Jonathan Romeo reports 7/19/2018 Village at Wolf Creek road access

Here's a look at what others are writing:

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July 19, 2018, by Jonathan Romeo county and environment reporter, Durango Herald

Forest Service gives Village at Wolf Creek road access

Development atop Wolf Creek Pass gets path forward

https://durangoherald.com/articles/232567-forest-service-gives-village-at-wolf-creek-road-access

In a bombshell decision, the U.S. Forest Service on Thursday gave the Village at Wolf Creek its long-desired road access to U.S. Highway 160, essentially paving the way for the proposed massive resort atop Wolf Creek Pass.

“The reason is we still have a legal requirement to provide access to landlocked parcels,” Rio Grande Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas told The Durango Herald late Thursday.

The news came as a shock to a coalition of environmental groups that for three decades have opposed what would essentially amount to a new town in a remote part of Southwest Colorado, adjacent to the relatively small Wolf Creek Ski Area.

The decision was especially jarring for environmentalists because a federal judge in May 2017 ruled the Forest Service skirted its responsibilities to protect public lands when it approved a land swap that also sought to give the Village at Wolf Creek road access to U.S. Highway 160. …

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Village at Wolf Creek Access Project: New draft decision grants access to land-locked private property

By Mike Blakeman, Special to The Pagosa SUN, July 19, 2018

http://www.pagosasun.com/village-at-wolf-creek-access-project-new-draft-decision-grants-access-to-land-locked-private-property-and/

… “This has been a long, complex project and I encourage folks to learn more about its status and review the new draft decision for themselves,” added Dallas. “It’s also important to know that the land exchange option, as the selected alternative, remains on the table pending resolution of the legal process.”

The draft Record of Decision is now available for public review during a formal 45-day objection period. The objection period will run through Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. 

To learn more about the project, read previous comments, or to object, please visit 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=35945.  

A final decision is expected in the autumn of 2018.

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Forest Service Plans to Grant Access to Wolf Creek Complex

July 19, 2018, AP

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/colorado/articles/2018-07-19/forest-service-plans-to-grant-access-to-wolf-creek-complex

… The would-be developers, a joint venture spearheaded by Texas billionaire B.J. "Red" McCombs, have sought since the 1980s to build the complex called the Village at Wolf Creek, but the property has always been cut off from U.S. Highway 160. …

… But the decision was especially jarring for the development's opponents, who thought Matsch's decision closed the book on the development.

"I've never seen anything this egregious in its disregard for the law," said Travis Stills, an attorney who represents the environmental groups opposed to the plan. "In normal times, people lose their jobs over things like this. But these are not normal times.”

The proposed road would be about 1,610 feet (491 meters) long (at the elevation of). Any proposal for the actual development would have to be approved by Mineral County officials.

The public can comment for the next 45 days on the Forest Service's proposal to grant road access. The agency is expected to announce its final decision this fall.

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The draft Record of Decision is now available for public review during a formal 45-day objection period. The objection period will run through Sept. 4. To learn more about the project, read previous comments, or to object, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=35945.  A final decision is expected in the autumn of 2018.

Update 6/26/15 - citizens task force visits Washington D.C.

Village at Wolf Creek faces hurdle

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20150624/NEWS01/150629803//article/20150624/NEWS01/150629803/Village-at-Wolf-Creek-faces-hurdle-

By Peter Marcus  | June 24, 2015 |  Herald Denver Bureau

… A coalition of conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday after the U.S. Forest Service gave the land swap the go-ahead in May. Developers would offer 177 acres of private land to the Forest Service in the Rio Grande National Forest in exchange for about 205 acres of federal land.

...

The nearly 30-year effort has been overshadowed by several previous lawsuits, all of which sought to stop the ambitious development. Developers crossed a major hurdle last month, but they fully expected additional roadblocks. That delay was realized Wednesday.

“This land exchange was completed without the full and transparent analysis of the impacts that is required by law,” said Matt Sandler, an attorney for Rocky Mountain Wild, who filed the lawsuit. “These laws are in place to protect the public interest; this Forest Service decision protects the interests of big business and billionaires.”

