The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Plenty of ways, plenty of time to share observations on state of GMUG
By Toni Todd
The United States Forest Service has finally launched the creation of a new management plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National (GMUG) Forests. Much has changed since the early 1980s when the last plan was completed. To begin the planning process, a series of open houses has been scheduled for communities adjacent to the GMUG.
Last week, forest officials hosted a local gathering at the Fred Field House in Gunnison. About 60 people from a variety of interest groups, perspectives and professions turned out for the GMUG road show, to listen, learn, chat with Forest Service personnel, and to contribute written comments that will be incorporated into the new forest plan.
“What we’re trying to do tonight is gather information to lead us to a draft assessment, which is essentially a state of the forest [that answers], ‘Where are we now?’” said Paonia forest ranger Levy Boyles. “We’re asking, ‘What do you think about where we are now and where do you think we should be in 15, 20 or 25 years?’”
The open houses mark the beginning of what’s called the Assessment Phase of the plan.
For those unable to attend open house sessions, comments can also be made in writing or online via the GMUG website. A document called the draft assessment, which incorporates all the comments gathered during the assessment phase, will be published this fall.
Next comes the Revision Phase, yet another round of comment solicitation, based on that draft. The entire planning process is expected to take three years.
Boyles said the Forest Service isn’t asking for specific, operational suggestions such as the need for an outhouse here or a kiosk there. Rather, the suggestions should pertain to well-defined areas of concern.
“We have 15 different stations here tonight, designed to help focus comments,” Boyles said. Station titles included minerals, lands, infrastructure, soil and water, species, eco-systems, timber, climate change, heritage and tribal, and recreation.
“Grazing and overpopulation of recreation,” said Gunnison Stockgrowers board president Alphonse Taramarcaz, expressing his concerns for the GMUG. “And then, the timber is also starting to be an issue, dead timber, from beetle kill, falling on trails.”
“Any decisions made on the forest are going to impact our operations, and how we operate on public lands in the future,” said Christy Hicks, executive director for the Crested Butte Nordic Center. “So, it’s important to be a part of the process.”
“The forest is choked,” said rancher Doug Washburn, blaming decades of fire suppression. “There’s no room for the forage to grow inside some of those stands, no room for wildlife to move, no room for recreationalists to move,” he said. “It’s all Smokey Bear. We haven’t let anything burn in I don’t know how long. Now, when we do burn—we’re in the Gunnison Basin where there’s millions of acres and what’d we burn, 800 last year? That doesn’t do us much good.”
“Water gives life,” said GMUG aquatic biologist and hydrologist-in-training Melvin Woody. “We have 3,500 miles of streams and riparian areas in the GMUG. They stabilize banks, modulate flows and control flooding, and provide habitat for a lot of critters,” he said.
“We also have wetlands,” Woody added, “and fens, which are a special type of wetlands.”
Woody said the growing human population is putting increased pressure on the forests—not just the GMUG, but all forests. “We love our resources,” he said. That pressure is especially noticeable in stream, riparian and wetland areas. “We have seen a lot of impact on those, dispersed camping is one cause. Everybody likes to camp next to the stream.”
That camping, Woody said, compacts the soil, kills vegetation, and leads to destabilization of the banks and erosion.
“We’ve been called the most organized forest going into a forest plan revision,” said assistant forest planner Brittany Duffy. “That gives me a lot of hope. We have had only one other open house [before this one] but have gotten some really great comments. I hope people will continue to make comments. It’s only with feedback that we can have a good plan.”
To comment of the state of the GMUG, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ForestPlan_comments. Or, you can mail your comments to: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest, 2250 S. Main Street, Delta, CO 81416.
