White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 

Forest Facts | 2014 

Forest Size: 2,275,956 acres 

640, 000 roadless acres 

Permanent Employees: 128 

Seasonal Employees: 117 

Annual Budget: 20,513,600 

Outfitters & Guides: 160 

Grazing Allotments: 86 

Recreation Visitors: 12.3 

million annually 

CONTENTS 

• Message from the Forest Supervisor 

• Financial Report 

• Recreation Highlight 

• Restoration Highlight 

• Wildlife Highlight 

• Engineering and Property Highlight 

• Partnerships Highlight 

• Forest and District Locations 

2014 Annual Report 

The White River National Forest embodies the spirit of multiple use management. It is the most visited National Forest in the nation with over 12 

million visitors per year. In addition to world-class recreation and abundant wildlife, the White River hosts activities such as grazing, logging, 

mining, and oil and gas development—all crucial to the economies of 

Western Colorado. We take pride in being leaders in sustainability and 

innovative landscape restoration. We strive towards excellence in our 

relationships with our communities and our staff. The White River National Forest is all yours to discover, enjoy and care for. 

White River 

The White River Vision 

We are a 21st century organization leading the nation in innovative landscape conservation, connecting citizens to the 

land through world-class recreation, restoring and enhancing resilient ecosystems, and contributing to sustainable communities. We tell our story and take care of each other as we continue our legacy of meeting incredible challenges with 

passion, creativity, and collaboration. 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 2 

Message from the Forest Supervisor 

As the Forest Supervisor of the most visited Forest in the Nation, it is my pleasure to present the 2014 accomplishment 

report. This report reflects the hard work of a dedicated and caring staff who meets incredible challenges with passion, 

creativity, and collaboration. Equally dedicated volunteers made this year’s work possible with cash and in-kind contributions totaling over $ 3.2 million. My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who made this work possible! 

Our world-class recreation is enjoyed by over 12 million visitors each year, over seven million of which play on the slopes 

of our 11 permitted ski resorts. To complement the winter recreation activity, this year we also conducted analysis for new 

summer recreation activities on two of these ski areas. 

2014 was a year for commemoration as we celebrated and acknowledged the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness 

Act at the Maroon Bells Birthday Bash and the Cradle of Wilderness Commemoration at Trappers Lake. Both of these 

successful events were made possible through our outstanding partnerships and volunteers across the Forest. 

The significant challenges we faced in 2013 are still with us, including declining budgets and more demands than ever on 

our staff and the land we manage. 2015 will continue to present even more challenges. We hope this report is reflective of 

our continued commitment to meet those challenges with passion, creativity and innovative partnerships. The White River 

National Forest is all yours to discover, explore and care for. 

For more information visit us at http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver or visit our partners at the National Forest Foundation at 

www.itsallyours.us to learn how you can connect to and care for the places you love to play. 

 Scott Fitzwilliams 

 Forest Supervisor 

Photo Courtesy of Corey Myers 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 3 

Financial Report 

Since 2010, the White River National 

Forest’s budget decreased 22% 

($5.5million) 

• The White River National Forest (WRNF) returned 

$ 20,104,162 back to the Treasury from revenues 

and collections in 2014 

• Nearly 90% of the annual WRNF budget is allocated to fixed and constant costs such as salaries, 

leases, and utilities

• Total Budget : $ 20,513,600

2014 Revenues & Collections 

Recreation Special Use Permits $18,563,891 

Oil and Gas Revenue $ 38,409 

Utilities Special Use Permits $ 240,156 

Timber Sales $111,875 

Cooperative Work Agreements $ 117,713 

Cost Recovery $ 115,979 

Lands/Lands Special Use Permits

$ 622,996 

Quarters $158,288 

Grazing Permits $107,522 

Road Maintenance Agreements None 

Miscellaneous $5,375 

Minerals - Rock Collecting $4,935 

Donations $128,898 

TOTAL $20,104,162

Secure Rural Schools Funding (25% Distribution 

to Counties) 

Pitkin County $496,548 

Garfield County $382,572 

Rio Blanco County $165,450 

Summit County $598,652 

Mesa County $72,108 

Eagle County $598,728 

2014 Expenditures 

Bark Beetle Mitigation $1,097,556 

Recreation Management (includes 

recreation fees collected) 