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They considered a 1980 law called the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which contains a provision that requires owners of in-holdings to be given reasonable access to their property. That means year-round access for developers, officials say.

Concerns have revolved around wildlife – such as migration routes for lynx – and maintaining the integrity of the scenic treasure that surrounds Wolf Creek.

Opponents recently organized a coalition to travel to Washington, D.C., to speak with lawmakers and federal officials about the matter. ...

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Report From Our Wolf Creek Trip To DC
By Jimbo Buickerood  |  June 26, 2015
http://sanjuancitizens.org/report-from-our-wolf-creek-trip-to-dc/

Last Friday night I camped on our national forest lands to the east and just below Wolf Creek Pass. Before snuggling into my sleeping bag, I bid a goodnight to the couple dozen elk grazing amongst the ponds and wetland fens nearby. The next morning I roamed the meadows, streamsides and forest while appreciating the thrush’s song harmonizing with the morning light.

On Monday night my pre-bedtime walk switched to bidding a stone-faced George Washington (on horse, not elk) goodnight before climbing into my bed in a Washington, DC inn. My morning walk the next day was a strident and timely effort to hop onto the Metro’s redline to arrive in time for our first meeting of the day in the Ford House Office Building – no time to listen for a bird’s song. Later that day we entered the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture – there were no elk to comfort me, but the wildlife photos on the walls assured me the agency had some interest in backcountry habitat.

There were five of us on our team – a diverse collection of conservations from Colorado and beyond who journeyed to Washington to Stop the Pillage.

Our objective was to inform administration officials and members of the Colorado federal delegation of the current status to develop (and profit from) a private inholding set amidst our public lands on the east side of Wolf Creek Pass – the one owned by that out-of-state billionaire. We were also there to listen to the experts on possible avenues to save the Wolf Creek Pass fens, forest and their resident creatures from the developers.

Most of the high level managers and elected officials (and their staff) we talked with were to some degree aware of the long and twisted history of the effort (conspiracy?) to airdrop a city of 8,000 people on the east side of Wolf Creek pass at the foot of the ski area. All were interested in an update of the situation that includes the recent signing of the Record of Decision (ROD) by Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas to approve the proposed land exchange. 

You probably already know that the land exchange would give the developer direct access to Highway 160 for the first time since the private inholding “miraculously” appeared in the middle of our national forest in 1986, enabling vehicles to fill the envisioned 4,000+ parking spaces. Just thinking (and digressing) about 4,000 parking spaces in a location with an average of more than 400 inches of snow per year – perhaps “Shoveling at Wolf Creek” is the envisioned tagline for the development…..

Meanwhile, back in Washington – we emphasized our observations that the approved Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was flawed to the core as we had noted in our official 96-page Objection to the FEIS and is detailed again in the legal complaint we filed this week in federal court. If you derived two lists from the FEIS, one listing “Important Issues Analyzed” and the other “Important Issues Ignored”, the second list would be longer – much longer. The so-called scope of the FEIS was very narrow, basically it looked at the exchange of real estate parcels while ignoring the proposal of airdropping in that 8,000-person “village.” Yes, that would include those 4,000+ parking spaces where those elk were grazing, the thrush was singing and the marshmarigolds were beginning to bloom.

Our meeting hosts asked a wide range of questions regarding community interests, wildlife habitat, the environmental analysis process, involvement of various agencies, concerns of nearby landowners, specifics of the project history, and more. There was one question they did not ask, as they seemed to already know – our mettle was strong as ever and our intentions were clear, Stop the Pillage.

While making the rounds of the Capitol and departmental offices we were buoyed by the tremendous amount of support being shown by supporters of a wild Wolf Creek Pass with the thousands of letters, postcards, phone calls and petition signers weighing in as we walked the marble and granite halls and told our story. It was evident by the words and expressions of many that we met with that we were not standing alone in our nation’s capitol – they knew, we knew – that we had all of you with us.

The multi-decade effort to Stop the Pillage has been long, convoluted, strange and demanding and we would certainly would have received our Patience and Persistence badges had been this a scouting achievement effort. With the incredible public support, a wide array of committed partners, a strong Stop the Pillage strategy, and certainly the knowledge that these lands deserve to be wild (not asphalt) I feel as confident as ever we will prevail.

Together we will – Stop the Pillage!

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Final decision released for Village at Wolf Creek Access Project, May 21, 2015

I'm mirroring today's RGNF/USDA press release unaltered and free of comment:


RIO GRANDE NATIONAL FOREST
MONTE VISTA, CO 81144

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 21, 2015

Contact: Mike Blakeman,

mblakeman@fs.fed.us

Final decision released for Village at Wolf Creek Access Project

MONTE VISTA, Colo. – Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas has approved the proposed land exchange between the United States and Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture (LMJV). The land exchange proposal, which was Alternative 2 in the Village at Wolf Creek Access Project analysis, will provide the opportunity for LMJV to develop year-round access to their property.

“I have signed the final record of decision approving the land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture,” said Dallas. “I believe this is the best decision to minimize disturbance to public land while meeting the agency’s legal obligation to provide access to the private property.”

Alternative 2 conveys approximately 177 acres of privately held land to the Rio Grande National Forest in exchange for approximately 205 acres of National Forest System land managed by the RGNF. The land exchange creates a private land parcel of approximately 325 acres extending to U.S. Highway 160 and will accommodate year-round vehicular access.

The existing Tranquility Road will be extended east across NFS land to the private land. This road will provide restricted seasonal access between Wolf Creek Ski Area and the private land.

The primary benefits of the land exchange proposal over the previous right of way proposal include relocation of most of the proposed private land development to an area farther away from the ski area and Forest Service acquisition of a net gain of 40 acres of wetlands and more than 8,600 linear feet of perennial stream.

LMJV previously sought a right of way access across RGNF from U.S. Highway 160 to their private land. Since their private land is within the boundaries of the National Forest System, the Forest Service is obligated by federal statute to provide LMJV with such access as the Forest Service determines is adequate to secure reasonable use and enjoyment of their property.

For more information about the Village at Wolf Creek Access Project, visit the Rio Grande National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/riogrande.

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Further information resources:

June 20th, 2015 at Wolf Creek Ski Area

Friends of Wolf Creek is planning an informative 

and inspiring art opportunity this summer, 

honoring Wolf Creek Pass. 

Artists of all disciplines will converge at the 

Wolf Creek Ski Area on Saturday June 20, 2015 

to spend the day in the creative process. 

http://www.planetexperts.com/art-for-the-endangered-landscape-honoring-wolf-creek/

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Celebrating Alberta Park and Honoring Wolf Creek
http://no-villageatwolfcreek.blogspot.com/2015/05/honoring-wolf-creek.html

Rejecting the Village At Wolf Creek, list of go-to info and resources
http://no-villageatwolfcreek.blogspot.com/2015/05/rejecting-villageat-wolfcreek.html

http://friendsofwolfcreek.org

http://sanjuancitizens.org

http://www.slvec.org
(San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council)

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Rio Grande National Forest: Village at Wolf Creek Access Project

http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/riogrande/landmanagement/projects

The Rio Grande National Forest is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement to analyze the effects of the proposed Village at Wolf Creek land exchange.

Location Summary

The federal and non-federal parcels to be considered are entirely within Mineral County, Colorado

District: Divide Ranger District

Project Documents

Date Published

1. Scoping

1. VWC Final Scoping Notice (PDF 57kb)
2. Scoping Letter for the Village at Wolf Creek Land Exchange Proposal
3. Fig1 (PDF 993kb)
4. Figure showing the current private parcel surrounded by the Rio Grande National Forest
5. Fig2 (PDF 1007kb)
6. Figure showing the proposed land exchange Federal and non-Federal parcels
7. Fig3 (PDF 998kb)
8. Figure showing potential access location from U.S. Highway 160
9. 20110419VWCNOI (PDF 53kb)
10. Notice of Intent to prepare and Environmental Impact Statement for the Village at Wolf Creek Land Exchange Proposal