Summer 2014: the Wilderness 50th Anniversary Issue
Transcription
Summer 2014: the Wilderness 50th Anniversary Issue
John Fielder protecting wild places and wildlife, for their sake – and ours Summer 2014 WILDERNESS FIVE-O The 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act is a cause for celebration! Meredith Ogilby I Top: The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness was established with the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. The original area comprised only the core of the Elk Range; it took 16 more years for the Aspen Wilderness Workshop, led by “Maroon Belles” Connie Harvey, Dottie Fox and Joy Caudill (above), to get Congress to expand its boundaries to include places like American and Cathedral Lakes and Mount Sopris. Wilderness 50 Events t’s never a bad idea to stop and smell the roses. So once in 50 years, at least, we owe it to ourselves to make a point of celebrating the wilderness – and the idea of wilderness – that makes our country great. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on Sept. 3, 1964, the Wilderness Act established the National Wilderness Preservation System, and got the ball rolling by designating the first 54 wilderness areas. These were the first-round draft picks – the very paragons of wilderness – and among that number was our own Maroon Bells-Snowmass. That was just the beginning of our region’s role in the wilderness movement. In the two decades that followed, local citizens’ campaigns secured seven other wilderness areas on the White River National Forest, and more than doubled the size of the original Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness – permanently protecting more than 750,000 acres, nearly a third of the Forest. Members of the Aspen Wilderness Workshop (as it was then called), led by Connie Harvey, Joy Caudill and Dottie Fox, were the boots on the ground for these efforts in the Roaring Fork watershed. Folks like Bill Mounsey and Chuck Ogilby played a similar CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE Pg. 5 • Hike/projects Schedule Pg. 7 The appropriately named Raggeds Wilderness was part of a massive wave of areas designated by the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1980. Humility and restraint The Wilderness Act has been called “the most beautiful piece of legislation ever written.” In soaring language that was hammered out over eight years and dozens of drafts, it speaks of the need “to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.” In its most memorable passage, it defines wilderness as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” In signing the Act, President Johnson contributed a bit of homespun commentary that’s just as worth recalling: “If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather John Fielder role in the Eagle Valley. Thanks to that “greatest generation,” we and our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy these magnificent areas in their natural state in perpetuity. Is that a cause for celebration or what? This summer and fall, the Wilderness Workshop is spearheading a series of events to commemorate the big Five-O; highlights are a gigantic Maroon Bells Birthday Bash at the base of Aspen Highlands on Aug. 2, and a wilderness symposium at the Aspen Institute’s Paepcke Auditorium on Sept. 10. Be sure to mark your calendar – see the schedule on page 5. John Fielder WILDERNESS FIVE-0 FROM PAGE 1 22 Wild Wild Works Works || JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 than contempt, we must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.” It was, and remains, an historic gesture of humility and restraint toward the natural world. Challenging the view that the value of land is measurable only in board-feet of lumber or tons of ore, the Act asserts that wilderness itself is a resource – and one that grows more valuable in a time of increasing population and modernization. The landmark legislation laid down a philosophical foundation that has permanently shaped our national consciousness. It establishes, as a matter of law and policy, that it’s in the national interest to set aside some places to remain in their natural state. It In the 1960s, the Colorado Department of Transportation wanted to route I-70 through a tunnel under the Gore Range-Eagles Nest Primitive Area to shave 11 miles off the Vail Pass route. Eagle Valley citizens rallied to block the plan, and then campaigned to protect the area as the Eagles Nest Wilderness in 1976. trailhead and go at the pace that our feet (or a horse) will take us. Wilderness is the slow food of recreation – it’s a country road compared to the interstate of our daily lives. There are benefits in taking the slow road, both for the traveler and for the land. Leading horses to water Establishing a first batch of wilderness areas and defining how they would be protected was only the beginning of the Wilderness Act’s genius. What makes it worth celebrating now, 50 years later, is that it provided for the designation of additional wilderness areas through further acts of Congress. It’s that enabling function that has leveraged the original 54 wilderness areas into more than 700, expanding the National Wilderness Preservation System from just 9 million acres in 1964 to nearly 110 million acres today. While only Congress can designate wilderness, citizens play an essential role in leading those political horses to water. One of the first groups to seize the opportunity CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE John Fielder doesn’t go into much detail about why; its framers were savvy enough to know not to limit the Act’s force by enumeration. But 50 years later, the value of wilderness becomes ever clearer. Even as we alter our planet at an ever-accelerating pace, we’re better understanding the extent of our impacts on ecosystems. More than ever, we need large “untrammeled” places where wildlife can find refuge, where natural processes can continue to play out, and yes, where we humans can find solitude and recreation. The Wilderness Act didn’t just protect certain places; it also stipulated how we humans should behave in them, and this too has proved to be prescient. The Act prohibits not only roads and structures, but also mechanized travel. While some bemoan this as discrimination against bikes and other machines, in effect it’s a speed limit. As our machines become faster and more powerful, they enable us to go places we previously didn’t go, and to cover more ground and impose more impacts. In wilderness, we must leave our wheels at the You could say the idea of wilderness was born in what is now the Flat Tops Wilderness. In 1919, a young Forest Service engineer named Arthur Carhart was sent to Trappers Lake to plot planned vacation home sites. Upon his return, Carhart boldly advised his superiors that the best use of the area was wilderness recreation; his action inspired fellow conservationist Aldo Leopold to champion the creation of the first Wilderness Reserve (what is now New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness), and later led to the protection of the Flat Tops as a Primitive Area. Max Lyons Conservationists led by the Aspen Wilderness Workshop spent much of the 1960s and ’70s saving the Hunter Creek Valley, first from residential development and then from a massive water diversion project. Prevailing on both fights, they went on to secure designation of the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness in 1978. WILDERNESS FIVE-0 offered by the Wilderness Act was Aspen’s own Wilderness Workshop. Connie, Joy, Dottie and their crew correctly perceived that wilderness was a constituent issue that lent itself well to grassroots organizing. By pioneering the use of on-the-ground inventorying, mapping, petitions, public events and the like, they helped pioneer the model of the modern citizens’ wilderness campaign. Theirs was a simpler, less partisan and less recreationally intense time. Big blank spots on the map like the Hunter-Fryingpan and Collegiate FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Peaks were low-hanging fruit, ripe for wilderness designation. Even then, it took more than a decade of campaigning, with much of that time spent parrying threats like water diversions and interstate highways. When victory came, it came in a rush: two bills, in 1978 and 1980, established most of the wilderness acreage on the White River National Forest. These days, building consensus around new wilderness is a complex process. Sen. Mark Udall’s Central Mountains proposal, together with a related bill in the House by Rep. Jared Polis, represents a hopeful return to the golden era of big, bold wilderness bills of the 1970s and ’80s. Udall’s proposal has passed through every conceivable screen and has successfully addressed virtually all the concerns of myriad user groups and special interests, and is ready for introduction in Congress. (Rep. Polis’s bill has already been introduced, and is poised for reintroduction this summer.) In the old days, this would have been more than half the battle. Now, it takes a lot more to get Congress to take action on such matters. Public lands bills are pawns in the wider ideological war; they may advance, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 44 Wild Wild Works Works || JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 John Fielder John Fielder Left: While the bulk of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness lies in the Arkansas River drainage, it also includes part of the upper Roaring Fork watershed south of Highway 82. WW advocates contributed to the effort that led to its establishment under the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1980, along with 30 other areas. Below: The Holy Cross Wilderness has been revered by pilgrims ever since William Henry Jackson first photographed the famed mountain’s cross of snow in 1873. The giant Homestake water diversion project, completed in 1967, sent a warning shot across the area’s bow, and the Homestake II proposal galvanized a movement for its protection. It received wilderness designation in 1980. Wilderness years 2014 roaring fork valley events Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act with these special events! Guided Hikes & projects June-Sept. maroon bells b-day Bash Aug. 2 This summer our free hike series showcases lesser-known destinations in local wilderness areas, and our habitat restoration program focuses on projects in existing wilderness. See p. 7 for schedule. Party like it’s 1964! It’s the 50th birthday of the Maroon BellsSnowmass Wilderness, so a big community-wide party - complete with cake and candles - is in order. And where better to do it than at Aspen Highlands, the gateway to the Bells? parade July 4 See the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Regional Pack String - a team of mule and horse ambassadors - in the Aspen July 4 parade. The outdoor event will feature live music by multiple bands, inspiring