The sound of a hard slap upon a creek was our welcoming call into the Kelso Mesa hiking trail. Our greeter was a beautiful brown beaver that most likely heard our arrival far before we saw them.
As we approached the running water, the beaver seemed to sprint across it, using its massive tail as a propellor against the water. Joy and surprise ran across the faces in our party of hikers. It was a small glimpse into the beauty and power of nature, one that is not witnessed often, and one that needs to be preserved.

The hike at Kelso Mesa was our final site visit of areas within the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison (GMUG) Forest Plan area. Within the 90-day period for public comments, our Alliance organized two hikes, and two virtual writing workshops. We had plans for more site visits; sadly, the weather was not willing to cooperate for some of our planned events.

In total, over 50 members engaged directly on these activities. In addition, our Alliance sent hundreds of emails and public statements into the Forestry Department, all in the final push to wrap the GMUG Forest Plan, 20 years in the making. On November 26, the Forestry Department wrapped up accepting public comment on the four alternatives presented by the department.

A special thank you goes out to members Lisa Eckert Jim Riddell, Andy Goldman, Sherry Schenk, Roze Evans, and Diane Thompson for their work in helping present our issues around the GMUG Forest Plan. In total, we had 47 members attend our two public comment writing workshops. At the end of the workshops, each was assigned to submit three public comments. That, along with our outreach to membership at large, resulted in 150 public comments generated as a result of our Alliance’s efforts.

Now, like in many government activities, we wait. The Forestry Department is tasked to review the over 2000 comments submitted to the department.

After the comment review, the Forestry Department will come back with their final recommendations. In forest plans past, there has been legal ligation and considerations following such a plan release.

No matter what the results or the future actions which might be taken after, members of Western Colorado Alliance should be proud of the work they, and this organization has put in to make the process a reality. As an organization Western Colorado Alliance has had a hand in the process of this plan for over twenty years. This work will have an impact on the lives of countless generations to come — generations that we hope will also have the ability to connect with the beauty nature has to offer and a planet that is livable.

We want to give a special thanks to all who came before to bring us to this point, and those who gave their time and effort in finishing our commitment the right way.