SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice/Bob Berwyn "Opinion: Roadless spin machine in high gear"

Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — The spin machine for Colorado’s new national forest roadless rule cranked into high gear last week, as state and federal leaders sought to convince the public that the watered-down protections for some of the state’s most valuable lands are equal to, or better than the original national rule.
In a way, the establishment has it easy, because it’s been tough to follow all the twists and turns in the roadless saga — but it’s important to understand some of the background and nuance to make a valid comparison.

You certainly can’t rely on the Forest Service to for the real story in this situation. The agency’s follow-up press release to the roadless announcement touted “widespread support” for rule from conservation groups and quoted snippets of press releases selectively, using sections that praised parts of the rule while leaving out language that finds fault with the Colorado version and calls for additional protections.

It would have been questionable for the national agency to reject the Colorado petition; far better had the state backed away from its rule gracefully, perhaps keeping it in reserve, when you this far down a planning road, it’s hard to put it in reverse.

To give the Forest Service credit, it has provided a detailed and very accessible public online record of the rule-making and its history. All the information is there if you care to look.

Colorado’s newspaper of record, the Denver Post, gave up on trying to delve into some of those nuances in its Sunday editorial on the roadless rule, basically just saying saying, “It’s complicated, but trust us, this is a good thing,” without really ever explaining why. To its credit, the Post did include a link to previous coverage that helps explain the convoluted history.

But the Post also fell hook, line and sinker for one of the key talking points for the new rule — that it gives some of Colorado’s roadless areas more protection than the national rule. This myth of “greater protection” is clearly aimed at deflection attention from the fact that the majority of the national forest roadless areas in the state will get less protection than they would under the national rule....."
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"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel "Roadless rule for Colorado released"

The Sentinel gets the nod this morning on the 'Colorado Roadless Rules' story.

The Aspen Times is trying to once again ineffectively "pound their liberal chest" alongside the Real sites attempting to wage eco-pen jihad.  Our favorite and the area's most trusted environmental reports off the Summit County Citizens Voice has the most reference resources and is always a good read; but it is the Sentinel that nails the facts without the emotion.

There are only four print  newspapers in Colorado that are held in respect and at a standard that is worthy of being held up to the true meaning of journalistic integrity.  They are the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel since under the ownership of the Seaton family, the Pueblo Chieftain, Steamboat Today and the Aspen Daily News.

Let's hope that the 'Roadless saga' is over for now and all trade, commerce and general enjoyment of life for the folks when they head out to the hills can move forward.  

win win.  Who knew?

(On a side note that is complete political snark and antagonistic on my part:....(yes...this is a "whispering campaign"..)...hey!...how about that 'fracking is inherently safe'...takes campaign donations from Oxbow/Koch  and Corzine....Sen. Mark Udall (D)??...he's like...well...the conservatives idea of a secret weapon on 'their' side.....hooah....save a gas rig...vote Sonja Linman (D) for balanced representation for GarCo in the never-ending quest to have neither side completely get their way...hooah..) 

Matthew Berger:
"The final version of a long-awaited rule governing roadless areas in Colorado’s national forest lands was released Wednesday.

When finalized a month from now, the rule will exempt Colorado from the federal roadless rule released in 2001 and allow exemptions from roadless protections in some locations in the state for activities such as ski-resort and coal-mine expansions and the thinning of bark-beetle-damaged trees.

It would set a larger acreage than previously expected under protections that exceed those of the federal rule.

Wednesday’s announcement is the culmination of seven years of work on various drafts, and in Denver on Wednesday,  the theme from state and federal officials was self-congratulation for a collaborative rule-making process and a victory in which Colorado’s independent spirit was seen as winning out against federal “one-size-fits-all” regulations.

“The new roadless rule represents a characteristically Colorado achievement,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper. “The rule enhances all that makes Colorado special while at the same time providing a measure of flexibility that supports local economies and ensures communities can take steps to protect themselves from threats of wildfire.”

In a letter last week urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to adopt the Colorado rule, Sen. Mark Udall described the proposed rule as “a compromise in which almost no party got everything it wanted, but nearly all have agreed is fair.....” (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."