CMC Hails White River Trails Plan as a Victory for Outdoor Recreation

May 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Today’s release of the White River Travel Management Plan is the culmination of over ten years of hard work, public meetings, and stakeholder negotiations by the US Forest Service we commend them for their achievement. At first glance, the plan appears to achieve an important balance and takes steps forward to ensure that future visitors to the forest can recreate responsibly and continue to experience the beauty that we enjoy today. Colorado is known for its clean air, clean water, abundant wildlife and world class recreation opportunities. This is especially true on the White River National Forest.
   
“The travel plan allows for access to dozens of campgrounds and climbing areas, hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking, and skiing, and thousands of miles of roads” said the Colorado Mountain Club’s Bryan Martin.

“Coloradans and tourists alike will be assured access to the scenic vistas, trailheads, coldwater streams, and hunting grounds that are among the many elements that make the White River National Forest such a world renowned destination.”

Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy generates over $10 billion a year, employs over 100,000 individuals, and contributes $500 million in annual tax revenue to the state. The White River is the most visited National Forest in the country and is critically important to supporting this economic engine. This plan will help nurture and sustain the natural resources that support and drive the economies of dozens of communities in the central mountains region.

“The CMC is excited to see the culmination of almost ten years of thoughtful analysis by the US Forest Service finally completed and we look forward to having a hand in the TMPs implementation” Martin added.

The Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) is the premier outdoor recreation and conservation organization in Colorado.  Founded in 1912, the CMC is organized to unite those who cherish, study, and explore the Rocky Mountains to stimulate public interest in the mountains, collect and disseminate information about the mountains on behalf of literature art, recreation, and science, and protect the ecosystems and landscapes of the Rocky Mountains.  The CMC’s mission is based on the philosophy that outdoor enthusiasts are driven by the desire to protect the places they cherish. Through 14 chapters the CMC serves a membership of over 7,500.

The CMC’s Conservation Department strives to protect the wildlands, the habitats, and the wild experience in Colorado, as well as forge strong connections between people, communities, and the land. The CMC has a long and impressive history in conservation.  After initially forming around the designation of Rocky Mountain National Park, the CMC continued its conservation efforts by working to secure protection for Dinosaur National Park, campaigning for the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, undertaking the initial mapping of Colorado’s roadless areas in the 1960’s and 1970’s that led to future Wilderness designations, and, more recently, securing Wilderness designation in Dominguez Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park.

# # #

The Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to adventure, education and preservation in Colorado. Established in 1912 by mountaineering enthusiasts, CMC now has more than 7,000 members statewide.