Hansen Wendlandt, Nederland.  Sometimes the political wrangling in Washington can seem like a distant theoretical battle. Especially when it comes to the smaller legislation, many of us are apt to let those battles go and save our energies to fight about the big ideological issues. However, as I understand it, a couple of lesser debated government actions have the capacity to threaten our community in drastic ways.

First, Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has been in the news lately for his inflammatory statements about poverty and for the proposed HR 621 bill (since abandoned), which would have transferred public lands to state control, so that they could be sold off more easily. Whatever you think about those hot news stories, do you know about HR 622? Chaffetz’ other proposed bill would “terminate the law enforcement functions of the Forest Service” and BLM.

What that means for our community is this: if HR 622 is signed into law, we will no longer have US Forest Service law enforcement agents for the US Forest in which we live. Ranger Paul Krisanits and his officers would no longer be able to respond to illegal shooting, poaching, dumping, or camping violations. That might seem a small loss to you, but consider also, neither would they be around to address abandoned campfires, nor to respond, on their own agency’s land, to homeless and home free campers who are in trouble or up to no good.

To be sure, our fire department already puts out dozens of abandoned campfires each summer, and the Nederland Police and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office have written inter-governmental agreements, so that they can patrol the main summer campsites. (In fact, these more traditional law enforcement officers have greatly increased their presence at West Magnolia and Gordon Gulch over the last year—with good results showing less crime wherever there is more police presence.)

However, if you want the USFS to continue playing an important role in managing our safety, on their own land, call your representatives! Keep HR 622 from putting the Peak to Peak region in more danger.

Second, President Trump has been a lightning rod for nearly everything he has done or said. Whatever your deep feelings may be about his behavior, appointments, or legislative agenda, what do you know about his executive order on reducing regulation? When he signed the document that says, “for every one new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination,” that applies to the Forest Service as well.

Even before the Cold Springs Fire, many people had been asking questions like, “Can we close West Magnolia, or at least turn it into a pay site, or have a camp host, or do something?!?’ And the answer has always been a tangle of bureaucracy. To make any policy changes like that, as I understand it, the Forest Service would need to conduct a lengthy study, then present its findings to a national review board; however, that board has been empty of representatives for a while, because of budget cuts, so… the answer is no, the Boulder Rangers cannot really do anything. To some degree, their hands have been tied.

Hearing that, other people have asked questions like, “Can you enact some other rule about fire safety in specific campsites or high traffic areas?” The USFS already has regulations that offer a set of weather conditions that could justify a fire ban.

These are best practices, put in place to keep us safe. Since these processes work, fire crews were aware of the potential and prepared for the Cold Springs fire. The science works, and the collaboration with other agencies works.

However, as I understand the conundrum, the Forest Service cannot make a fire decision outside of those conditions, without instituting some new regulation. For instance, perhaps they could propose to add “special circumstances” in their fire regulations, right after heat, humidity, snowpack, and wind. We certainly have special circumstances that demand attention, namely hundreds of campers each summer, who clearly do not know (and in some situations, do not care) about fire safety. But to add such an item to their government regulations… enter the President’s executive order. As I understand Ranger Sylvia Clarke’s explanation, this regulatory standoff is not an impossible hurdle, but once again, bureaucracy is tying the hands of people and agencies that could make us safer.

Now, I work in an industry that has far fewer regulations. Being a pastor by trade, some joke that I only have ten regulations that matter, all found in the book of Exodus. Certainly I work with a lot more red tape than that, but ministry and community work is a lot more flexible than government. So, with that flexibility, I want you to know that the Nederland Community Church, with partners from all over town, will continue to offer the Socks and Sandwiches program. It will be a place of compassion for homeless and home free folks—as well as being a place where we can teach campers how to properly put out campfires, where they can bring their trash and get clean water, where our law enforcement folks can build a peaceful rapport with them, where we can point people in need toward places that help.

At the same time, while the church and other folks try to serve the least of these, the Peak to Peak Human Services Task Force (on which I sit as a community member, not as a minister) will also keep convening the Nederland Inter-agency Council on Homeless Encampments. NICHE will continue to bring organizations together, in order to best manage a difficult logistical situation. There is no way to erase homelessness, irresponsibility, or ignorance. But we are pledged to keep working toward ways to protect our community, with regard to homeless and home free campers. Watch for updates about a stewardship day. Watch for new USFS signs. You won’t be able to see the work we do with the Boulder Municipal Judge and Boulder homeless services, but know that we are working to keep folks down the mountain, for their own safety and ours.

If you want to know more, by all means please reach out to me (ncpcpastor@gmail.com), or get involved with Joe Hall’s group (p2pforestwatch.org). And don’t forget to call Polis, Gardner, and Bennett about HR 622, so that we can keep the men and women, who protect the forests.