critical wildlife corridors like Spruce Hole and Wolf Creek Pass. The Forest Service should prioritize locally-driven, conservation-focused plans to help us meet the national goal to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030.”

“New Forest Service rules gave Rio Grande National Forest managers the chance to vastly improve how they oversee the many uses of these important public lands,” said John Mellgren, general counsel at the Western Environmental Law Center. “Rather than seizing the opportunity to restore ecological integrity to these lands, the Forest Service instead ignored unambiguous requirements for ensuring the sustainability of our national forests.”

“The Rio Grande National Forest incorporates much of Colorado’s most important wildlife habitat, and some of our state’s largest expanses of wild and undeveloped habitat,” said Mark Pearson, executive director at San Juan Citizens Alliance. “The public deserves a management plan for the next 20 years that we can count on for protecting the very essence of the Rio Grande National Forest.”

The Rio Grande National Forest is a 1.8-million-acre gem in the middle of southern Colorado and includes the headwaters of its namesake river. The forest boasts a diversity of ecosystems from lower-elevation sagebrush and grasslands to the dominant high-elevation spruce-fir forest and fragile alpine areas. Proper management of this expansive area is key to preserving critical habitat and biodiversity in the Southern Rockies and to buffering against the stresses our native wildlife are experiencing from climate change.

The U.S. Forest Service’s newly revised land management plan for the Rio Grande National Forest slashes protections for the threatened Canada lynx. Photo by Richard P. Reading.

15 thoughts on “Conservation groups unite to protect threatened species in Colorado”

  1. Thank you so much to all the organizations who care about legitimate science, truth and honesty for litigating this case! When it comes to the dishonest anti-science efforts of the cronies still running the USFS if it wasn’t for our ability to take them to court and prove they’re an illegal operation most of the species we’ve been trying to save would of already been extinct by now.

    The sooner the plaintiffs take over the management of our public lands, the sooner common sense and ecosystem management will finally be allowed to develop itself in life affirming ways which has far more benefits to economy in the long run compared to cut & run status quo exploitation that’s always been the trademark of USFS mis-management.

    Also of note today, we succeeded in shutting down in Circuit Court the stupidity of 400 miles of post fire roadside logging in Oregon today. This was a criminal liquidation of old growth trees, many of them still alive and healthy, without any analysis and review. As often the case, the judge said the truth was that USFS was acting illegally and are now shut down until they show that they know what the laws are and how to properly apply them.

    Reply
  2. The roadside hazard tree removal proposed for the labor day fires of 2020 in Oregon were minimum at best. It is just the enviros grandstanding.
    There was no wholesale liquidation of old growth planned. The fires took care of that. And remember the trees to be cut are dead. There might be few green marginal trees cut, very few.

    Reply
    • Yea Bob, tell us all about it… How many is a “few” marginal green trees cut on 404 miles of road prism? Do you even know how to calculate road prism acreage depending on steepness of the slope? Because clearly you don’t know how categorical exclusions fail to circumvent NEPA when you get too insatiably greedy.

      Have you even studied the planning documents of this clearcutting project? It’d be funny if you said you did because those documents don’t exist, which is why a judge in a court of law is disagreeing with your blatant dishonesty/corruption when it comes to getting the cut out no matter how much irrevocable harm it causes.

      You know as well as I the USFS said go out and cut as much as you can as fast as you can with zero survey work for environmental protection until we get shut down and here we are more than a year later and lawless logging is finally again shut down.

      You and your ilk have no ground to stand on. Your agenda is based on lies by every measure and even now when the judge shuts you down you can’t stop lying / schilling for a dishonest get the cut out agenda no matter how many laws are broken.

      The name Bob aka: Robert Sproul and all that’s wrong with what it represents will not be forgotten by myself and many others.