$3,459,347 

General Administration $2,532,275 

Road & Trail Maintenance & Con- $1,409,528 

Mineral & Mining Management $1,349,516 

 

Fire Preparedness $1,365,655 

 

Fire Suppression $71,015 

Timber & Vegetation Management $3,205,376 

 

Fleet/Vehicles/Fuel/Maintenance $1,068,516 

 

Facilities Maintenance & Construction $670,656 

 

Lands & Realty $514,940 

 

Wildlife & Botany Management $775,981 

Range Administration $529,575 

Planning, Inventory, and Monitoring $381,038 

Fuel Reduction $1,500,176 

Cost Recovery $44,306 

TOTAL $19,975,456 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 4 

Recreation

The public goes to play on the White River 

National Forest with an estimate of over 12.3 

million annual visits. Its unique location along 

the I-70 corridor and close proximity to the 

Denver area allows for easy access to a wide 

range of recreation activities. Location and 

heavy use present management challenges 

like user conflicts, visitor needs, impacts to 

resources, and the evolution of outdoor 

sport. The opportunities are wide-ranging 

from skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, 

backpacking, hiking, camping, boating, biking, hunting, and more. The White River provides more than 2,500 miles of trails, 1,900 

miles of Forest Service system roads, 66 

campgrounds, 12 ski areas, and eight worldclass Wilderness areas. 

• Aspen–Sopris Ranger District | Ashcroft Adventure Lodge: Permitting of Ashcroft Ski Touring’s new 2,000 

square ft. Adventure Lodge is a one-stop destination for visitor 

information, trail/touring passes, rental equipment, restrooms, 

and sleigh rides. The installation of a modern, fully accessible 

building provides better service to the public with convenient and 

accessible access to everything required for high quality recreation experiences in the Castle Creek Valley. 

• Blanco & Rifle Ranger Districts: Cleared over 

2,300 trees blocking Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) routes and 

made over 5,000 visitor contacts. The OHV crew improved many 

miles of OHV trails and has been a key player in successful implementation of the Forest Travel Management Plan. The OHV 

crew is funded by the State of Colorado OHV Trails Program 

through the annual registration of OHV’s. 

• Dillon Ranger District: Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado 

led over 100 volunteers in a 2-day trail construction project on 

the Turk’s Trail near the Town of Breckenridge. A bridge was 

installed and about 3/4 of a new trail was built. 

• Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District Motor Vehicle 

Use Map: The district signed a decision that allowed 143 

miles of road to be reopened to motorized use which brought a 

much better balance to the Travel Management Plan across the 

district. Many of the roadbeds were more accommodating to the 

motorized user than a full-sized vehicle, so signing this decision 

ultimately led to less road damage and an increase in the opportunity for the public to recreate in the manner that they desire. 

Highlights | 2014 

370 Miles of trails managed to Forest Service standards 

277 Recreation special use permits administered 

92 Seasonal events permitted 

Recreation Event Highlight: For the past four years, 

the Forest has been involved in activities and permitting related to the USA Pro Challenge and bike race. Rangers and 

Forest staff patrolled various passes and race viewing areas 

to educate visitors about the Forest, offer advice on where to 

camp, and provide an enthusiastic positive experience. 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 5 

Wilderness Special Events 

50th Anniversary of Wilderness and the 

Maroon Bells Birthday Bash: The Forest and 

a group of dedicated partners came together to commemorate 50 years of the Maroon Bells along with the 

50th Anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act. Partners 

included: Wilderness Work Shop, Aspen Center For 

Environmental Studies, City of Aspen, Pitkin County 

and more! 

Trappers Lake & the Cradle of Wilderness: The Blanco Ranger District celebrated the 50th 

Anniversary of Wilderness at Trappers Lake and partnered with the community and other Forest Service 

units to live broadcast a panel discussion centered on 

the contributions of Arthur Carhart to the wilderness 

movement. 

What is Wilderness? 

In 1964, our nation's leaders formally 

acknowledged the immediate and lasting 

benefits of wild places to the human spirit and fabric of our nation. That year, in a 

nearly unanimous vote, Congress enacted landmark legislation that permanently 

protected some of the most natural and 

undisturbed places in America. The Wilderness Act established the National 

Wilderness Preservation System " ... to 

secure for the American people of present and future 

generations the 

benefits of an 

enduring resource of wilderness.” 

