U.S. Forest Service Proposes to Sell 2,100 Acres of National Forest in Boulder County

President Bush has proposed that the federal government sell parts of the public lands to pay for the Rural Schools Initiative. Clearly this is evidence that the federal government cannot budget responsibly to pay for its programs. Instead it wants to sell off part of the public trust, something that once gone can never be reclaimed.

To find out more about this program and view maps of the proposed land to be sold, go to USFS Rural Schools.

You can provide comments, both general comments on the program and specific comments on any parcels, at SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us. The comment period is only open until March 30, 2006. (I know, ridiculously short.)

I've been through the website, and after several hours I have managed to at least locate the properties proposed for sale in Boulder County. If you are outside of Boulder County, I'm sorry, but I haven't had the time to go beyond this, and I'm not currently planning on doing so. Below, I've included my analysis of the specific Boulder County lands (totaling 2,100 acres), as well as a copy of the response I sent to the Forest Service. Feel free to use any of my comments in your response. I would encourage you to add any specific details about any parcels that may help make the case against selling any particular parcel.

Boulder County Forest Service Lands Potentially Available for Sale under the Secure Rural Schools Forest Service FY 2007 Initiative

All of these parcels are in Roosevelt National Forest. The Township, Range, PM, and Section columns identify the appoximate location of the parcels. The first line of the last column is the additional legal description provided by the USFS (in ALL CAPS), while the other text I added to identify the locations in a more human friendly manner.

FOREST	TOWNSHIP OR COUNTY	RANGE	PM	SECTIONS	ACRES	Addl legal description Comments
ROOSEVELT	1N	71W	6TH	29	120	ALL NFS IN W2 Several parcels about 2 mi up Sugarloaf Rd from Boulder Canyon
ROOSEVELT	1N	72W	6TH	1	240	ALL NFS Lefthand Canyon, between Rowena and Lickskillet Rd. Both north and south of Hwy
ROOSEVELT	1N	72W	6TH	25	120	ALL NFS IN W2 Sugarloaf Rd, near Switzerland Trail
ROOSEVELT	1N	72W	6TH	35	240	ALL NFS Boulder Canyon, North Boulder Creek, Dream Canyon, just west of Boulder Falls
ROOSEVELT	1N	72W	6TH	36	240	ALL NFS IN N2, SW Boulder Canyon, near Boulder Falls, Black Tiger Gulch Mostly north of hwy
ROOSEVELT	1N	73W	6TH	34	30	ALL NFS IN SESW 3 mi NW of Nederland, off CR116, near Rainbow Lakes
ROOSEVELT	1N	73W	6TH	36	80	E2SE 2 mi north of Nederland on Peak-to-Peak Hwy, 1 mi north of Sugarloaf Rd.
ROOSEVELT	2N	72W	6TH	20	40	SENE Near SH72 & Overland Rd Between Ward and Peaceful Valley
ROOSEVELT	2N	72W	6TH	21	40	SWNW Near SH72 & Overland Rd Between Ward and Peaceful Valley (adjacent to SENE)
ROOSEVELT	2N	72W	6TH	29	40	SWSW Just off SH72 at CR103 North of Ward Near Tahosa Boy Scout Camp and Ogallala Lodge
ROOSEVELT	2N	72W	6TH	30	40	SESE On SH72 at CR103 North of Ward Near Tahosa Boy Scout Camp and Ogallala Lodge Two parcels, the smaller mostly east of the hwy and adjacent to SWSW, the larger mostly west of the hwy
ROOSEVELT	3N	71W	6TH	21	40	SENE West of Lyons, on jeep trail that leads from SH7 to Button Rock Reservoir
ROOSEVELT	3N	73W	6TH	26	40	SENE Two chunks of land, one large just west of Allenspark, one smaller just east of Allenspark, all along SH7
ROOSEVELT	1S	72W	6TH	5	117	ALL NFS Several parcels 2-3 mi NE of Nederland, mostly between Boulder Canyon and Sugarloaf Near Ridge, Thunder Ridge, Cold Springs Rds.
ROOSEVELT	1S	72W	6TH	8	160	ALL NFS Several parcels 2-3 mi NE of Nederland, mostly between Boulder Canyon and Sugarloaf Near Ridge, Thunder Ridge, Cold Springs Rds.
ROOSEVELT	1S	72W	6TH	15	40	NENE Magnolia Rd near CR68 3 mi east of Barker Reservoir
ROOSEVELT	1S	72W	6TH	19	40	ALL NFS IN E2, SW Numerous parcels 1 mile south of Barker Reservoir, near Hwy 119, Hwy 72, and Magnolia Rd.
ROOSEVELT	1S	72W	6TH	20	193	ALL NFS EXCEPT NENW Large parcel, 1.5 mi SE of Barker Reservoir, between Magnolia Rd and Hwy 72 Access via CR99 and Beaver Rd
ROOSEVELT	1S	72W	6TH	21	160	NWNE, SENE, S2SE Three parcels on and near Magnolia Rd, at CR97 2 mi east of Barker Reservoir
ROOSEVELT	1S	73W	6TH	14	40	NESE Just west of Nederland
ROOSEVELT	1S	73W	6TH	20	20	ALL NFS IN E2 Numerous small parcels near Eldora
ROOSEVELT	1S	73W	6TH	1	20	E2NENE North of Nederland on Peak-to-Peak Hwy, just north of Sugarloaf Rd.

Example Response Letter

I sent the following letter as a response. Feel free to borrow any part of it in any response you may send. Please add any general comments as well as any specific comments about the proposed parcels. I also sent copies to my congressional representative, Mark Udall, as well as Senators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard. Note that Senator Salazar has written a letter to the chief of the USFS expressing his concern about this program.

