Stop US Forest Service Clearcutting of Boulder County Forests

In 2015 the US Forest Service decided to review and revise their original project plan (the Forsythe 1 Project) for the cutting treatments in the Magnolia area partly in response to our last petition. The USFS has now returned with an almost identical plan. The new Forsythe II Project is still based on imposing the conditions of a Lower Montane forest zone upon an Upper Montane zone. Not only is this destined to fail, it is likely to do the opposite of what is intended by increasing wildfire risk, destroying wildlife habitat, increasing the risk of flooding, and destroying a scenic and recreational asset. The wildfire hazard will be increased by replacing healthy, mature forests with new growth of ground and ladder fuels, and by leaving countless piles of slash on the ground for years. The Forsythe ll plan also does not treat the area as a scenic and wildlife management area, as prescribed by the 1997 Arapaho Roosevelt Forest Plan. Despite these inaccuracies the USFS intends to begin implementing this plan and cutting once again THIS JULY after completing their brief process of evaluation, and the formalities of accepting comments. Let's take an active interest in what happens to the National Forests in our backyards before they're changed for the rest of our lives!