Photo by R Gray on Unsplash

(8/30/2024)

Summer is not over yet, but the anticipation for winter is already building. For me, it starts with the bison rut in Yellowstone National Park—which I experienced firsthand while driving through the park to a Forest Service meeting earlier this month—and when I begin to see the first fall wildflowers in the high country.

Power of Data Collection

Although ski season is still a couple of months away, now is the time to start thinking about winter data collection. Having real numbers on how many people are recreating in a particular area, and (ideally) what they are doing, can be a powerful advocacy tool and provide important information for land managers.

For example, Teton Backcountry Alliance’s (TBCA) recent newsletter shared data from last winter’s trail counter on Teton Pass. They documented a daily average of 268 skiers and splitboarders, with weekend days averaging 318. The busiest day on Teton Pass last season was February 17, when the trail counter documented 1,133 people ascending the boot pack at the top of the Pass!

This information helps TBCA advocate for funding the crucial work they do to manage winter use on Teton Pass. It will also assist TBCA and Winter Wildlands Alliance in advocating for quiet winter recreation interests during the Bridger-Teton forest plan revision.

Elk Mountains Backcountry Alliance also has a longstanding winter recreation data collection initiative for the Crested Butte area, which you can dive into here, the results of which will be incredibly helpful when the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest starts winter travel planning.

Winter Wildlands Alliance has been working to gather more information on winter recreation use in California and (more recently) parts of Colorado, too.

Opposition to the Ambler Road Amendment

Enough thinking about the future—let’s go over what has been happening in policy this month!

First off, remember how excited we were (still are!) when the Biden Administration decided to protect the Brooks Range and deny permits for the Ambler Road? This month, Senator Dan Sullivan (R, AK) introduced an amendment to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would force the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to allow construction of the road, ignoring the environmental and cultural impacts clearly outlined in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision.

The good news is that there is still time to strip this amendment from the NDAA. You can help by joining local Indigenous leaders in opposing Senator Sullivan’s NDAA amendment.

Protecting Old-Growth Forests

On the Forest Service front, the agency is continuing to move forward with actions to protect old-growth forests. In 2022, the Forest Service proposed a nationwide forest plan amendment that would restrict commercial logging in old-growth stands while still allowing for restoration actions, like prescribed burns, needed to make forests resilient to wildfire and other climate-related disturbances. This proposed National Old Growth Amendment would add new protections for old-growth forests to 122 forest plans across the country.

Comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this amendment are due by September 20, and we are working with Outdoor Alliance on comments.

One concern we have with the draft amendment is that it allows for a long list of exceptions to old-growth conservation, including ski area development. We believe the ecological integrity of old-growth forests should take precedence over recreation projects. You can learn more about the Old Growth Amendment on the Outdoor Alliance blog, here.

Avalanche Control or Eyesore?

Finally, I wanted to highlight this blog post from our friends at Wasatch Backcountry Alliance. Folks in the Wasatch have been alarmed by the recent installation of 16 Wyssen Remote Avalanche Control Systems (RACS) on Mount Superior, across from Snowbird, and the scenic impact this has.

In their post, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance describes the balancing act they face in trying to prioritize which battles to fight amid limited capacity and the many threats to the Wasatch. I think this post does a great job of summing up the difficult position grassroots advocates are in as we look to maximize our impact and meet the mission of our respective organizations. It also provides helpful context on the RACS and Wasatch Backcountry Alliance’s decision-making process.