For those who may be interested in the area of southwest Colorado,  I'm 
sending along a website describing a proposal that will impact the environment of  
Wolf Creek, Colorado, near Pagosa Springs in Mineral County.   We've visited 
Durango, Colorado, the last 10 or so years (it also has development issues), 
and are aware that the San Juan Citizens Alliance is one of the groups seeking 
to inform the public of concerns about wilderness issues.  Wolf Creek does 
involve the National Forest Service so is not only a local concern.        Mac 
Amerman, Des Moines Sierra member.

A large development is proposed for Wolf Creek, Colorado, an area of meadows, 
alpine creeks, unspoiled backcountry recreation opportunities, and one of the 
most critical wildlife corridors in the Southern Rocky Mountain.  The 
proposed development requires access permits from the National Forest Service. 
Comments are needed by December 6th.  Information is available at
http://www.friendsofwolfcreek.org/ 

The SJCA has sent out the following:
Forest Service Releases Draft EIS
Shirks Responsibility for Village at Wolf Creek Impacts

Developer Red McCombs - owner of the Minnesota Vikings,
co-founder of Clear-Channel Communications, Texas car dealer, and major
political campaign contributor - is increasing the political pressure to
gain approval of a  potential 8,000-person "village" at the base of Wolf 
Creek Ski
Area's Alberta lift.*  The Forest Service is under the gun to grant
year-round access before the inauguration of new Mineral County
commissioners (January 11), members of Congress, and the Presidency (January
20).  Now they have hurriedly published a Draft EIS that seeks to do just
that.
In order to construct the development, sell expensive second homes, provide
utilities to the site, and gain final approval from Mineral County, the
developer must get approval for access over National Forest lands.  With
little regard for public concerns, the Forest Service published a Draft EIS
on October 8 that recommends not only one, but two access roads despite
overwhelming opposition locally and nationally.

Federal law requires that the Forest Service grant access to inholdings -
private property surrounded by public lands owned by all Americans - for
"reasonable use and enjoyment".  Local governments, Wolf Creek Ski Area, and
hundreds of concerned citizens have insisted that the Forest Service gauge
what constitutes reasonable use and enjoyment of, and what is viable, on
this private land at 10,300-feet in a crucial wildlife and recreation
setting.

*The original 1986 land exchange - first deemed not in the public interest,
then overruled by Washington DC bureaucrats - envisioned just 210 units, a
far cry from the 2,172 now under consideration for final approval.  Yet the
Draft EIS ignores this fact, simply defining the developer's current
proposal as reasonable use and enjoyment--all 2,172 units on 162 lots,
5,176 bedrooms, 4,267 parking spaces, 222,100 square feet of commercial
space (over two Wal-Marts worth!) including 12 restaurants, multiple hotels,
a convention center, and acres of shopping.

Federal law also requires the Forest Service to assume responsibility for
the social and environmental impacts that its approval makes possible. The
intense political pressure and resulting accelerated EIS schedule has the
Forest Service shirking its legal and ethical obligations to the public.
The Forest Service cannot approve this development and comply with laws that
protect clean water, wildlife, clean air, and countless other important
public values.  Should the Forest Service legitimately take responsibility
for the impacts of the full development, they would have to deny access as
the development will violate numerous laws, regulations, and public
concerns:

Destroys Critical Wildlife Habitat.
Wolf Creek Pass serves as a critical wildlife migration corridor.
Biologists have identified Wolf Creek Pass as a critical corridor for the
threatened lynx. Extensive traffic growth and the development itself will
increase roadkill, reducing the ability of lynx to cross the highway to find
mates and reproduce.  Alberta Park Reservoir and its tributaries, all within
or adjacent to the property, also provide some of the best habitat for the
Rio Grande cutthroat trout, a species that has been petitioned for listing
as Federally endangered.

Pollutes Watersheds and Fills Wetlands.
Sixty acres of high-quality wetlands would be filled or dried up by this
development.  Utility and power lines will have to be brought from the San
Luis Valley.  Sewage would pollute Alberta Lake. The developers must compete
with agriculture in the San Luis Valley for scarce water in one of the most
over-appropriated watersheds in the West.

**Write YOUR letter to the Forest Service by Dec. 6, 2004:
VWC DEIS Comments, Tetra Tech, Inc.
5205 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1400
Falls Church, VA 22041

Email to: [log in to unmask], or fax to
703-931-9222.

· Insist that the Forest Service assess the full spillover impacts of the
development, including to air quality, water quality, water supply,
wildlife, local businesses, skiing (including its own permittee - Wolf Creek
ski area), traffic on Highway 160, snow storage on public lands as a
"connected action" with their access decision.



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