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The Rocky Mountain region (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) possesses the feedstocks, industrial infrastructure, and legislative support necessary to develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry, yet it currently lacks substantial production. This roadmap examines regional feedstock availability and policy mechanisms to align the region with the US SAF Grand Challenge and outlines actions for short-, medium-, and long-term SAF development.

The forests of the Rocky Mountains are facing a 'triple assault' of tree-killing insects, wildfires, and heat and drought, all amplified by human-caused global warming. Bark beetle outbreaks killed trees on 46 million acres between 2000 and 2012, while large wildfires have increased in frequency and intensity. Iconic species like whitebark pines, quaking aspens, and piñon pines are in catastrophic decline. Projections suggest that if emissions continue unchecked, average regional temperatures could rise by 10°F by the end of the century, potentially replacing conifer forests with shrublands or grasslands. The report advocates for risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, managing for resilience, increasing agency capacity, addressing community vulnerability, and deep reductions in heat-trapping emissions.