“If we are to have broad-thinking men and women of high mentality, of good physique and with a true perspective on 

life, we must allow our populace a communion with nature in areas of more or less wilderness condition.” 

Arthur Carhart, former U.S. Forest Service official circa 1950 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 6 

Restoration | Resiliency 

Restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Ecological 

restoration focuses on re-establishing the 

composition, structure, pattern, and ecological 

processes necessary to facilitate ecosystem 

sustainability, resilience, and health under current and future conditions. A resilient forest is 

a forest achieved through restoration and forest management and can survive changes 

such as climate change, wildfire, and drought. 

Photo courtesy of Steven DeWitt & 

The National Forest Foundation 

There are many types of restoration work from 

vegetation and fuels treatments, to watershed 

restoration, to long term stewardship contracts 

and tree planting. 

Vegetation Management | 2014 

• Placed under contract for removal 1,232 acres of dead 

and dying trees in beetle-affected areas 

• Sold 442.6 acres viable timber which equates a volume of 

approximately 9,288 CCF 

• Produced 58,008 green tons of biomass 

• Certified 1,136 acres of silviculturally treated areas reforested 

 *1 CCF is equivalent to 100 cubic feet of wood 

Fuels Reduction | 2014 

• 1,400 acres treated with prescribed fire for habitat 

improvement and hazardous fuels reduction 

• 2,332 acres of mechanical treatments to reduce 

hazardous fuels and improve forest health were 

conducted 

• 25 acres piled for burning (approximate)

• 3,150 cords of fuelwood sold 

• 32,581 CCF* volume of Forest products sold 

• 2,947 Christmas trees sold 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 7 

Restoration | Forest Management 

Mountain Pine Beetle | 2014 

During the last decade, the mountain pine beetle (MPB) 

epidemic affected some 386,000 acres of the White River 

National Forest. Forest managers reduce and manage 

hazardous fuels, remove hazardous trees, and monitor 

reforestation in areas affected by beetle infestations. Managers focus on restoration projects to improve the health, 

resiliency, and safety of the Forest. Forest health and fuels 

treatments are focused in what is called the “Wildland Urban Interface” (WUI) along roads and trails, in developed 

recreation areas, municipal watersheds, near infrastructure 

such as utility corridors, as well as general forest areas. 

This management approach is necessary for the health of 

the Forest and the protection of surrounding communities. 

Within a 10-20 year period, most of the dead lodgepole 

pines will deteriorate and fall to the ground. The resulting 

condition would be heavy fuels accumulations that could 

support large-scale wildfires characterized by high severity/high intensity fire behavior. Extreme fire behavior and 

the consequent high fire severity would threaten private 

property, community infrastructure, fire fighter safety, and 

forest resources such as recreation and watersheds. 

Tree Planting | 2014 

• 161 acres of previously logged areas 

• 36 acres and 13,000 Douglas-fir and Ponderosa Pine seedlings on the Frisco Peninsula 

• 21 acres at Keystone and Breckenridge Ski 

Resorts 

• 1,200 acres in Prospector, Peak One, Pine 

Cove, and Windy Point Campgrounds 

Dillon Ranger District: Fuels reduction and 

reforestation is a critical management activity for the 

Dillon Ranger District following the mountain pine beetle epidemic. 

Photo courtesy of Sarah Pearson 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 8 

Restoration | Watersheds

21.8 miles of inland stream 

enhanced 

1,084 Acres of Lake Habitat 

Restored 

Watersheds | Highlights 

21.8 miles of inland stream enhanced 

1,084 acres of lake habitat restored 

Watersheds | 2014 

Aspen-Sopris Ranger District & Crooked Creek 

Restoration Project: the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District initiated and completed the restoration of 1,700 feet of stream and six 

acres of valley bottom (ponds). In 2014, approximately half of the 

stream and valley bottoms were restored and 7,000 cubic yards of 

material was removed. Two of the five ponds were breached, 

drained, and restored to wetland. This all was accomplished within 

six weeks by one excavator, one back hoe and one dump truck continuously moving earth. 

Dillon Ranger District: Ten Mile Creek Restoration: The Tenmile Creek restoration project was overseen by the 

Blue River Watershed Group (BRWG) and the US Forest Service. 

