Up Stevens Gulch near Paonia, Colo., some Coloradans
want to drive all-terrain vehicles on logging roads the Forest
Service once promised it would close off. Now, the agency is
offering two more timber sales, which means even more road
construction, and then more ATVs. The Colorado Wildlife Federation,
Colorado Environmental Coalition and the Western Slope
Environmental Resource Council (WSERC), among others, are appealing
the sales. Vehicles force deer and elk off the national forest and
onto neighboring ranches, says Steve Hinchman of WSERC, and as a
result, hunting success has plummeted and local businesses that
depend on hunting revenue are hurting. Paonia District Ranger Ray
Kingston agrees that ATV traffic in Stevens Gulch is on the rise.
But closing backcountry roads requires more funding and field
presence than his office can muster, he says. Says Hinchman, “The
Forest Service has lost control of its forests. Until it does
something, we’re holding this timber sale hostage.”
For more information, contact the Western Slope
Environmental Resource Council at
970/527-5307.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Close those roads.
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