      And it’s not the first time… We’re all well aware of how you let your cows escape to destroy a restoration project and how your neighbor rightfully killed all your cows for it and got away with it because you were wrong then and you’re wrong now:

      “Shipsey’s cattle-killing spree is emblematic of a clash of values throughout the rural West, where traditional ranching and farming practices dating to the last century are increasingly being challenged on environmental grounds, often by waves of newcomers flooding areas like the Blue Mountains. Urban expatriates who telecommute by modem tend to view cattle-trampled streams, timber clear-cuts and mining scars as threats to salmon, wildlife and aesthetics rather than essential threads in the West’s economic fabric.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/03/26/in-war-over-western-range-killing-stray-cows-crosses-a-line/189ba6aa-bb3a-42d3-a928-4cba00cff17b/

      And keep reading that link because Sproul is way worse than you might think. He knows what it’s like to kill a man and get away with it:

      “Sproul, then 43, had been having a long-running dispute with his brother-in-law, Harland H. Williams, over whether he could bring his cattle across the Williams property. The argument ended on a June morning in what the Blue Mountain Eagle described as “a burst of old-fashioned western gunplay” between two armed men. When the smoke cleared, Williams lay dead. Sproul had shot his wife’s brother eight times with a 9mm handgun, and later claimed it was self-defense. Three months later, it took a Grant County jury just one hour and 47 minutes to find Sproul not guilty of murder.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/03/26/in-war-over-western-range-killing-stray-cows-crosses-a-line/189ba6aa-bb3a-42d3-a928-4cba00cff17b/

      Reply
    • Bob: You are either an optimist or have a wry sense of humor. Deane Rimerman is proving him/herself to be a mean-spirited, mouthy idiot. Very glad you were considered to be innocent of murdering your brother-in-law, though. Sorry about your cattle and subsequent opinions regarding forest management. Maybe Deane will write a poem about it and make things better.

      Reply
      • It is important to keep a sense of humor. That Sproul might of been some relative from way back. I keep my small cattle herd fenced in because I like to know where they are and my neighbors friendly. But the darn elk are trying to take over. The elk seemed to have had great calving season and have almost double in size. Even with all the roads, hunters, logging, cows, people. Amazing what animals can adapt to.
        I try to keep my forest opinions on point, but my frustration with the wanton waste and destruction of our forests and communities I have observed since the Northwest Forest plan was enacted hurt. People should realized the environmental community has been in charge of our federal forest policies for almost thirty years now.

        Reply
  3. To comment on the original post, I find it odd that one of the main subjects of this lawsuit are snowmobiles. Bad timing considering a lengthy study of snowmobile impacts in Yellowstone just concluded that snowmobiles have so little impact they are not even worth continuing to monitor. I’ve also seen a couple recent cases where snowmobile groups successfully challenged winter travel plans that excessively restricted snowmobiling with no scientific basis. I’m not a snowmobiler but it does seem like fighting for more restrictions on snowmobiles is a losing strategy at the moment.

    This RGNF lawsuit sounds like more grandstanding by environmental groups without any real basis. But if it delays the RGNF’s plans to start Subpart A travel planning soon I don’t mind it. Their travel analysis process was a mess. If they use that as the basis for their next travel plan, it would result in closing over half the roads on the forest. That’s going to be a major fight and the motorized community is watching for that one closely. So if WildEarth Guardians wants to use up more of the RGNF’s budget fighting lawsuits about lynx and snowmobiles (which they’ll lose because there’s no evidence snowmobiles impact lynx), and delays the summer travel planning process a few more years, that’s fine by me!

    Reply
  4. Egads. The quality of conversations on this site has really gone downhill lately. So much vitriol and absolutism, so little humility or actual exchange of ideas. It’s a microcosm of our society at large, I suppose.

    Reply
  5. While I strongly support the role environmental organizations play in land management, I struggle with these kinds of press releases. They come across as hateful rants with very little detail to support their accusations. For example: “…the Forest Service’s plan slashes protections for the threatened Canada lynx and the endangered Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly in violation of the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and the Forest Service’s own regulations.” “Slashes” is designed to create a strong emotional response, but no details are provided to support this statement.

