Wild, scenic designation possible for parts of Colorado River, Deep Creek

The Daily Sentinel ^ | November 14, 2008 | GARY HARMON

[george76]

The U.S. Forest Service is moving ahead on a proposal to determine whether parts of the Colorado River and Deep Creek are suitable candidates for inclusion in the national Wild and Scenic River System.

The Colorado River Water Conservation District, however, is looking at ways to fend off such a designation.

“We’re working on coming up with something that protects the values that make them eligible for wild and scenic designation without imposition of all the federal controls,” said Chris Treese of the river district.

The river district is hoping to preserve flexibility and greater local control on the management of those waters...

Deciding whether stretches of river are suitable for such designations is the last step before the agency decides whether to ask Congress for the designation.

[george76]

Eliminates the Colorado Army National Guard ...High Altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site ?

.

[george76]

The High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site, is located in the small mountain town of Gypsum (near Vail), Colorado. The school offers a unique training methodology based on aircraft power that is designed to dramatically increase individual and crew situational awareness.

Known as Power Management, the training process requires power accountability of the pilots in all flight regimes. This accountability produces insight to every situation to include multi-ship operations.

The mountainous training area enhances the Power Management process and also provides the additional benefit of high altitude/high DA/rough terrain training. It is the ONLY Department of Defense aviation school that trains pilots to experience this outside the classroom.

The school caters to rotor-wing military pilots from all over the world. HAATS has hosted and trained helicopter pilots from Slovenia, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and the Republic of Georgia.

http://www.coloradoguard.army.mil/webpages/haats.htm

[george76]

Colorado Wilderness Act of 2007 - Designates specified lands in Colorado, administered by the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service, as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Designates specified lands (proposed as Deep Creek Wilderness and Pisgah Mountain Wilderness) as potential wilderness areas. Requires such lands to be designated as wilderness upon publication of a notice that all nonconforming uses of those lands have ceased.

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3756.html

[BIGLOOK]

Gee.....there goes HAATs training for operational troops deployed in the Hindu Kush.

George, you've got a big problem with Coyotes and wetbacks and environmentalists in Colorado. Too bad Coloradans can't lobby congress like they can.

[Sir_Ed]

I hate those Wild and Scenic River designations, they ban concealed carry wherever they are.

I go mountain biking along the Rogue River in Southern Oregon and whenever the trail goes into W&S my concealed carry becomes illegal, and I have to go to another trail. Oftentimes the trial isn’t clearly marked, so I may unwittingly be carrying illegally.

Same thing is true with endangered species habitat, concealed carry is illegal there, too.

So I could hypothetically be riding my Trek along an old abandoned logging road in the national forest, CCW is fine, no problem, then...if I come into an area where there is a spotted owl, an exotic plant, an endangered fern, my legal carry suddenly becomes ILLEGAL, just because I’m close to an endangered species!

It’s absurd, and the ares move if the plant or animal moves. I asked a forest ranger how I’m supposed to know that an area I’m mountain biking in is endangered species habitat, and he says I’m supposed to check the ES maps at the local ranger station before I go mountain biking, which is absurd as they are rarely open when/where I go riding!

Ed

[SaxxonWoods]

Deep Creek is a good candidate, it’s certainly wild and scenic, and rarely hiked or fished. That’s a rough area and a steep canyon. But the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon? With an elevated highway running right next to the river? Give me a break. It’s scenic from the car, LOL.

[T-Bird45]

I hate those Wild and Scenic River designations, they ban concealed carry wherever they are.

Details, please, on how this is so. Are they part of the National Park Service whose concealed carry reg is under review or is it another regulatory authority?

[Sir_Ed]

Are the National Park ccw regs still under review? That would be nice!

I live somewhat close to Crater National Park and I hate not carrying whenever I go there.

These regs are under a different law, though...it’s the one that says no firearms in wildlife preserves, national monuments, wild and scenic and national historical sites.

The signs on the Rogue River detail the law prohibiting firearms, I’ll try and write down which ones.

Have you heard anything about Bush allowing mountain bikes in National Parks, by the way? He was supposed to do that in early November.

Ed

[TigersEye]

We have enough Federal intrusion in CO as it is. I’m opposed to this ... for all the good it will do.

[george76]

Depending on how wide the ecos go with this, they could close down the dirt road to the flat tops.

Plus ban the military pilot training

[T-Bird45]

The last I read the NPS regs are still under review from the extended comment period. There was an announcement from the Interior Secretary earlier this month - - a search might bring up the the FR thread. Looks like they will let it go over to the next administration so I guess we know what that means, right?

I bike some and went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton this past summer but didn’t take the bike — was not aware of bike limitations in the NPS so can’t help you there.