The project included stream and floodplain restoration, soil amendment, wetlands creation, and revegetation in a heavily impacted 

reach of Tenmile Creek near the Copper Mountain ski area. Also: 

• approximately 1,600 linear feet of stream channel was restored;

• five new meander bends created; and

• a total of 3.15 acres of riparian, wetland, and floodplain habitat was 

restored. 

Swan River Restoration: With partners and mechanisms 

like the Ski Conservation Fund, the district was able to accomplish 

watershed restoration in the Middle Fork of the Swan River. 

Wild & Scenic Manager of the Year: Kay Hopkins 

was awarded the National Wild & Scenic River Program Manager of 

the year. 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 9 

Restoration | Project Highlight

Camp Hale Treasured Landscape: 

In 2014, the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District received a project 

proposal from a highly successful collaborative group of over 40 

stakeholders to develop a shared vision for the restoration and 

future management of the iconic Camp Hale area. The proposal 

was the product of years worth of collaborative work to try and 

balance the significant restoration needs of the area while maintaining the history and character of the site and continuing to 

support the area’s large and varied recreation use. We’re excited 

to take this proposal and begin the National Environmental Policy 

(NEPA) process in the coming year. 

Photos courtesy of Steven DeWitt & 

The National Forest Foundation 

Camp Hale | Background 

In 1942, the Eagle River headwaters and the surrounding 

240,000 acres became a winter and mountain warfare World War 

II training camp, housing up to 17,000 troops. At an elevation of 

9,200 feet, the military established Camp Hale because the natural setting included a large, flat wetlands meadow, surrounded by 

steep slopes suitable for training in skiing, rock climbing, and 

winter survival skills. After World War II, Camp Hale was used by 

the C.I.A. to secretly train Tibetan soldiers to enter China over 

high mountain passes during the Cold War. The camp was deactivated in 1964 and returned to the U.S. Forest Service for management. 

When the Army established Camp Hale, they drained the large 

wetlands meadow surrounding the East and South Forks of the 

Eagle River; installed a sewage system; imported 2,000,000 cubic yards of fill; and channeled the meandering East and South 

Forks of the Eagle River headwaters into a linear three-mile ditch 

system that remains today. 

To address the area’s significant restoration needs, the National 

Forest Foundation led a multi-year, community-based planning 

effort that created a collaborative plan for restoring the Eagle 

River’s natural stream meanders and reestablishing a floodplain 

that supports functioning riparian and wetland ecosystems. In 

total, the plan proposes to restore approximately 270 acres of 

wetlands and five miles of stream channel. 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 10 

Wildlife

Wildlife | Highlights 

11,682 acres of terrestrial habitat restored 

21.8 miles of inland stream enhanced 

1,084 acres of lake habitat restored 

129,890 acres of terrestrial habitat inventoried 

and monitored 

Wildlife | 2014 

Rifle Ranger District: The 1,030 acre Rifle Ranger 

District prescribed burn on the Battlements in May was a success. 

The remote location required a helicopter for ignition. This project is 

part of a landscape scale project and was paid for by the Colorado 

Parks and Wildlife using Big Game Auction funds. The primary purpose of this project was to benefit big game habitat while improving 

Bighorn Sheep corridors and re-introducing fire back into a previously fire-excluded ecosystem. An agreement with a local landowner helped provide access to the project area and a heli-base.
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 11 

Engineering 

Engineering | 2014 

• Maintained 480 miles of roads 

• Placed 2,000 tons of surface aggregate on roads 

• Inspected 20 of the Forest’s 42 bridges and 18 trail bridges. Removed 4 deteriorated trail bridges and 1 major road bridge. Installed

1 trail bridge. 