words by author/activist Rick Bass, a Ute Nation performance, kids’ activities, wilderness displays, and food and drink deals by the Highlands Alehouse. Other free activities will be offered during the day by various local organizations. Wilderness in pictures July 15-Aug. 16 Tickets and full schedule at MaroonBells50.org Renowned landscape photographer John Fielder is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act with a touring exhibition of his most breathtaking images. Catch the show while it’s on display at Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House. Alpine symphony Aug. 3 carbondale mountain fair July 25-27 The valley’s favorite festival celebrates the 50th with the theme Wild At Heart: Celebrating our People, Town, and Wilderness. To honor the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the Aspen Music Festival's Sunday afternoon concert will feature Leonard Slatkin conducting Richard Strauss's majestic tone poem to nature. wilderness symposium Sept. 10 An evening with national and local wilderness experts, examining the legacy of the Wilderness Act and the challenges of the next 50 years. Speakers will include Dave Foreman, former U.S. Senator Tim Wirth, Jamie Williams, Gloria Flora and John Fielder. At Aspen’s Paepcke Auditorium. The Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964. Throughout 2014, communities around the country are celebrating this historic act of human restraint and humility toward the natural world. Summer 2014 | Wild Works 5 WILDERNESS FIVE-0 sometimes suddenly, but it’s a long waiting game. Despite political uncertainty, the Wilderness Act remains as relevant as ever. Nothing else compares – it’s the gold standard of conservation, affording the strongest, most enduring protection for federal public lands. Jon Bradford The next 50 years The youngest of the White River National Forest’s eight wilderness areas, the Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness was designated in 1993. Summit County residents originally proposed a 75,000-acre area, but pressure from Denver Water and the Federal Timber Purchasers Association reduced it to 13,000. New proposals by Rep. Jared Polis and Sen. Mark Udall would regain some of the lost acreage. And what of the next 50 years? The need for such protection will only increase. Climate change threatens to force plant and animal communities northwards and uphill. Increasing human population and new forms of recreation will likely put more pressure on our public lands. Drilling, mining and other forms of resource extraction will continue to fragment wildlife habitat. Wilderness can provide resiliency FROM PAGE 4 in the face of these changes – if we manage it carefully, and add to it where appropriate. But for all the good and logical reasons to protect wilderness, in the end, utilitarian arguments don’t fully state the case. As Wallace Stegner famously wrote, “That is the reason we need to put into effect, for its [the land’s] preservation, some other principle than the principles of exploitation or ‘usefulness’ or even recreation. We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope.” So we celebrate the wilderness that has been handed down to us, and we invest in it our hope, with interest, for the next generation. ART AUCTION TO BENEFIT WW S ince 2008, WW’s Artist in Wilderness program has offered residencies to allow artists to make works inspired by the lands that we’re working to protect. The selected artists are provided with housing, a generous stipend and travel expenses, and a guide if they need one. In return, they give us one piece resulting from their residency. Finally, after six years, the program has acquired enough works to fulfill its other purpose, which is sell them off to raise money for our conservation work. You can see the pieces – and bid on 66 Wild Wild Works Works || JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 them – at wildernessworkshop.org/auction. The online auction will remain open until 12 noon on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Please bid early and often! The highest bidders for each piece will be our guests at the annual gathering of the Maroon Bells Circle (WW’s national council) on Friday, Aug. 22, where the art will be sold by silent auction. Meanwhile, we’ve received a record number of entries for the next two Artist in Wilderness residencies, in fall 2014 and spring/summer 2015. The jury, led by WW board member Mary Dominick, will announce the winners in August. “Across the Valley II,” by Richard White (0il on linen, 2010) ! r e m m u s s i h t s u join e l u d e h c S 14 0 2 projects country ore our local back pl ex to s ke hi ed free Guid july restoration s e i r e s e k hi restore a wildlife corridor Remove old barbed-wire fencing to allow animals to move freely across a high alpine valley. restore a wetland AUGUST Sat. July 19 : Ashcroft, Castle Creek Valley Sat.-Sun., Aug. 23-34 : Crooked Creek Pass Reservoir The Forest Service is removing this reservoir to restore a former wetland; our crew will car-camp in the area and revegetate the area with willows and other native species. restore a trail Reconfigure the trail to the summit of Mount Sopris, which crosses sensitive terrain above treeline and was never properly constructed. Because of its remoteness, the crew will camp overnight. rsvp required! learn more and sign up at www.WildernessWorkshop.org SEPT Sat.-Sun., Sept. 6-7 : Thomas Lake Trail 9 (Wed.) Hunter Creek Wildflower Hike WITh aCES, neaR aspen 11 (fri.) Hay Park Full Moon, Base of mt. sopris 12-13 (Sat.