July 15, 2009 01:48 AM UTC

Bill Ritter & conservationists: Roadless revisions critically important

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• by: twas brillig

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Not too long a go, a provocative headline from the maestros questioned whether Gov. Bill Ritter was creating waves with his environmentalist base over the FRAC Act. It’s possible the waves were more a creation of the coverage, and Ritter’s COS Jim Carpenter stepped up to the plate in the comments to lay out the thinking behind the governor’s position–which essentially came down to a valid concern that federal legislation not unintentionally undermine the new COGCC framework in which so much has been invested. Mountain? Molehill? You be the judge. My sense is that Ritter takedowns have become a bit fashionable in the media and on the blogs, which doesn’t always translate into good reporting or fact-checking.

So it seems fair, nontheless, to not only point out governor’s record on the oil & gas oversight his administration has fought to put into place, but also point to the Denver Post’s coverage of Ritter’s pro-conservation leadership on wilderness management, and the response of Colorado’s environmental advocates.

Gov. Bill Ritter on Monday proposed revisions to a management plan for roadless areas in Colorado’s national forests and a 60-day public-comment period, answering a call from conservationists who have been unsatisfied with the state plan.

“It’s good, and we congratulate and thank him for doing that,” said David Petersen, Trout Unlimited’s director of a sportsmen’s conservation project in Colorado. “We would like to see them take this extra time and continue to work to improve the state rule.”

Given the number of high-powered conservation groups in the state, mountain communities’ important stake in forest management policy, among other stakeholders, an extensive public comment period is important to crafting rules that will protect Colorado wilderness.

“Gathering additional input and review from the public and interested stakeholders will add to the transparency and accountability,” Ritter said in the release.

Ryan Bidwell, executive director of Colorado Wild who signed the letter to Vilsack, said he appreciates the governor inviting public comment.

According to the governor’s office, the goal is to “create a permanent conservation framework for the 4.1 million acres of roadless lands within the 11 national forests in Colorado.” When you think about it, that’s a policy that we’ve got to get right. And it’s the governor who highlights the economic importance of getting it right:

“Roadless areas are important to our economy and they are irreplaceable sources of clean water and wildlife habitat,” Ritter said. “We are committed to continuing this process in a transparent way until we get it right.”

Update: Click this link for audio of Governor Ritter talk about the modernization of the oil & gas rules, wilderness protection, and roadless revisions issue and the legacy of Colorado wild space.