To whom it may concern:

I am a citizen and resident of Boulder, Colorado. I'm very concerned about the proposed sale of National Forest land to pay for the Secure Rural Schools program. First of all, the National Forest Service should be focusing on preserving the trust in the land it manages on behalf of the citizens of this country. Once this land is sold and developed, it can never be reclaimed. Part of the forest Service mission is to protect and manage the National Forests and Grasslands so they best demonstrate the sustainable multiple-use management concept [mission taken from the USDA Forest Service website]. Clearly, selling these lands does not protect them, and does not demonstrate sustainability.

Second, it sets a dangerous precedent to treat the public lands as a bank account to pay for poor fiscal policy. Our federal government needs to be responsible in providing sustainable funding for its programs. Selling part of our grandchildren's heritage, our family jewels, to pay for poor planning is an example of short-term politics taking precedence over long-term benefits.

These properties should not be sold.

As a general comment on the feedback process, I would point out that 30 days is clearly an insufficient amount of time to provide adequate and thoughtful feedback on a proposed sale of public assets of this size. Many of these properties are not even available for inspection at this time, because of local winter conditions. In addition, the information provided is not adequate to evaluate the suitability for these properties for this sale. In particular, there is no indication as to why any particular property has been included on this list. For example, isolation of individual parcels is cited as one criterion for consideration; however, although many parcels may not be contiguous to other Forest Service lands, they are not far, and many are easily accessible by major roadways. It would be invaluable to know why each particular parcel has been selected for the dubious honor of eligibility for sale.

If some properties must be sold, additional time and information must be provided for public feedback.

I have spent some time reviewing the list of proposed lands for sale, in particular the lands in Boulder County, Colorado, where I live. I have calculated a total of 2,100 acres of Forest Service land potentially for sale in Boulder County alone. The amount of land to potentially be taken out of the public trust here is obviously out of proportion to the size of the county.

The people of Boulder County and the communities within the county have a unique and precious relationship with our public lands. We have created and funded a vast network of Open Space lands. This protects our unique combination of mountain, foothills, plains, wetlands, water corridors, and other natural settings. Like the Forest Service, this land is meant to be preserved in perpetuity for the sake of the land, the wildlife, and the people who live here. Given the importance of this issue to the local population, it is critical that the National Forest Service remain a partner in this mission and not remove the protection from this land. Although just 2,100 acres, this land is part of the network of lands that preserves the unique environment and experience that is the Rocky Mountain west.

All sales of public land must be coordinated with local governments to ensure the protection of local interests.

For example, the lands on the list of parcels proposed for sale includes (all in Roosevelt National Forest):

• 240 acres along Sugarloaf Road west of Boulder. This area is popular with hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts. It is near to the Switzerland Trail, an historic railroad corridor that is now used by hikers, mountain bikers, off-road vehicles, and others. It is also one of the best places anywhere to view the colorful annual changing of the aspens. Selling part of this area to developers would reduce access and enjoyment of these natural resource areas. This land is clearly accessible and not isolated, given its location on and near Sugarloaf Road. It would also be of prime interest to any developer looking to add high-priced homes into this desirable environment, which would obviously drastically change the character of this area for the worse. [T1N-R71W-S29 and T1N-R72W-S25]


• 240 acres in Lefthand Canyon, between Rowena and Lick Skillet Road. This land is clearly not isolated, as it is accessible via Lefthand Canyon Road, a major route between the plains and the mountain communities of Boulder County. There are popular mountain biking and four-wheel trails in this area. Any development in this area may also have a significant detrimental impact on Lefthand Creek. [T1N-R72W-S1]


• 480 acres in and near Boulder Canyon, in the Boulder Falls area. This land is accessible via CO SH119 as well as Sugarloaf Rd. Boulder Falls, Dream Canyon, and nearby areas are very popular with outdoor enthusiasts. Boulder Creek carries drinking water to Boulder. And Black Tiger Gulch is still recovering from a major fire from a few years ago and needs continued protection. [T1N-R72W-S35 and S36]


• Numerous parcels near Nederland. This includes 30 acres near Rainbow Lakes, 100 acres near the juncture of SH 72, Sugarloaf Rd, and the Switzerland Trail, 277 acres northeast of Nederland in the ridge area above town, 433 acres in the Magnolia Rd area, 40 acres just west of Nederland, and 20 acres near Eldora Lake. The characters of these areas would all be greatly harmed by any development. These lands are generally easily accessible by SH119, SH72 and other major roadways. [T1N-R73W-S34 and S36; T1S-R72W-S5 and S8; T1S-R72W-S15, S19, and S21; T1S-R73W-S14; T1S-R73W-S20; T1S-R73W-S1]


• 40 acres near the town of Allenspark. The character of this small town could be permanently changed by any additional development. This land is easily accessible by SH72. [T3N-R73W-S26]


• 40 acres near Button Rock Reservoir, near Lyons. This area is very popular with local families for picnics, fishing, and other outdoor activities. [T3N-R71W-S21]


• 160 acres on SH 72 between Ward and Peaceful Valley. These parcels are clearly accessible. There is a Boy Scout camp in this area. It is popular with cross-country skiers, cyclists, and others. [T2N-R72W-S20, S21, S29, and S30]

I strongly recommend that none of these lands be sold from the public trust. If this cannot be done, then it is imperative that these lands continue to be protected by some means, for example by selling them to local government Open Space programs or by creating conservation easements.

I did not have time to research any properties outside Boulder County. However, I assume that many if not most of them are similarly critical properties that should not be sold from the public trust.

Thank you for your consideration on this important issue.