-Sun.) frying pan lakes, holy cross wilderness (overnight) 19 (Sat.) Hoosier Ridge, near Breckenridge 20 (Sun.) Savage Lakes, holy cross wilderness 2 (Sat.) East Maroon Pass, Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness 9 (Sat.) McCullough Gulch, proposed Tenmile Wilderness Area 9 (Sat.) Tabor Lake, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness 10 (Sun.) East Willow, Thompson Divide 16 (Sat.) West Lake Creek, proposed wilderness area near Avon 17 (Sun.) Marion Gulch, Thompson Divide 23 (SAt) spraddle creek, proposed wilderness area north of vail 13-14 (Sat.-Sun.) Lake Ridge Lakes, Thompson Divide (overnight) 20 (Sat.) Marble Peak, Raggeds Wilderness | 21 (Sun.) Bull Dog Creek, Proposed Crystal River Wilderness Hikes and projects marked with this symbol are part of a series of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. See full schedule on page 5. MORE THAN THE THOMPSON DIVIDE Nelson Guda recreational playground, critical wildlife habitat, a renowned hunting area, summer pasture for local ranch Located just west of the Thompson Divide, the Reno Mountain Roadless Area is in the path of oil and gas development spreading southwards from Silt. operations and the source of water for communities and farms – all of this would be put at risk by oil and gas development. But the Thompson Divide isn’t the only special place in our region that’s threatened by drilling. In April, WW took the next step in a long-running effort to protect eight roadless areas on the White River National Forest that contain oil and gas leases that we contend were issued illegally (see page 8). Four of them are within the Thompson Divide; the other four stretch westwards from there, and comprise much of the high country that’s visible to the south of I-70 between Silt and Debeque. While not as well known as the Thompson Divide, we believe these four areas – Housetop Mountain, Mamm Peak, Reno Mountain and FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Baldy Mountain – are just as worthy of protection. For a start, they’re roadless! What’s more, together they form a long, wild, mid-elevation corridor that’s critical to our region’s wildlife. Rugged and hard to access, these roadless areas are home to the best bear habitat in the state, and support large herds of elk and deer year-round. As oil and gas development continues to displace wildlife from the Colorado River Valley, these areas are becoming all the more important as refuges. So amid all the campaigning to save the Thompson Divide, let’s spare a thought for its little-visited cousins to the west. They, too, deserve to be spared. That’s why we at the Wilderness Workshop asked BLM to cancel all 65 leases currently under review, not only the ones in the Thompson Divide. ON THE RIGHT TRACK T he White River National Forest is proposing to construct a new single-track dirtbike trail between Basalt and Gypsum. The 11-milelong Green Gate Trail would traverse forested backcountry just west of Basalt Mountain and Red Table, two areas we’ve been working to protect for more than a decade. You may be wondering why we haven’t come out against it. While adding a new motorized route through the backcountry isn’t something we’re thrilled about, we see this as a net gain. The area is currently fragmented by a network of 10 10 Wild Wild Works Works || JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 about 20 miles of bandit trails; this project offers the opportunity to replace those trails with a shorter, less impactful alignment and to move the parking lot out of a wetland. Another part of the deal is that the Forest Service will step up enforcement in the area to prevent illegal riding and trail construction, so overall impacts should be reduced. Colorado Parks and Wildlife views this as the least bad of the available options, and will hopefully join us in asking for seasonal trail closures to further protect wildlife. The White River National For- est committed to this basic travel scenario in its 2011 Travel Management Plan, which we supported and which was a strong win for wildlife and watersheds. Since then, we’ve also been working closely with the valley’s local dirt-biking group, the Colorado Backcountry Trail Riders Association, on this project. They’ve been a key part of the effort to move from the status quo of riding illegally created routes to “staying the trail” and ensuring future use occurs only on the new legal trail. T his spring, citizens of the Roaring Fork Valley told the BLM in no uncertain terms to nix 65 “deficient” oil and gas leases in the Thompson Divide and elsewhere on the White River National Forest. Hundreds of people attended BLM public meetings in Aspen, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, with every single speaker calling for the leases to be voided. (A fourth meeting, held in Debeque, not surprisingly drew almost entirely pro-drilling comments.) Meanwhile, more than 30,000 people emailed comments telling the BLM to consider canceling the leases. We want to thank the Natural they haven’t been approved for development, and they could go away entirely as a result of this process. Thus the lease review has the potential not only to remove a major part of the threat to the Thompson Divide, but also to spare four other roadless areas from drilling (see next page). Olivia Weber The BLM calls them “deficient”; we contend they’re illegal. Students spoke out at one of