Roadless, Yes or No? That Is The Question

June 21st, 2006 at 10:13pm Keith Hemstreet 8

It was standing room only as residents, business owners, politicians and activists from Grand Junction to Denver gathered at the Hotel Colorado to discuss the future of the state’s roadless areas.

Casually dressed in shorts and flip-flops, many attendees displayed their view with “Roadless, Yes” stickers pasted to their chests. Others wore bright orange stickers that read “Multi Use, Yes.” Both sides appeared ready to dual, but who would present the best argument?

I arrived just in time to hear Carbondale Mayor, Michael Hassig, speak for the Mayors of Silt, Glenwood Springs, Basalt, and Aspen.

“Citizens treasure roadless areas,” he said, a hint of passion in his voice. “They understand that our economic future depends on the preservation of these lands, not its degradation for short-term gain.”

You tell ‘em, Mike! Hip-hip-hooray! I was hoping a “Roadless Yes!” chant would erupt, but it didn’t, and before we knew what hit us the next speaker was boring the crowd with charts and graphs.

Amidst the tiresome rhetoric, there were a handful of notes worth mentioning:

*Colorado contains 4 of the top 35 natural gas fields in the country.
*Garfield County has the highest concentration of drilling activity in the state.
*Metal prices are climbing to record highs.
*Colorado holds tremendous natural resources, including metals, and world pressure to develop these resources will only increase as the economies of India and China grow.

Such points clearly illustrate the tough road ahead for the “Roadless, Yes” gang. Those in favor of development argue in economic terms. Environmentalists focus on the spiritual value of wilderness, touching only vaguely on the negative economic impact development may have on tourism. Create a financial statement for both arguments and you would see that there is no comparison. Development wins, hands down. Therein lies the problem.

Listening to the arguments for and against my feelings on the issue crystallized and I suddenly felt the urge to make them known, for good or ill. Taking advantage of a brief reprieve in the debate, I stood, cleared my throat and delivered an impromptu fire and brimstone speech:

“It is not difficult to visualize the end result of the administration’s rape and pillage policies. So, I ask you, good people of Colorado, why is it that we continue down this path to destruction? Why is it that we are hell bent on usurping every last resource, ultimately leaving the earth’s core hollow, our air dense with pollutants, our climate disrupted, our very survival in peril? Do we not recognize our own mutation? We have become a disease, six and a half billion parasites destroying its host. If we do not find a way to live in harmony with Mother Nature, in time, she will rid the earth of our pestering existence. And frankly, that may be exactly what we, as a race, deserve.”

Applause erupted from the crowd…and that’s when I woke up, startled by an explosive sneeze from the woman seated next to me.

The remaining debate was more of the same; “protect the roadless land…allow reasonable forest management.” At times, my mind drifted, working on a rational conclusion. “How will this all play out?” I thought. “What is the fate of our dwindling wilderness?”

That’s when a proponent of natural gas exploration stood from his chair. He immediately caught my eye. Wearing an expensive sports coat and slax, his silver hair perfectly manicured, he carried with him an aura of success. This was a man who got his way. Watching him stroll towards the exit, I couldn’t help but feel that the entire process of organized debate was a colossal waste of time. It was the man’s sardonic grin, a smirk that said everything I needed to know. Big money always wins.

I can only hope that good sense will somehow prevail.

Entry Filed under: Environment, Politics, Basalt, Glenwood Springs, Vail, Aspen, El Jebel, Colorado, Woody Creek, Steamboat Springs, Pitkin County, Rifle, Silt, Garfield County