Days Left to Comment on Mad Rabbit Trails Proposal

Hello Keep Routt Wild followers,

Routt County wildlife needs your help!  If you haven’t commented to the Forest Service on the Mad Rabbit Trails Project, there is still time. You can submit your comments anytime through Wednesday, November 23 at the link below:

https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=50917

Background:

The US Forest Service has just released the draft Environmental Assessment for the Mad Rabbit Trails Project. After a thorough review of the proposal it’s abundantly clear that the Forest Service has chosen to disregard KRW recommendations by proposing a project that seriously threatens our local wildlife population, putting our elk herd and other wildlife in jeopardy.  The revised proposal unduly compromises the solitude and natural character of important wild areas in the Yampa Valley. We are disappointed that our federal land managers have overlooked the public opposition to this proposal.

Keep Routt Wild has consistently promoted a compromise proposal that would have led to increased recreational opportunities while minimizing the impact to wildlife and wild places, such as the Long Park Roadless Area, where much of the project remains targeted. Instead of adopting these reasonable alternatives, the Forest Service has proposed a project that prioritizes recreation over conservation, in contradiction to the overwhelming majority of Routt County residents recently surveyed and the recently released Routt County Master Plan.

However, you can make a difference! Our webpage contains a number of summary points of concern regarding this proposal, which we urge you to reinforce in comments to the Forest Service.

https://www.keeprouttwild.com/mad-rabbit-trails

For those of you who have already commented to the Forest Service, thank you! You are defending wildlife and wild places in Routt County.

Local residents sound off about Mad Rabbit

Since the Mad Rabbit proposal has been released, there’s been an outpouring of concerns and comments from Routt County citizens. Below are three excellent letters to the editor published in the Steamboat Pilot.

The most recent is authored by wildlife biologist Jeff Yost, who sits on the Advisory Board to Keep Routt Wild:

“The Mad Rabbit Trails proposal would bisect large sections of national forest dramatically reducing its effective habitat value including the species rich Ferndale area. With already 500 miles of local trails do we really “need” more? Wildlife needs habitat to survive, trails are a human want, not a need. If you feel the same, please say no to Mad Rabbit.”
Read the whole thing here:

https://www.steamboatpilot.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/letter-trails-are-a-want-habitat-is-a-need/

Another letter comes from a trio of Routt County residents (Diane Miller, Diane Brower, and Leslie Lovejoy) and their respective conservation groups. “To balance conservation and recreation, Forest Service must follow the science.” 

Link here:

https://www.steamboatpilot.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/letter-to-balance-conservation-and-recreation-forest-service-must-follow-the-science/

Finally, Greg Breslau kicked off the letters to the editor with this heartfelt piece. “As a new father with a strong appreciation for the outdoors, I want my son and his children to be able to appreciate this amazing and wild biosphere as it exists now. Please reconsider this project entirely and preserve our delicate ecosystem for future generations. Thank you.”
Link here: https://www.steamboatpilot.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/letter-mad-rabbit-trails-project-threatens-wildlife-populations/

Each of these commentaries are heartfelt and insightful. As we’ve said numerous times, the conservation ethic in Routt County runs deep. Thank you all for speaking up for Routt County wildlife!

Breaking News: Rocky Mountain Wild and Keep Routt Wild complete GIS analysis of Mad Rabbit.

We’re a science-based organization, and are pleased to have teamed up with Rocky Mountain Wild for a GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping of the proposed Mad Rabbit Trails Project. Using best available science and sophisticated mapping tools, we’ve been able to assess the impact to elk habitat from the proposal. The results are not good for the elk, as shown in the summary slide below.

Solid brown indicates habitat loss. Cross-hatched brown indicate compromised habitat. Green is remaining undisturbed habitat.

The project will lead to an additional loss of habitat of over 4,000 acres, over 7% of the remaining habitat in the project area, and will lead to further fragmentation. Furthermore, the impact of the new trails exceeds that of all the illegal trails in the project area.