Dear Editor,

Chainsaws are raised in the air Elon Musk style, ready to take down the evil forests on the 323-acre Tucker County Open Space and on Park Hill at Arapaho Ranch near Nederland. 

What did the forests do wrong?  Nothing, it’s just that 9 out of 10 wildfires are started by human stupidity and carelessness, and the forests have to pay for it.

Why does this matter?  Well, the forests are sanctuary to many forms of wildlife and this will cause loss of habitat for them.  Lodgepole and ponderosa pine forests hold soil on steep slopes in place.  They shade the ground and keep it cool and moist.  They break the fierce winds that roar down from the tundra and they minimize windthrow hazards.  Not only are trees rich in conifer seeds and insects targeted for removal, but also the shrub understory such as kinnikinnick and Oregon grape that is rich in berries for birds and wildlife will be removed. 

Especially targeted is the low growing common juniper with its tasty berrylike cones that robins. solitaires and bluebirds love.  Groundcover including wildflowers such as fairy slipper orchids and spotted coralroot will be crushed by heavy machinery.  And old dead snag trees used by birds for nesting sites and thermal cover will be gone. 

Is this what we want in our mountains – an urban landscape with only pavement and non-native bluegrass?

Diane Brown

Eldora