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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]