• Safety closures of 2 unsafe bridges 

• Inspected 5 active mining operations 

• Closed 16 open mine features for safety reasons 

• Demolished , removed, and disposed of 14 abandoned mine land structures in Summit, Eagle, and Gunnison Counties 

• Finished the Hope Mine removal action and reclaimed 10 acres on the Butterfly/Burrell Mine reclamation project under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) program 

• Completed 1 emergency relief for federally owned roads projects 

The White River National Forest provides 

more than 2,300 miles of roads open to motorized travel with 45 road bridges/major culverts, 150 administrative facilities, and the 

infrastructure in over 30 campgrounds 

throughout the Forest. Engineering continues 

to support the needs of the Forest by providing management and technical expertise to 

ensure a quality and safe recreation experience. Engineering strives for sustainable 

solutions on our current and future infrastructure demands. 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 12 

 Facilities | Redevelopment

WRNF Conveyance and Redevelopment Program 

The White River National Forest is implementing an innovative redevelopment program to provide better customer service to the American taxpayer by reducing administrative structures, 

decreasing energy, lease, and maintenance costs, and improving facility conditions. This program is being accomplished while using nearly no appropriated dollars. This program utilizes 

the authority granted by the Forest Service Facilities Realignment and Enhancement Act of 

2005 (FSFREA) to convey administrative parcels and keep the revenue on the Forest to maintain/construct/purchase other facilities. 

 

The program consists of selling approximately 

150 acres of under-utilized FS administrative 

lands and utilizing the revenue to ‘right size’ 

remaining administrative compounds with 

highly efficient facilities that meet the Agency’s 

space standards. This program would decrease the footprint of federally-maintained 

administrative facilities across the Forest by 

approximately 15,000 square feet, while reducing the number of individual buildings by 

approximately 50. 

Objectives: Administrative areas, including buildings and 

outside storage areas, were reduced along with the size of 

some sites. The Forest accomplished a decrease in:

• Land owned and under utilized by approx. 150 acres 

• Number of facilities by approximately 50 (consolidation of some 

areas is included in this figure) 

• Administrative building footprint by 15,000 square feet as well as 

administrative sites by 8.

2014 Conveyance Projects Completed: 

• 5 lots in Aspen sold 

• 2 houses in Rifle sold 

• 4.59 acres of outside storage sold 

• Renovation of Rifle District Ranger Office with state-of-the-art 

energy efficiency 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 13 

Partnerships | Volunteers 

Partnerships| 2014 

Eagle-Holy Cross and Dillon Ranger Districts: 

Volunteers with Friends of Eagle’s Nest Wilderness and a contract mule packer sprayed invasive weeds with herbicide in the 

Wilderness, maintained trails, and made visitor contacts. 

Dillon Ranger District: Friends of Dillon Ranger District 

received funding for coordinating 54 projects involving 6,735 

volunteer hours. Accomplishments include 4.5 miles of trail 

maintenance, 1.2 miles of new trail construction, construction 

of one trail bridge, collection of 26 bags of litter, and planting of 

71 trees. 

Rifle Ranger District: In partnership with Garfield County, the District hosted two Rocky Mountain Youth Corps 

(RMYC) crews for the summer. The RMYC spent much of the 

summer working on National Forest System lands throughout 

Garfield County. Accomplishments include fence removal and 

construction, trail maintenance, campsite inspections, building 

accessible picnic sites, and tree planting. 

A great deal of important, valuable work on the White 

River National Forest would not be accomplished 

without the efforts of our partners. These partnerships 

help provide needed funding, salary/labor, supplies 

and materials, or in some cases a combination of all 

these services. Examples of new and ongoing partnership work include but are not limited to: reclamation and mitigation of safety hazards related to abandoned mines; range restoration, trails work, timber 

work, education and outreach; wildlife, watersheds, 

cooperative pollution abatement, job training and development programs; improving, maintaining and protecting ecosystem conditions through collaborative 

administration and/or implementation of projects. 
White River National Forest | It’s All Yours 14 

 White River National Forest 

 Forest Supervisor, Scott Fitzwilliams 

 Deputy Forest Supervisor, Heather Provencio 

 900 Grand Avenue 

 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 

 970-945-2521 

 Aspen-Sopris Ranger District 

 District Ranger, Karen Schroyer 

 Aspen Office 970-925-3445 

 Carbondale Office 970-963-2266 

 Blanco Ranger District 

 District Ranger, Ken Coffin 

 Meeker, CO 

 970-878-4039 

Dillon Ranger District 

District Ranger, Bill Jackson 

Silverthorne, CO 

970-468-5400 

Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District 

District Ranger, David Neely 

Eagle Office 970-328-6388 

Minturn Office 970-827-5715 

Rifle Ranger District 

District Ranger, Sarah Hankens 

Rifle, CO 

970-625-2371