Mission

Increase the public's awareness, through press on board the flights, of the threats to public lands, including our beloved backyard landscapes up Independence Pass and in the White River National Forest. And, view conservation projects initiated by the Independence Pass Foundation.

With the unprecedented number of land manager layoffs and a potential land sale on the horizon, our public lands have never been more endangered. Independence Pass will be one of the areas most heavily impacted by this assault on the public trust. Nestled in the busiest national forest in the country, the White River National Forest, the scenic road and its many trailheads support a vibrant recreation economy that without careful management, will lead to an ecological disaster. The diverse plants and animals that call this landscape home, have relied on deliberate forest management, allowing them to thrive alongside the recreation stemming from this thoroughfare.

Independence Pass Foundation is picking up where the federal government cuts have left off, bolstering their stewardship efforts to make up for the lack of federal support. These critical projects range from the installation of new automated wildfire spotting technology to water quality monitoring in Lincoln Creek, a creek and valley plagued by acid mine drainage from an extractive past. From the air, these projects can be examined to inform better implementation within the context of the broader landscape. We were able to see exactly where precise solutions and management are needed to facilitate a successful summer of recreation and stewardship on Independence Pass.

Click for flight photos from the flight