the BLM’s public meetings in April. Resources Defense Council, Wilderness Society, Conservation Colorado and other groups for sending out alerts, and all of you who attended the meetings or wrote comments. The BLM’s review of these leases got off to a somewhat confusing start, because it came just days after the agency announced it was extending 25 leases in the Thompson Divide for another two years. So, to clarify: the 25 leases in the Thompson Divide are a subset of the 65 leases that the BLM is reviewing. Although they’ve been extended, “Deficient” is the word the feds use to describe these 65 leases; we contend they’re illegal. The BLM itself admits that it issued them in violation of environmental laws in the 1990s and early 2000s. The problem is something we’ve been focused on for a long time. In 2004, WW and Pitkin County protested three leases that had been issued in the Thompson Divide with the exact same “deficiencies”; those leases were finally voided in 2009. The process that the BLM has initiated to remedy the problem MORE THAN THE THOMPSON DIVIDE Illegal leases threaten four other roadless areas, too. S ome places are too special to drill. Is that such a controversial concept? Judging by the energy industry’s rhetoric, you’d think that anyone questioning its right to develop every square inch of land with fossil fuels under it is a hemp-clad ecoterrorist bent on dynamiting the American dream. Or an Aspen one-percenter who wants his private jet and his heated driveway but is strangely squeamish about fracking fluid in his kale. The industry scatters its shot pretty broadly. Despite such hyperventilations, the vast majority of regular folks take a more balanced view of the situation. Drilling is going to happen in many places, but it doesn’t have to happen everyplace. The Thompson Divide has become a national poster child for Nelson Guda VOID THE LEASES involves a number of stages and an Environmental Impact Statement. The recent meetings and public comment period were only the first step, known as scoping, because the agency must first determine the scope of what it will consider in its analysis. Scoping is when you have to speak up if you want issues to be analyzed, and that’s why we asked you to tell the BLM to include voiding the leases and modifying their terms among the options that it had to consider. The BLM says it’s going to take until next summer to produce the draft EIS, and the final decision won’t come until the summer of 2016. However, expect a flurry of activity this summer on a related matter, when the White River National Forest issues its long-awaited final oil and gas leasing plan. The BLM is likely to rely heavily on that plan for guidance on what to do about its 65 leases. We’ll be pushing hard for a plan that allows no further leasing in the Thompson Divide and that adequately protects roadless areas across the Forest. The Mamm Peak Roadless Area, south of Silt, runs the gamut from steep cliffs to bear-rich forests. “too special to drill,” of course, and if you’re reading this newsletter you’re probably familiar with what’s at stake there. A massive, 220,000 swath of backcountry, a year-round CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE MISTAKES WERE MADE: A 20-YEAR TIMELINE OF OIL & GAS LEASING IN OUR AREA Piceance Basin drilling boom starts ramping up; BLM takes “lease now, look later” approach Current White River National Forest oil & gas leasing plan finalized WW and Pitkin County begin challenging new leases and development in roadless areas 3 Thompson Divide leases voided as a result of WW/Pitkin challenge Colorado Roadless Rule implemented White River NF releases draft leasing plan BLM launches review of 65 deficient leases, holds public scoping meetings BLM to issue draft EIS on deficient leases You are here 1995 2000 Federal Roadless Rule implemented 88 Wild Wild Works Works || JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 2005 2010 White River NF begins revising its oil & gas leasing plan 2011 2012 2013 BLM admits leasing “deficiencies” 2014 2015 White River NF to release final oil & gas leasing plan/Record of Decision, which will inform BLM’s deficiency EIS 2016 2017 BLM to issue final EIS on deficient leases JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 || Wild Wild Works Works 99 LIKE ROLLING A BOULDER UPHILL I n March, the almost-final Resource Management Plan for our local BLM lands hit with an electronic thud: if you printed it all out, it’d probably fill a bookshelf. Its release triggered a 45-day protest period, and there was much to protest. This is an important document, as it will serve as a blueprint for development on a half-million acres of public lands in the Colorado, Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys over the next 20 years. (The current plan, issued in 1984 and amended several times, is woefully out of date.) WW has been engaged in the revision of this plan since 2007, nudging it toward something that will do a better job of protecting our public lands over the long term. But while the latest version has its merits, we find its handling of oil and gas development and protections for special places to be unacceptable. So WW staff attorney Peter Hart rallied an A-Team of analysts, experts and partner organizations, and drafted two formal protests. Honestly, the plan’s analysis of potential oil and gas development is a pretty flat-footed exercise, revealing an agency that’s unable or unwilling to commit itself to protecting the