Falling dollars will be felt in White River forest

Favorite backcountry trails might not be patrolled as frequently to keep motorized vehicles away in the future.

And efforts to keep popular backcountry campsites free of trash and undue wear and tear may be nonexistent.

Even some campgrounds are in danger of closing.

The Forest Service is bracing for budget cuts starting in 2006 that officials say could force fundamental changes in the ways the federal agency serves forest visitors. As other national priorities suck funds from the Forest Service budget, the agency is looking at what it offers and changes that would save money.

"I don't know that anything is off limits right now," said Cathy Kahlow, director for recreation, engineering, wilderness and heritage for the White River National Forest, which surrounds the Roaring Fork Valley.

The White River is the first forest in the five-state Rocky Mountain Region to embark on a specially mandated process to examine facilities and services, prioritize them and possibly close or end some.

Kahlow said changes will be made starting next year. While people could lose some facility or experience they treasure, the process will help the Forest Service do a better job of running its remaining facilities and programs.

"I guess you could say there could be unhappy campers," Kahlow said. But by using cuts to improve remaining facilities and services, "that creates more happy campers than unhappy campers."

Disappearing dollars

The entire White River National Forest, which stretches from Summit County to near Rifle and from south of Aspen to Meeker, has a budget of $2.59 million this year for recreation programs, including operations of campgrounds and other facilities. About $1.7 million is available for programs after administrative costs are covered.

That amount is about the same as last year, but inflation means there is less to spend. The recreation budget for White River is expected to decline 5 to 10 percent annually in future years, Kahlow said. Overall, the Forest Service's facility maintenance and operations budget will drop an estimated 45 percent, according to published reports. While the agency has faced shrinking budgets for years, it now has the additional mandate of devoting dollars within its budget to the Healthy Forest Initiative, the program designed to reduce wildfire risks.

Kahlow said the Forest Service is under increased pressure to make the best use of limited dollars.

"We'll have to make decisions based on what's the best way to use taxpayer dollars," she said. "We will not be able to be everything to everybody."

In the case of campgrounds, the Forest Service will consider if similar facilities are available in nearby Bureau of Land Management lands or state parks. Both of those agencies are also pinching pennies.

The Forest Service will also consider if "resource" damage will occur by taking an action. For example, closing a small, uneconomical campground that serves as a gateway to wilderness might be unwise because people will camp nearby anyway, Kahlow said. The potential impact on the outdoors from wear and tear and human waste might require the Forest Service to keep the campground open.

Kahlow said the White River staff will try to make decisions that affect the fewest number of people. Nevertheless, campground closures can be expected.

"I'd say that would be a good possibility," she said.

Aspen District Ranger Bill Westbrook said the agency's financial situation won't prevent people from using public lands.

"I don't ever see us saying this part of the national forest is closed down," he said.

Rather than close some small, uneconomical campgrounds, he suspects the Forest Service would reduce services. People would be directed to pack out their own trash, for example.

Budget cuts are nothing new for the agency, he noted.

This year there were mixed budget results for the Aspen district. Funds for trail maintenance in the Aspen and Carbondale areas fell from $80,000 last year to $66,500 this year. That means only 80 of 304 miles of "official" trails will be maintained, according to Martha Moran, recreation manager for the Aspen district.

On the other hand, funds for wilderness programs soared about 50 percent to $132,000. That's enough to hire seven rangers to patrol wilderness areas, up from two last year, Moran said.

But officials consider the bonanza an anomaly and the calm before a budgeting storm.

"All this stuff is not looking good for next year so I'm enjoying it this year," Moran said.



Scott Condon's e-mail address is scondon@aspentimes.com