In late spring and early summer, signs began appearing at many outdoor access points throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. These notices included reminders to recreate responsibly alongside information about reduced public lands funding and ways to steward outdoor spaces.
These signs are just one aspect of work being done by a new local coalition: the Roaring Fork Public Lands and Water Forum. The group came together in response to national trends around land and recreation management, with local government and nonprofits joining forces to advocate for natural and recreational resources. Member organizations include the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), Wilderness Workshop, Independence Pass Foundation (IPF), Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, the City of Aspen, Forest Conservancy, Aspen Historical Society, Aspen Chamber Resort Association, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers and EcoFlight.
The Sopris Sun spoke with several representatives of participant organizations to learn more. Asked about how the forum first came together, Jami McMannes, the communications and outreach specialist for Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, credited ACES and IPF. “Adam [McCurdy] and Karin [Teague] were really the driving forces,” she said. “The Public Lands and Water Forum came together as a response to immediate need.”
McCurdy, forest and climate director for ACES, shared more: “The forum formed in early May. A lot of organizations and agencies were in conversation about how to respond to federal changes. It made sense to join forces and work together in response to the general nationwide trend.”
Teague, executive director of IPF, elaborated further. The Public Lands and Water Forum “held its first gathering at the Third Street Center in Carbondale in June,” she said. “It was formed in direct response to Trump administration and DOGE cutbacks to federal land manager staffs and budgets that were immediately being felt in the Roaring Fork Valley, as well as other threats to public lands, including their sales.”
The budget cuts and threats referenced by McCurdy and Teague had direct effects on many of the Roaring Fork Valley’s outdoor spaces. On the Forum’s website, specific fallout is listed. Due to federal budget cuts, 2,300 employees were fired at the Department of Interior and 3,400 Forest Service employees were fired at the Department of Agriculture. Despite a federal judge-ordered reinstatement of thousands of fired federal employees in March, the administration placed many on paid administrative leave rather than returning them to active duty. Local consequences of those cutbacks include indefinite closure of all three United States Forest Service visitor centers in the Roaring Fork Valley.
The Roaring Fork Public Lands and Water Forum notes that the White River National Forest (WRNF) spans over 2.3 million acres, including most of the Roaring Fork Valley. It is the most visited forest in the United States. As a result of federal cuts, WRNF staff has been reduced by 35%, which means the Maroon Bells Scenic Area has had no potable water or indoor shelter and limited restrooms this year. Wilderness crew members to maintain trails, remove trash and clean up human feces were reduced to two people from the usual six. The backcountry trail crew was also reduced, with only three members to clear and maintain over 500 miles of wilderness and non-wilderness trails instead of six. The cuts also eliminated 26 reserve wildfire staff during an exceptional drought year.
Teague, McMurdy and McMannes agreed that the Public Lands and Water Forum has achieved valuable messaging goals since May. “We created a website and toolkit for members of the public to use explaining: administration actions and how they affect our local public lands; how we can all pitch in and recreate responsibly to help mitigate impacts of the cutbacks; how to advocate on behalf of our public lands and their managers,” explained Teague. “[We] also created educational pieces and messaging … which members of the group post on their social media sites. We have published a series of op-eds in local papers regarding why our public lands matter and what we can do to protect them.”
McMurdy shared that one of the Forum’s ongoing goals is transparency around public lands and water protections and community outreach. “We’ve worked on identifying portals to federal land that are privately or non-federally owned to provide informational messaging.” He emphasized that the group wants to be sure the public knows how national budgets have been reduced. “The insidious thing about some of the cuts to public land funding is that they’ve been largely hidden by federal agencies.”
McMannes added that community members can help make a difference. “Volunteering with local organizations like ACES, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, Roaring Fork Conservancy, etcetera, makes a massive difference. Writing to elected representatives including local city and county officials, not just state and federal ones, matters.” McCurdy added that any organizations wishing to join the Forum can contact him through ACES.
Find the Public Land and Water Forum’s information toolkit at www.roaringforkpubliclands.org