land and public health. Our first protest takes the plan to task for failing to factor recent trends into its projections of future enery development. Consider the “Beast.” That’s what industry insiders are calling a well drilled into shale formations near Parachute last year that produced as much gas in its first 100 days as a typical well in this region does in 20 years. The Beast is the highestperforming shale gas well in the nation, followed closely by another ment there in the meantime. Case in point: the Grand Hogback, that sweeping rock curtain that stretches from I-70 near New Castle up to Rifle Gap and beyond. We and our partners are demanding stronger action on oil and gas and special places in the BLM’s Resource Management Plan. well drilled nearby. The fracking recipes and drilling techniques used to drill and produce these wells, along with the extraordinary initial production, represent big changes in the way drilling is done in the Piceance Basin, but the BLM’s plan hardly registers the risks and impacts that could come with it. The potential impacts are farranging and grave: air quality, water quality and quantity, disposal of wastewater, traffic, human health, earthquakes, climate change and more. Our protest delivers a thorough critique of the BLM’s analysis, and recommends how to do better. In the second protest, we urge the BLM to protect places that it found to have wilderness characteristics but opted not to protect in the plan. And we challenge its cursory review of many other areas that may have wilderness character, according to agency guidance; we’ve asked the agency to take a closer look at these areas, and defer approving develop- The plan identifies over 11,000 acres of it that qualify as Lands with Wilderness Characteristics – yet hastily dismisses the idea of managing to protect those values because of the potential for oil and gas development there. Our protest also asks the BLM to restrict motorized travel on a horribly eroded road in the Thompson Creek area, southwest of Carbondale, and to protect greater sagegrouse habitat in the Castle Peak area north of Eagle. The BLM has indicated that it would like to have protests resolved by August of this year. A Record of Decision should follow and the new plan could become the law of the land later this year. We’ll continue pushing this agency to produce the best possible plan, even if it’s like rolling a boulder uphill. The BLM’s plan could do more to protect greater sagegrouse in the Castle Peak area north of Eagle. JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 || Wild Wild Works Works 11 11 WW WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS T he Wilderness Workshop board recently added two new members – without losing any old ones! Allyn Harvey has been a Wilderness Workshop supporter and ally since 2008, when he acted as communications consultant to the Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign. A former Allyn Harvey Aspen Times reporter and managing editor, he now runs his own public and media relations company, Allyn Harvey Communications. Allyn also somehow manages to juggle being a member of the Carbondale Board of Trustees and a foundLindsay Gurley ing board member of the nonprofit Sopris Sun. Lindsay Gurley moved to the Roaring Fork Valley from Denver in 2010 to work as a summer naturalist for the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, and went on to work as a staffer for the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE). She currently teaches yoga at True Nature Healing Arts as well as offering privates and health coaching throughout the valley. Since childhood Lindsay has been deeply rooted in wilderness, and she says she’s thrilled and honored to join the WW board and can’t wait to share her energy in the amazing work of the WW team. We’d also like to heap vast praise on our new board president, Karin Teague, who has inspired board and staff alike by her passionate leadership and her hard work on the Wilderness 50 event series. And by the way, our staff members haven’t been letting any grass grow under their feet, either in or out of the office. Executive director Sloan Shoemaker continues to chair the Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative, and is planning a large public meeting this fall on community resilience in the face of changing forests. Will Roush has been promoted to the position of conservation director, and has been invited to speak at the National Wilderness Conference in Albuquerque in October. Staff attorney Peter Hart and his wife Katy welcomed their second child, Asa, in February. In March, Peter was a panelist at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in Eugene, Oregon. Operations and outreach coordinator Melanie Finan spent the months of April and May in Bali and other exotic locales. Development and communications director has just returned from an extracurricular trip to DC as a volunteer for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. And part-time community organizer Alex Bethel recently completed a course in Leadership, Organizing and Action through Harvard’s Kennedy School. JOIN OUR MONTHLY GIVING CLUB T here’s a small but growing band of folks who are supporting the Wilderness Workshop in a way that’s more convenient for them, and more helpful for WW. They’re our monthly givers, and we love them! If you’re a once-a-year giver, you might look into setting up recurring payments through our online donation page (wildernessworkshop.org/give). You can choose to have payments deducted monthly, weekly or whatever. It’s easy, secure and painless, because you’ll be spreading your contribution out over the year. 12 12 Wild Wild Works Works || JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 If you’ve been meaning to support WW, but weren’t sure you could make a meaningful donation, recurring giving could be the way to go. You’ll hardly notice the monthly payments, yet they’ll add up to a sizeable annual gift. Slow and steady: that’s the easiest way to climb a mountain, and it’s the most efficient way to support your local conservation nonprofit! Your regular donations will provide a reliable flow of funding for the crucial, long-term work of safeguarding our wild places and wildlife. Thanks for your help! DONOR HALL OF FAME David Houggy*, in honor of Charlie Hopton Reese Henry & Co. The Wilderness Workshop wishes to thank the following generous people who have made donations since the previous newsletter. New members are indicated by an asterisk (*). $25,000+ Brundige Ford and Susan Schumann Aspen Square Condominium Association Bruce Berger Anonymous Debbie and Marc Bruell New-Land Foundation Marty and Sarah Flug Beth Cashdan and Paul D’Amato Tom and Currie Barron/ Merlin Foundation Jim Bonesteel Gayle Embry/Embry Family Foundation Peter Looram and Owen McHaney The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation Rob Pew Pitkin County Eaden and Deva Shantay/The Cohen Family Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Hansjoerg Wyss/Wyss Charitable Endowment $5,000-9,999 City of Aspen John and Laurel Catto/Alpenglow Foundation Marcia Corbin Felicity Huffman John and Laurie McBride/ ABC Foundation Martens Foundation Moore Huffman, Jr. Bill Hunt/Oak Lodge Foundation Douglas and Lynne DeNio Fred and Elli Iselin Foundation Leslie Desmond Islands Advised Fund at Aspen Community Foundation Colby June Jewelry Anonymous Annie Cooke $10,000-25,000 Sandy Jackson $500-999 Tita and Dan McCarty Michael McVoy and Michal Brimm Barney and Dot Mulligan Tom Newland Ragged Mountain Sports Barbara Reese Roaring Fork Audubon Society Drew DePaul Tara and Casey Sheahan Maggie DeWolf Sue Edelstein and Bill Spence Jane and Dick Hart Pat Spitzmiller Deidre Stancioff Jay and Patti Webster Lynn Nichols and Jim Gilchrist Ann Johnson Marty Pickett and Edgell Pyles Henry Lowe Martha and Mke McCoy Toni Zurcher, in memory of Christoper H. Smith Jill Soffer Kent and Elizabeth Meager Mark Tache Marjory Musgrave $100-249 Thendara Foundation Blanca and Cavanaugh O’Leary $1,000-1,999 Arches Foundation Aspen Associates Realty Group Susan Welsch and Everett Peirce Judith Lapkin Craig Bob Adams Barbara Andre Anonymous Susan O’Neal David Arnold* Patagonia Camilla and Raymond Auger Ken and Emily Ransford Paul and Carole Auvil Connor Bailey/Warrington Foundation Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council Kay Brunnier Bill Stirling Shelley Burke and Al Nemoff Harry Teague Architects Anneliese Chumley Drs. Rick and Alice Voorhees and Bedard-Voorhees, in memory of Randy Udall Frannie Dittmer Mary Dominick and Sven Coomer Marti and Charles Bauer Georges Becus* Richard Beresford Diana Beuttas Don Birnkrant Gavin Brooke Paula Zurcher William Brunworth Judith Byrns iMarcie and Robert Musser Advised Fund at Aspen Community Foundation Carol Duell $250-499 Bill Fales and Marj Perry Gina Berko Wallace and Kristen Graham Phil and Sunny Brodsky Pew Charitable Trusts Lucy Hahn Kristine Crandall Carol Racine Joe Henry Susan Fesus RCG Fund Judy and Amory Lovins Garry and Sharon Snook David Newberger Donna Fisher and Skip Behrhorst $2,000-4,999 Wendy and Hank Paulson Town of Carbondale Pitkin County Chelsea Congdon and James Ken Ransford, P.C. Lynn and Judy Hancock Ann Harvey and Mike Campbell Kristen Henry Rick and Lorrie Carlson Steve Child Ned Cochran Charles and Janice Collins Gesine Crandall Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association Chuck Downey Michele Dressel* CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 || Wild Wild Works Works 13 13 DONORS FROM PREVIOUS PAGE William Roush Lucy Chew Steph and Ken Ryan Jeanette Darnauer Sandy Shea Barb and Doug D’Autrechy Collins and Patrick Kelly, in honor of Will Roush Carolyn and Dick Shohet Don Davidson Roger Shugart Laurie Loeb Carolyn Shurman* Rachel Dayton and Chip Mccrory Jan and Jerry Fedrizzi Patricia Maddalone Leonard Simmons* Kimberly Defries Connie and Ted Finan Howie Mallory Kim Stacey and John Hoffman Barbara Dills* Jim Finch Mirte Mallory Sandy and Stephen Stay David Eberhardt Jerry and Nanette Finger* Alex Gay Marks Hjalmar Sundin Greer and Bruce Fox Al Fiorello, in memory of Dottie Fox Bill and Sally Meadows David and Geni Swersky Tom and Lindy Melberg Audrey Sattler and Don Fleisher Sally Tischler John Fox, in memory of Dottie Fox Joe Mincberg* Tom and Roz Turnbull Annie Flynn*, in memory of Randy Udall Vyonne Mincberg* Denny and Linda Vaughn Elsa Mitchell Mary Ann Wallace* Carolyn Moore Annie Ware Pam Moore Dexter Williams Sue Mozian Hugh and Mary Wise Jim Neu* Rebecca Norman Dvorak* Maggie Woods, in memory of Dottie Fox and Jackie Chandler Virginia Parker King Woodward Les Gray Lee Parker* Pam Zentmyer* Janet Guthrie* Bruce Parlette Edward Zukoski Maggie Pedersen and Bob Millette $50-99 Richard and Sheryl Herrington Julie and Greg Pickrell Carol Bayens Paul David Ellis Susy Ellison and Marty Schlein Lynelle Fowler Cici Fox Dorothy Frommer Jim Githens and Valerie Gilliam Donna and Bernie Grauer