Workshop focuses on spruce beetle, aspen decline - Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action

After months of waiting, the US Forest Service is holding its second stakeholder workshop for the Spruce Beetle and Sudden Aspen Decline treatment project (SPEADMR) on May 13th at Friendship Hall’s Pioneer Room (1001 N 2nd St) in Montrose. This is a follow-up to the December 2013 public meeting that began the effort of helping stakeholders understand the project and its intent.

People are encouraged to come at 8:45 am to sign in and get refreshments before the meeting starts at 9:00 am. There will be presentations on the latest science, potential alternatives, and opportunities for discussion and comments (see agenda).

This is a great chance to learn more about the project and get answers to some of your questions before the draft Environmental Impact Statement comes out later this summer. If you know of others who may want to join us, please share this message with them.

This meeting is jointly sponsored by the Public Lands Partnership, Western Colorado Landscape Collaborative, Uncompahgre Partnership, and the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests.

Please bring your own lunch. Space is limited, so please RSVP to Leigh Robertson at 970-316-1650 or info(at)upartnership.org (email) by May 9 if you plan to attend. Coffee, tea, water, and snacks will be provided. Feel free to come for part of the meeting if you can’t stay until 3:30 pm.

About the author

Brenda Bafus-Williams

After working for our Alliance for 32 years, Brenda retired in 2018 and took a two-year hiatus before rejoining the fold as a board member. She is a treasure trove of little known facts about the organization after managing everything from the membership database to our communications. Her other interests include dabbling in a number of artforms, hiking, botany (her college major), t'ai chi and chi gung, and swing dancing. With roots in western Washington state, she has lived in Montrose with her husband Kevin since 1984.