USFS not likely to grant RMBL request for Experimental Forest designation

“USFS apparently does not have the resources”

Hopes for a separate management scheme for the forest around Gothic and the plots being studied by scientists at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) are fading.

The designation of “Experimental Forest” had been sought after by the lab as a way of recognizing the research and educational benefits of the public land surrounding Gothic in the way the forest is managed, just as recreation and ranching are recognized uses.
According to RMBL, the public lands around their research facilities are some of the most closely studied in the world, with a history of research going back to 1928. Research there covers fundamental issues in ecology, evolutionary biology, sustainability and climate change, and researchers from around the world travel to the lab every summer.
Lab director Ian Billick says, “RMBL has made only limited progress in our discussions with the U.S. Forest Service. Our goals have been to have research and education adopted as a management priority and to bring the research arm of the USFS into the management loop.
“Despite having one of the nation’s largest field research operations and being in the valley for 80-plus years, the importance of research and education has not been adopted in the Forest Plan for the area.”
Gunnison district ranger John Murphy says his office doesn’t have the resources to take on a revision of the current Forest Plan, which, he says, is “really old and needs to be revised.” According to Murphy, the appropriate time to consider the concern is during an official Forest Plan revision process.
“Because of the need for a special solution for a special place, we have proposed that the USFS consider creating a Research and Education Management Area,” Billick says. ”This would give the USFS flexibility for managing multiple uses while establishing research and education as a priority.”
As RMBL was introducing the idea of an Experimental Forest to the community, the proposal got letters of unanimous support from a wide range of groups, from local governments to recreational organizations like the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association and the Elk Mountain Hikers Club.
 “Despite widespread support … the USFS apparently does not have the resources to pursue changes to the Forest Plan, or even to begin planning efforts, including public dialogue, that might facilitate consideration of our proposal some time in the future,” Billick says.
But Murphy is concerned that the effort to raise political support for the Experimental Forest Designation might put Gothic and the researchers who work there under more restrictive regulations then they are now, since research is dictated by the Rocky Mountain Research Station for the 80 Experimental Forests managed by the USFS.
“We told them, ‘You better watch what you’re asking for here because you may not get what you want’,” Murphy says. “We approve research inside the permit area now, but if that area were given an Experimental Designation, the Rocky Mountain Research Station would take control of the research that is occurring. They actually have quite a bit of freedom to do research up there and they might lose that under EF designation.”
Murphy has a host of concerns about rushing into a new land use designation for the forest around Gothic. He thinks there needs to be better control of the un-permitted researchers in the area and a relationship built between RMBL and the Rocky Mountain Research Station.
“Being able to offer scientists continued access to research sites is fundamental part of our success. We continue to work with the Gunnison District and hope to find solutions that will allow us to attract scientists to the Gunnison Valley,” Billick says.
And Murphy agrees, saying the change in course “doesn’t mean cooperative work with RMBL isn’t moving forward, because it is,” he says, but adds the best way to give RMBL the long-term stability it’s looking for is through a new forest plan. He is also disappointed that his office has not been able to spend the time on RMBLs concerns, as they’ve been occupied with the proposal for a mine on Mt. Emmons.  
Looking ahead to some of the challenges RMBL could face in the future, Billick says, “RMBL is an institution that sets Gunnison apart from other communities. We will continue to see significant investments in RMBL, such as the planned improvements this summer, which are also investments in the Gunnison and Crested Butte communities.
“However, establishing research and education as a fundamental part of how the USFS manages the East River Valley landscape is fundamental to RMBL’s long-term sustainability.”