White River National Forest

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Boulder) is clearly trying to head off health care town hall-style lynch mobs at the pass by getting out in front of the broiling rhetoric over the proposed “Hidden Gems” wilderness plan.
The proposal is still being drafted – and seeking a congressional sponsor – but basically proponents hope to lock up [...]

AVON — Colorado mountaineer Aron Ralston, famous for a bouldering mishap in Utah which he survived by amputating his own forearm, has been touring the state with other recreation proponents pushing for a huge new wilderness proposal called Hidden Gems.
“The Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal would counteract the increasing pressures of extractive development and motorized use,” [...]

A coalition of environmental groups looking to drum up local support for a huge new wilderness bill that could protect up to 450,000 acres of national forest land in Colorado from oil and gas production, timber sales and mining have stirred up opposition from an unlikely quarter.
Mountain bikers, snowmobilers, dirt bikers and other off-road enthusiasts [...]

The sprawling 2.5-million-acre White River National Forest in Colorado’s central and northern Rocky Mountains is home to some of the most renowned ski areas in the world, including Vail and Aspen, but other methods of recreating are likely to be the most controversial elements of a revised travel management plan released Thursday.

The White River National Forest (WRNF) went through a re-evaluation of its Travel Management Plan several years ago. It was announced on Thursday that it will release a draft copy of the new version of the travel plan for public view next week. There will be a 90-day comment period. More