    “Scientists are saying the Canada lynx population in the Rio Grande National Forest is in the ‘emergency room,’ but the Forest Service refuses to provide this species with the care it needs,” Which scientists? I keep on reading the population is stable. Regardless, if SOME scientists say lynx are in the “emergency room,” what has causes that? From the spruce beetle epidemic? From large lightning caused fires, such as the West Fork Complex that killed the young trees important for lynx prey habitat? The management of allowing this fire to run its course on most of the forest was supported by environmental groups. By the way, the RGNF has planted several hundred acres of seedlings in the burned area, seedlings that will eventually provide lynx habitat… if they survive.

    “The Forest Service should prioritize locally-driven, conservation-focused plans to help us meet the national goal to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030.” What is in the RGNF plan that does not adhere to the guidelines as outlined in the 30×30 Initiative. Seems like pretty much the entire forest, with a few small notable exceptions such as Wolf Creek Ski Area, meet the guidelines.

    There are plenty more examples in this press release, but I will stop there. I support environmental organizations, but I would prefer press releases with a little more substance and little less emotional laden ranting designed to raise money.

    Reply
      • Seems like an unnecessarily snarky response to a rather equanimous bit of criticism. If WEG chooses to use an evocatively-worded press release to get their donor base charged up or attract media attention, so be it. I thought this forum was meant for deeper, more considerate discussion of forest management and planning issues. So, why repost the press release here?

        Reply
        • Dear anonymous person: The press release was co-written by a coalition that includes Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, San Juan Citizens Alliance, WildEarth Guardians and the Western Environmental Law Center. Please spread the credit, or blame, around.

          Also, I’m failing to see how WildEarth Guardians’ quote in the press release could be “evocatively-worded to get their donor base charged up or attract media attention.”

          “The Rio Grande Revised Forest Plan took a completely wrong turn by omitting protections for a range of imperiled species,” said Adam Rissien, ReWilding advocate with WildEarth Guardians. “We were hopeful the Forest Service would have reversed course, but this plan still fails to restore or maintain habitat, not only for Canada lynx, but also the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, river otter, western bumblebee, bighorn sheep and the endangered Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly.”

          Regarding your anonymous comment: “I thought this forum was meant for deeper, more considerate discussion of forest management and planning issues. So, why repost the press release here?”

          The press release is specifically about forest management and planning issues.

          Personally, I look forward to your comments offering a deeper, more considerate discussion of forest management and planning issues in this forum, whether they are anonymous or not. Thanks.

          Reply
          • Reread Mike’s comment above if you would like a more specific critique of the press release. My point was that if I want to read ENGO press releases I can sign up for their email lists. That’s not why we come here. Notice how Jon and Steve write their own succinct summaries in their litigation and plan revision updates? Maybe you could do the same for the conservation-oriented topics you often bring up here. Simply copying/pasting a press release makes it feel like you’re taking a victory lap rather than sharing news.

            Feel free to chide me for remaining anonymous. I’ve noticed you commonly do that to anonymous commenters here. We have our reasons though (and often quite a bit of relevant knowledge), so please try to consider the substance of our comments as well.

            Reply
  6. It is important to keep a sense of humor. That Sproul might of been some relative from way back. I keep my small cattle herd fenced in because I like to know where they are and my neighbors friendly. But the darn elk are trying to take over. The elk seemed to have had great calving season and have almost double in size. Even with all the roads, hunters, logging, cows, people. Amazing what animals can adapt to.
    I try to keep my forest opinions on point, but my frustration with the wanton waste and destruction of our forests and communities I have observed since the Northwest Forest plan was enacted hurts. People should realized the environmental community has been in charge of our federal forest policies for almost thirty years now.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Matthew Koehler Cancel reply