Joyce and Bill Gruenberg Brewster Hansen* Mary and Shep Harris Trautlinde Heater Sue Helm Casady Henry, in honor of Mark Fuller and Penny Atzet George and Liz Newman Anne and Arny Porath Jacquelyn Powers and Jourdan Dern, in honor of Karin and Harry Teague Karen Hessl* Ann Hodges Irma Prodinger Gail and Phil Holstein Bob Purvis Kate Hudson* Rich Ranieri* Tai and Molly Jacober Ron Reed Leslie and Patrick Johnson Ty and Terry Reed Sarah Johnson Maggie Rerucha Patrick and Donna Keelty Ruth and Peter Frey Mark Fuller Walter Gallacher Sara Garton Jon Gibans Randy Gold and Dawn Shepard Anne Goldberg Candace Goodwin Katherine Hubbard Anonymous* John Isaacs Lee Beck and John Stickney Robert and Tracy Bennett Nancy Berry Jeff and Janette Bier Mary Sue Bonetti Betsy Bowie Charlyn Canada Susan Cashel* Bob and Eilene Ish Suzanne Jackson Sandra and Peter Johnson Shael Johnson Gary L. Johnson* Suzanne Jones Deborah Jones and John Katzenberger Kristan Kaplinski* Lee Cassin Patricia Chew, in memory of Laura Kirk and Dave Carpenter WATCH NATURALIST NIGHTS ONLINE W e hope you caught some of this past winter’s Naturalist Nights presentations at ACES and the Third Street Center. But if you missed any, you can still watch them online at our website (wildernessworkshop.org/video). Thank you to our sponsors who made it possible for us to have GrassRoots TV record the presentations: Alpine Bank, Aspen Ski- 14 14 Wild Wild Works Works || JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 ing Company, Bristlecone Mountain Sports, Days Inn Carbondale, Filson, KUUR, Main Street Gallery & The Framer, Ragged Mountain Sports, Reese Henry & Co., St. Moritz Lodge & Condominiums, Stirling Peak Properties, The Big Wrap, The Connected Concierge, True Nature Healing Arts, Two Leaves Tea Company, and Tyrolean Lodge. Sarah and Steve Knous Robert Zupancis Constance Matuschek Barbara Larime* Up to $49 Matthew McKenna Anonymous Graeme and Liz Means Debbie Crawford-Arensman and Russ Arensman Rebecca Mirsky Cristal Logan* Parker and Tilly Maddux Mary Ballou Warren Ohlrich Malcolm McMichael Eric Baumheier Doc Philip Cathy Montgomery Pat and Michael Piburn Stephanie and Dave Munk Tony Bennet and Maureen Bennett Chew* Shari Nova Kim Beroman* Bob Rafelson* Tom Oken Leslie Bethel Jim Rahman Gracie Oliphant Maralyn Bloomer John Real* Connie Overton and James Gilliam Barb Brown* Alyssa and Dave Reindel* Helen Carlsen Fred and Sandra Peirce Willard Clapper Janie Rich and Scott, Tess and Lexie Munro* Elizabeth Penfield Jane Click Rachel Richards William and Elizabeth Phillips Virginia Culp Cooper Rogers* Susan Philp and Lance Clarke Dawn Dexter* Wiley Rogers* Suzy and David Pines Tim Drescher* Mary Russell Dale and Sally Potvin Carol Dresner* Janet Rutigliano* Glenn Randall Stephen Ellsperman Judith Schramm Glenn Rappaport* Sally and Chris Faison Gerald Roehm Renee Fleisher Lee Sherman II*, in memory of Bam Sherman Polly Ross Herb Fox* Karen Siebert Susan Rothchild Susan Frazee Steve Skadron Jill Sabella Linda Froning* Shayne Sledge* Marius and Clare Sanger Marty Ames and Steve Hach Emilie Somerville Beth Schaefer Justin Streeb* Renata Scheder-Bieschin Teresa Hall and Doug and Bentley Rager* Sherry Schenk* Kay Hannah George and Jenny Tempest Jill and Michael Scher Sacha Hart-Logan Timothy Tillman Andre Schwegler* Huey Hurst John Tirrill* Rosalinda Shearwood Elise Jones* Nicolette Toussaint* Shelly Sheppick Jackie Kasabach Felicia Trevor* Richard Simpson Debra Keller* Mike Truman* Skye and Steve Skinner Reenie Kinney and Scott Hicks* Doug Tucker Karn Stiegelmeier Kathleen Kopf Katie and Hank Van Schaack Shelley Supplee and Hawk Greenway Sharon Clarke and Mark Lacy John and Sarah Villafranco* Brad and Laurel Larson Kevin Ward Lynn Tanno Terry Lawson Dunn* Deborah Webster Diana Tomback Patty Lecht Julia Weese-Young* Margaret Truman Alicia Lee* Jacque Whitsitt* Gerry and Maria Vanderbeek Geoffrey Lester Andy Wiessner Eric Wahl Mary Logan* Robbie Williams* Tom and Donna Ward Jennifer Long Beka Wilson Sylvia Wendrow and JD Sturgill Christine Lucht* Jeffrey Wuerker Polly Whitcomb Lisa Wuerker Jason White William Lukes + Associates Architecture Andre and Julie Wille Renee Maggert Daniel Yuhascik Jackie Wogan Julia Marshall/Mt. Daly Enterprises Nathan Ziv* Lis Sue Layne Susan Lindbloom Ed and Cindy Zasacky Virginia Newton P.O. Box 1442 Carbondale, CO 81623 Offices in the Third Street Center, 520 S. 3rd St., Carbondale Tel (970) 963-3977 www.wildernessworkshop.org [email protected] Heather Pratt* The Wilderness Workshop’s mission is to protect and conserve the wilderness and natural resources of the Roaring Fork Watershed, the White River National Forest, and adjacent lands. Board of Directors Karin Teague, President Michael McVoy, Vice President Peter Looram, Co-Treasurer Charles Hopton, Co-Treasurer Cici Fox, Secretary Edward Swanick Beth Cashdan Mary Dominick Sue Edelstein Lindsay Gurley Allyn Harvey John McBride, Jr. Tim McFlynn Aron Ralston Mike Stranahan Peter Van Domelen Andy Wiessner Founders Joy Caudill Dottie Fox Connie Harvey Staff Sloan Shoemaker, Executive Director Melanie Finan Peter Hart Dave Reed Will Roush Nancy Yang* JUNE 2012 Summer 2014 || Wild Wild Works Works 15 15 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID P.O. BOX 1442 CARBONDALE, CO 81623 PERMIT NUMBER 62 CARBONDALE, CO 81623 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Printed on 100% recycled paper. Please recycle this newsletter - pass it on to a friend! tickets on sale at www.MaroonBells50.org