Forest under threat
I bet you didn’t know that millions of acres of Colorado’s biodiverse, carbon-storing forests are on the chopping block. That’s because much of this unprecedented logging is being rushed through behind the scenes under the guise of an “emergency.”
One of the most egregious is the Lower North-South Vegetation Management scheme, 116,600 acres of logging (including clearcuts up to 40 acres) in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest in Jefferson and Douglas Counties: 87,000 acres falling within seven protected Colorado Roadless Areas.
According to the Forest Service, intensive logging would take place in “the largest and least human-impacted area remaining in the Rampart Range, [which] forms…a critical core area for wildlife at the edge of the rapidly growing Interstate 25 urban corridor” as well as in a “near-pristine example of a Colorado front range transition zone between montane and plains ecosystem.”
Declaring this fake emergency means bypassing parts of the National Environmental Policy Act and skipping analysis of impacts to resident wildlife listed under the Endangered Species Act, including the Mexican spotted owl, Pawnee montane skipper, Preble’s meadow jumping mouse and threatened Canada lynx.
Since only a handful of media outlets (Boulder Weekly being one of the few!) have chosen to cover the impending “Colorado Chainsaw Massacre,” the only way to find out what we’ve got to lose is to see for yourself.
Which is why on Sunday, May 26, you’re invited on a guided hike through public forests threatened by the “Lower North-South Vegetation Management” outside Sedalia. The hike will include identifying birds and rare, medicinal, and edible plants threatened by logging, along with evidence showing how this project will harm wildlife and the climate, all while increasing the risk of wildfire spreading to local communities.
Go to eco-integrityalliance.org for info and to RSVP.
— Josh Schlossberg, Boulder
DEI shaming
In response to a recent opinion piece that ascribed primary challenges to incumbent female office holders of color as racially motivated (“Dems and DEI,” March 4), I can only say that Mr. Salas does a disservice to the very same politicians that he supports.
His assertion “that when someone decides to challenge a same-party incumbent, they have strong evidence that the incumbent has not done a good job or is guilty of some type of malfeasance” sets a low bar for incumbent office holders to remain in office unchallenged. I — and perhaps other liberal voters — still hold the opinion that challenges to any incumbents can serve to elevate the conversation.
As I am not a constituent of Ms. Joseph, I am unfamiliar with her or her work. However, I am concerned about having Ms. Loachamin, a realtor, representing Boulder County Commission District 2.
Housing is at the forefront of the many issues that will be facing state and local governments in the coming years. Proliferation of ADUs, short-term rentals, investment and rental properties versus incentives for first-time homeownership; taxation of rental properties at the same rate as owner-occupied homes; construction defect liabilities; removal of minimum parking requirements; protection of farmers and open-space land; removal of minimum parking requirements, height restrictions and setbacks, etc., will highlight the often disparate perspectives of renters and current and prospective homeowners versus those who work in the real estate industry and who own multiple properties, such as Ms. Loachamin.
As a bilingual Spanish speaker and a life-long ESL teacher, I would like to learn more about how Loachamin’s work and proposals would help those families that she purports to represent.
My own father, who immigrated from Northern Ireland, worked picking tobacco in Canada before becoming an American citizen. He was a loyal Kennedy supporter for years. However, if he were alive today, I am confident that he would consider the issues involved before throwing his allegiance behind the scion of his compatriots.
I urge voters to become educated on the issues and any potential conflicts of interest in each and every political race.
— John Loughran, Longmont
(Editor’s note: Look for Boulder Weekly’s in-depth voter guide, publishing June 6, covering all contested primary races in Boulder County.)
Good riddance, restaurant week
I read your article about the demise of Boulder Restaurant Week with interest (“First Bite eats it,” March 28), especially considering that I myself never felt like it was within my modest budget as a city resident, now retired after a “career” as classified staff at the university.
Let the demise of this event remind entrepreneurs that not everybody living in the city of Boulder is a member of the 1% with discretionary money to burn. Look to the success of restaurants such as Southern Sun brewpub and Chez Thuy as affordable dining options for those of us who ever had to, and might still, work for a living.
— Evan Cantor, Boulder
Golf carts are the answer
I am commenting on Kevin J. Krizek’s opinion piece, “Don’t Iterate: Innovate” (April 11).
Mr. Krizek suggests using “small cars” in place of the current standard size car. These small vehicles already exist and require no studies or invention: electric golf carts.
Boulder should allow us to use electric golf carts in town on our existing roads. It is a viable option for those of us who can no longer ride a bicycle or are afraid to; who run multiple errands requiring cargo and/or passenger space; who do not have reasonable access to buses that have direct routes; who are environmentally conscious yet realistic. I, myself, check all those boxes.
There are many communities in the U.S. successfully allowing — even requiring — electric golf carts for in-town transportation. Boulder allows electric bikes anywhere and everywhere.
Why not electric golf carts? I would definitely be on board with that.
— Suzanne Real, Boulder
A peaceful week
If you have lived in Boulder long enough, you can’t help but notice how quiet and peaceful Spring Break week was: No more rushing of insane traffic and crazy CU student drivers — ahhh, so peaceful.
I just wish they’d never return, or at least the ones who drive cars.
— Miriam Paisner, Boulder
These opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly
