San Miguel County drafting comment letter on 20-year South Uncompahgre hazardous fuels project; urges climate adaptation, wildlife protections and alternatives

Star Jamieson, director of Natural Resources and Climate Resilience for San Miguel County, told the Board of County Commissioners on July 9 that she has drafted a comment letter for submission to the U.S. Forest Service's 30-day scoping period for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest South Uncompahgre hazardous fuels and ecological resilience project.

Jamieson said the county's draft requests the Forest Service add specific design features and analysis to the programmatic environmental assessment (EA). Key county requests include:

- Explicit consideration of climate change and adaptation measures in project planning and design features. - Specific protections and design features for Gunnison sage-grouse habitat and other wildlife, with route-use and route-closure plans to limit new access in sensitive polygons. - Retention and protection of old-growth ponderosa pine and monitoring of Gambel oak dominance after treatments, with reseeding and restoration planning to avoid unintended vegetation shifts. - Analysis of alternatives to pile burning, including mobile high-temperature units that produce biochar and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions; Jamieson said regional partners and a state grant opportunity (deadline referenced by staff) could be explored to obtain or share such equipment. - Greater transparency in public outreach materials, clearer online platforms and additional maps that overlay roadless areas, old-growth and habitat types to improve public review and comment.

Jamieson described the proposal as a programmatic, 20-year scope that will later yield individual project-level reviews and NEPA analyses. She said the county asked for an extension of internal consideration to July 30 so staff could confirm the proper point-of-contact designations for the NIMS matter and to finalize the county's comments for the GMUG scoping period (comments were due in the following days).

Commissioners asked why the project focus mapped mostly to the western parts of the county and urged staff to request consideration of mitigation on the east end where communities face insect infestation and wildfire risk; Jamieson said the county will include that request.

Jamieson also mentioned outreach items tied to the project area, including a regional "fence pull" volunteer event to remove wildlife-fencing and improve migration corridors near Miramonte Reservoir, and said Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) comments were pending.

The board gave Jamieson approval to submit the draft topics as the county comment letter to the Forest Service.