Forest chief outlines challenges to nation

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

The nation's top forest officials stopped in Fort Collins on Aug. 5 to discuss pressing concerns for both the country and the local Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland.

Topics ranged from firefighting air tankers to off-highway vehicle use as Dale Bosworth, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, fielded questions from news media.

Air tankers

In May, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management terminated 33 contracts for air tankers because of two fatal accidents that occurred the previous year. To fill the void, Bosworth said, the two agencies increased their firefighting air support with 139 more helicopters and single-engine air tankers. He said initial attacks on fires with the smaller aircraft have been successful, but it has cost $60 million more this year than last year when the agencies had more large air tankers. Thirteen large tankers are in service at this time.

The Forest Service is looking at several alternatives, including buying large aircraft itself and then contracting with private companies for pilots and maintenance, Bosworth said. The federal government could also make a later model of surplus military planes available to private companies at low cost or no cost; the private sector would then retrofit them and operate under contracts similar to those that were terminated.

Bosworth had no time frame for a final decision about the future of the firefighting air fleet. Local firefighters were able to get one heavy air tanker to fight the 8,900-acre Picnic Rock Fire northwest of Livermore in late March. The large "slurry bombers" can carry 3,000 gallons of retardant compared with 800 gallons carried by a single-engine air tanker.

Off-highway vehicles

In early July, the Forest Service released a proposal for managing motorized off-highway vehicle use with the aim of having a consistent policy among all national forests and grasslands. The public comment period concludes Sept. 13.

Bosworth said most people agree that cross-county OHV use--off designated trails--has to end.

Jim Bedwell, supervisor of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, said foresters need to focus their limited resources on areas that can accommodate OHV use. Some parts of the Arapaho-Roosevelt forests have been damaged by OHVs going off the designated routes, he added.

Overall, the proposed OHV rules are similar to the Arapaho-Roosevelt policy adopted 20 years ago, according to Roger Tarum, recreation staff leader. All natural resource agencies in Colorado are working toward consistent standards to sign designated routes, he said, but user-created social trails cause public confusion. "We need to get out better information about stewardship," he said.

Bosworth said that forest service staff will need to work with volunteer groups to help enforce trail rules. "Most people who are out there want to do it right," he added.

Details about the proposed rule is available online at www.fs.fed.us. Scroll to "Managing Off-Highway Vehicles."

Four threats

A career forester, Bosworth has outlined his goals as forest service chief around four threats to public lands: fire and fuels, invasive species, loss of open space and unmanaged recreation. Of those threats, Arapaho-Roosevelt supervisor Bedwell said weeds are the biggest problem locally.

Prior to going to the top job in Washington, D.C., Bosworth served as regional forester for the Northern Region with headquarters in Missoula, Mont., and as regional forester for the Intermountain Region in Ogden, Utah.

Bosworth said the Rocky Mountain Region, which includes Colorado, is doing a particularly good job of working with other public agencies and private landowners. For instance, when it comes to reducing the risk of wildfires, "they are very progressive and aggressive in making sure the dollars get to the right place," he said.