The Colorado Department of Natural Resources reinstated its objection to the Mad Rabbit trails project in a letter to the U.S. Forest Service on Monday, stating that the federal agency changed the adaptive management plan included in the project without consulting the state agencies.

The objection letter, issued and signed by Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Dan Gibbs, states that “last-minute alterations” were made to the adaptive management plan are “unacceptable to Colorado.”

Notably, the objection letter states the Forest Service removed a wildlife study included in the adaptive management plan, and removed Colorado Parks and Wildlife as a formal observing agency.

“The Colorado Department of Natural Resources is disappointed and concerned that the United States Forest Service altered the adaptive management plan collaboratively created between the State of Colorado and the USFS …,” the objection letter states. “The state was not consulted or allowed to work with the USFS on the alterations to achieve the USFS’s goals in a less damaging way.”

The Mad Rabbit trails project, which includes Forest Service land in the Rabbit Ears Pass area to the south and the Mad Creek area to the north, has been in the works since 2017.

The project aims to construct 49 miles of non-motorized, motorized and adaptive routes and rehabilitate roughly 36 miles of unofficial trails that currently exist in the area.

The plan would also add restrictions designed to limit bikes to designated trails, improve winter trailheads to accommodate summer use and add seasonal human-entry restrictions in certain areas to protect local elk populations.

Local groups such as Keep Routt Wild have opposed the plan and voiced concern over the potential impact of an official trail system on local wildlife, particularly on area elk populations.

To assess elk populations in the area, the Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, a division of DNR, called for the establishment of an adaptive management plan, which would monitor and assess environmental impacts, in a previous objection letter sent to the Forest Service in September 2023.

Following the state agency’s initial objection in 2023, the Department of Natural Resources and CPW retracted the objection after the agencies worked with the Forest Service on creating the adaptive management plan, which included a wildlife study.

In early December 2024, Steamboat Springs approved a resolution that would commit $1.6 million to the Mad Rabbit trails project.

After experiencing some delays due to suspected federal complications, the Forest Service signed the final decision notice for the trails project in early April, according to a news release issued by the Forest Service April 3.

According to the news release, implementation of the project is expected to begin “as soon as possible.”

Keep Routt Wild President Larry Desjardin said he was “shocked” to hear that the Forest Service had changed the adaptive management plan and had removed the wildlife study.

Desjardin added that Keep Routt Wild has “independently verified every single part” of the letter.

“DNR is correct in their objections,” said Desjardin. “They are correct in how this adaptive management plan was altered in order to gut the protections for wildlife that were designed into it.”

The unexpected changes to the adaptive management plan have “poisoned the well” and created distrust between state agencies and the Forest Service, said Desjardin.

“We weren’t happy with Mad Rabbit, but we were ready to put our objections aside and work on getting this adaptive management plan executed,” said Desjardin. “We thought that if we were able to do a proper execution of an adaptive management plan on a controversial project, going forward, this could be a solution for many of the conflicts in the state regarding recreation and conservation.”

According to a statement from the Forest Service, sent to the Steamboat Pilot & Today on Wednesday, the wildlife study was not required for project implementation, and that was communicated to the Department of Natural Resources and CPW while collaborating on project plans.

“In multiple conversations with DNR/CPW over the past year, the Forest Service has maintained its stance that a wildlife study will not be a prerequisite for project implementation,” said Aaron Voos, public information specialist for the Forest Service. “This was communicated consistently from our district ranger, former forest supervisor and current forest supervisor.”

Voos noted that Monday’s objection letter comes after the official 45-day objection filing period ended, and does not stand in the way of the project’s implementation.

“It is important to note that the robust adaptive management plan as written in the final decision notice does not preclude the Forest Service and DNR/CPW from working together towards recreation/wildlife habitat management goals,” continued Voos. “We continue to work with our partners, value their work and anticipate positive outcomes we can achieve together.”

According to Voos, the Forest Service supports a wildlife study if monitoring calls for one, or if CPW’s preexisting collared elk study supports it. However, the Forest Service does not support a wildlife study to be conducted before the implementation of the trails project.

According to Craig Frithsen, president of Routt County Riders – an organization that has been a leading proponent of the project – the objection letter issued by the Department of Natural Resources is “largely symbolic.”

Frithsen added that he sees the wildlife study as an attempt to delay the project by another 1-3 years.

“At this point, we’ve been in this process for over 10 years,” said Frithsen. “This trail network has been studied to death. There’s no need for more studies. There’s no need for more delays.”

The Department of Natural Resources is unsure of how the changes to the adaptive management plan will affect the trails project going forward, according to a statement from the agency.

The statement noted the department’s appreciation for the Forest Service’s coordination to develop the adaptive management plan, but reiterated that the state was “disappointed” in the changes.

“The state remains unwaveringly committed to working in close coordination and collaboration with the Forest Service on resource management decisions moving forward,” said Chris Arend, communications director for the Department of Natural Resources. “We recognize the significant challenges that the USFS currently faces with growing resource limitations and our concerns with this particular development project should in no way change our commitment to work in close coordination with the USFS on natural resource management needs or decisions.”

Despite the objection letter, the implementation of the Mad Rabbit trails project “could begin as early as summer of 2025,” according to Voos.

Late last year, Steamboat Springs City Council members voted 5-2 on a resolution to approve a resolution allocating just over $1.6 million to support the project.

On Wednesday, City Council President Gail Garey said council’s official next step is to consider final approval of the city funding for the trails project, which is “tentatively” scheduled for late May.

Garey added that the approval of the funding resolution was made under a compromise between the Forest Service, the Department of Natural Resources and CPW.

Ahead of the May vote, Garey said, “understanding why the changes were made will also be information needed by council.”

While Routt County Commissioners had sent a letter of concern over the project, they have not taken a stance on the issue or attempted to intervene on either side of the issue, according to the commission’s chair, Sonja Macys.

Macys said this week that she and her colleagues need more information about the objection letter sent by the state and the Forest Service’s response. She noted that the topic will be discussed during the commissioners’ work session next week but it will not be open for public comment.

“Any time you have local, state and federal agencies involved in the planning and implementation of a trail project, you’re going to be presented with some hurdles, and you need to stay the course,” said Frithsen. “If your project enjoys popular support, eventually you’ll be able to overcome the hurdles.”

To view Mad Rabbit trails project documents, including the amended adaptive management plan, visit TinyUrl.com/4e33vxcf.