HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-25 Supporting the Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007RESOLUTION 25, SERIES OF 2007
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE COLORADO FOREST MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT
ACT OF 2007, ENCOURAGING THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION OF THE STATE OF
COLORADO TO ACTIVELY CONTINUE THEIR UNIFIED AND BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT OF
THE BILL AND TO PUSH FOR RAPID APPROVAL BY THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED
STATES OF THE SAME, AND TO EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE OF THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF VAIL, COLORADO FOR RECOGNITION OF THE
DELEGATION OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE BARK BEETLE INFESTATION IN COLORADO
AND FOR THE EFFORTS MADE IN DRAFTING, INTRODUCING, AND SUPPORTING THIS
ACT.
WHEREAS, An infestation of bark beetles has killed and is killing hundreds of thousands
of acres of lodge pole pine and other conifer species in the State of Colorado; and
WHEREAS, The dead trees threaten human life, safety, dwellings, businesses, and
municipal and county government facilities, along with their associated jurisdictions; critical
infrastructure (including but not limited to: municipal, agricultural, and commercial water
collection and distribution systems; high pressure gas transmission pipelines; inter- and intra-
state electrical transmission lines; micro-wave and radio broadcast and relay facilities; and
highways and other public and private roads); entire watersheds, including those of the
headwaters of the Colorado River and its tributaries; valuable tourism destinations, including ski
areas, scenic view corridors, lakes and reservoirs, and other amenities natural and manmade
that are essential to the economic health of Colorado; and wildlife through increased risk of
catastrophic wildfire due to dead timber and the related massive fuel loading; and associated
post-fire erosion, sedimentation, debris flows and the associated costs to mitigate the resultant
damages; and
WHEREAS, Insect killed trees are susceptible to "blow down" by high winds, on large
and small scales, and that such blow down endangers the health and welfare of people,
property, and infrastructures in and around the effected forests; and
WHEREAS, The entire Congressional Delegation of the State of Colorado has
recognized the magnitude of the problem, the lack of resources of local jurisdictions to address
the situation, that policies of the federal land management agencies need to be altered to allow
more immediate and long term actions to mitigate the consequences of the insect infestation
and to provide for means to reduce the likelihood of such infestation in the future, and have
addressed this problem in a bi-partisan and unified fashion by introducing the aforementioned
Act to the 110th Congress; and
WHEREAS, There is a sense of urgency that the provisions of this Act become available
as rapidly as possible in order to forestall the negative consequences of the infestation and to
make use of the forest materials before decay renders them valueless.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF
VAIL, COLORADO AS FOLLOWS:
1.The Colorado Congressional delegation is applauded for their bipartisan introduction
and unified support of the Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007;
and
2.The delegation is urged to promote the Act, to gain support in the Congress, and to
actively pursue its passage as soon as possible; and that
3.The Town Council of the Town of Vail do hereby affirm their support to the Colorado
delegation in this matter.
INTRODUCED, PASSED, AND ADOPTED AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE VAIL
TOWN COUNCIL, AND SIGNED THIS 16T" DAY OF OCTOBER, 2007.
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Rod Slifer, Mayor
Lorelei Donaldson, Town Clerk