Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Colorado group wants to protect public lands from overcrowding impacts
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Friday, July 19, 2024
Sunset view from the Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park, the fifth busiest national park in the nation. Photo by Jacob W. Frank, NPS Flickr ([link removed]) .
Surging visitation to Colorado's public lands, fueled by booming population growth along the Front Range, is alarming to the very same people who adore Colorado’s outdoors and worry about the impact of high visitation on sensitive public lands and ecosystems.
Northern Colorado Places, or NoCo ([link removed]) , for short, was formed in 2019 as a collection of northern Colorado public lands agencies ([link removed]) dedicated to understanding the depth of public concern over increasingly crowded parks and forests along the Front Range. Since then, representatives of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the northeast region of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and five counties (Jefferson, Larimer, Boulder, Clear Creek, and Gilpin) have met monthly to discuss their concerns with managing overcrowding on beloved public lands.
Steve Coffin, the executive director of NoCo, said ([link removed]) , “You hear a lot of complaints—people hiking in a conga line up these trails, people going off the trail, impacts to wildlife and the environment.” Coffin also acknowledges the benefits of outdoor recreation. “We want people outdoors, of course. It’s important for mental health, physical health. It goes to the core of who we are as Coloradans. But we’ve got to do something to manage this differently, to manage it better, in order to protect those things that make this such a special place,” Coffin said.
NoCo members say they believe it is the only collaboration of federal, state, and county land management agencies of its kind in the U.S. ([link removed]) The group expects to publish a comprehensive “Conservation and Recreation Vision” action plan soon that will identify specific goals across jurisdictions for issues like camping, campsite management, and unauthorized trails, and will also educate visitors on the region’s Indigenous and cultural history.
** Quick hits
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Water-deprived Navajo Nation could finally get a cut of the Colorado River—if Congress approves the deal
E&E News ([link removed])
New Mexico has some of the nation's toughest oil and gas laws, but enforcing them is another matter
KWRG ([link removed])
Colorado group wants to protect public lands from overcrowding impacts
Denver Post ([link removed])
Illegal dumping, long-term camping on Oregon BLM land is "overwhelming"
KOIN News ([link removed])
From hiking to fishing, Americans are heading outdoors in record numbers
Deseret News ([link removed])
Colorado rattlesnake "mega-den" gaining national attention through citizen science webcam
Associated Press ([link removed])
Mule deer migration route near Yellowstone proposed for "identification," not "designation"
WyoFile ([link removed])
Youth group trains wild mustangs and prepares them for adoption
Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” All of us in this profession, it breaks our heart when we see public lands degraded for whatever reason. We’re all dedicated to the same thing. Ken Burns says our national parks are America’s greatest idea. I would broaden that to say public lands are America’s greatest idea, whether they are a neighborhood park in New York City or Rocky Mountain National Park. They all matter.”
—Tom Hoby, director of parks and open space for Jefferson County, Colorado; Denver Post ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@greatsanddunesnps ([link removed])
In late July, rufous hummingbirds begin to appear at Great Sand Dunes on their return trip from Alaska and Canada to wintering grounds in Mexico. This is one of the longest migrations in the world for a tiny bird.
Named for their reddish-orange color, rufous hummingbirds are very aggressive, attacking larger birds to defend their nests or favorite flowers. At Great Sand Dunes in July and early August, they especially seek lush Rocky Mountain beeplants for their nectar.
Hummingbirds can beat their wings over 60 times per second, allowing them to hover and move in all directions. Their long, narrow beaks are designed to extract nectar from tubular flowers, their primary food source, but they also capture tiny insects mid-air for protein.
Rufous hummingbirds are another beautiful part of the incredible biodiversity of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve!
Photo: NPS/Patrick Myers
#GreatSandDunes ([link removed]) #RufousHummingbird ([link removed]) #RockyMountainBeeplant ([link removed])
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