This was not a typical summer season for the White River National Forest, but thanks to unprecedented efforts from local organizations, visitors may not have noticed. The U.S. Forest Service did not hire seasonal workers to manage the influx of crowds, but it did offer incentives for employees to quit. Funding shrank and uncertainty grew. […]
Tag: White River National Forest
Posted inEnvironment
‘The public is losing out’
Working two full-time jobs was taxing, and it’s true that the federal government pays far less than local governments in the same resort communities. But the real push to leave the agency came from Washington.
Posted inSocial justice
Community shows up for ‘Latino Conservation Week’ despite concerns over immigration crackdowns and DEI rollbacks
Defiende Nuestra Tierra’s program director said reconnecting Latino families with their ancestral roots to the land is at the heart of the organization’s mission to get more people involved in protecting public lands.
Posted inEnvironment
Volunteers report uptick in illegal campfire rings
Given the moment’s urgency, the Forest Conservancy is seeing record levels of staffing, recruitment, total hours and in-kind value. Through Aug. 17, volunteers with Forest Conservancy have worked more than 8,800 service hours, which Johnson said represents an in-kind contribution value of more than $340,000, or the equivalent of 10 to 12 seasonal employees.
Posted inEnvironment
Common ground: Protecting our public lands
Citizen involvement amplified the call to protect national assets and save something for the future. A campaign to win hearts and minds for preserving the inspiring vistas was beginning to sensitize America to the natural treasures of which it had taken possession.
Posted inEnvironment
Becoming the White River National Forest
The story of the WRNF is therefore a weave of time and place, and of a people for whom the forest is both an economic lifeblood and a battleground for conservation and preservation.
Posted inEnvironment
A crisis of the commons
The idea of selling off lands held in public trust throughout the United States is grounds for national reflection on the significance of these very lands. Historically, the privatization of land across the continental United States has been, in large part, a protracted scandal of greed, corruption, exploitation and opportunism.
Posted inEnvironment
‘Voice of wildlife’ takes early retirement from the Forest Service
Nyland was involved in a wide array of projects across the White River National Forest. But his legacy is clearest in his work to improve wildlife habitat through prescribed fire, and his departure raised alarm in at least one partner agency.
Posted inEnvironment
Local groups unite over concern for forests’ future
Forest Service functions across the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District and the wider White River National Forest have been deeply affected by the reductions, which were driven by the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
Posted inEnvironment
Rep. Hurd voices concern about Forest Service cuts
“The loss of red-card holders threatens public safety, undercuts local economies and undermines years of local wildfire prevention efforts. We urge you to restore the Forest Service red-card holders without delay.”