Village at Wolf Creek Objection Review Period EXTENDED to November 21st

I received the following today: 'Village at Wolf Creek Objection Review Period' has been extended to November 21, 2018.  It would be interesting to know the back story to this, but hey the important part is that citizens have additional time to voice their objections.

click on image for clearer view

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FOR MORE INFORMATION LINK TO,

http://rockymountainwild.org/submitting_objection

Submit your objection to the Village at Wolf Creek Pass 

Road Access Project to,

https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=35945

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

Friends of Wolf Creek, Call to Action! Submit Comments to RGNF/USDA

I received the following email today and am sharing it as a public service announcement.

http://rockymountainwild.org/submitting_objection

Submit your objection to the Village at Wolf Creek Pass 

Road Access Project to,

https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=35945

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

The Forest Service intends to give the Village of Wolf Creek road access. The Rio Grande National Forest announced its intention on July 19 to circumvent a federal court ruling that invalidated prior approvals for the controversial Village at Wolf Creek real estate development. 

As you know, a Colorado federal district court set aside the Forest Service's approval of a land exchange to facilitate the development in May of last year. "The Forest Service cannot abdicate its responsibility to protect the forest by making an attempt at an artful dodge," the court declared. Now, the Forest Service hopes to use the same artfully dodged analysis, previously deemed in violation of multiple federal laws, to approve a different means of providing the developers access.

The Forest Service is also trying to severely limit who can comment on this acton by limiting objections to those who "previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or comments on the draft EIS" in 2012.

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to comment on changes to their public lands. We encourage everyone to submit their objections.

Please email Friends of Wolf Creek with a copy of your comments, so that we have a record of what the Forest Service is receiving (this is obviously not a requirement for objections, we would just really appreciate it!).

Objection requirements, how to submit your objection, talking points, and how to write comments that stick can be found on our website.

Submit your comments before the September 5 deadline.

RGNF Supervisor responds to questions.

Rio Grand National Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas, did me the courtesy of a prompt and thorough response to the email I shared in the previous post.  Here I share his email which I have reformatted for clarity without altering any of his words, beyond bolding some of them.  It's food for thought and creates a sort of baseline to work with, or argue against, as the case may be. 

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Village at Wolf Creek Environmental Impact Statement and draft Record Of Decision 

are available on-line at: 

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

Comments are to be sent to before September 4th: 

Reviewing Officer, Tammy Whittington, Deputy Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service, Region 2, 1617 Cole Blvd., Building 17, Lakewood, Colorado 80401 or email r02admin_review@fs.fed.us. 

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With that I'll give the stage to Dan Dallas and will save further commentary for future posts.

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Subject: Why are comments on VWC recent Draft Decent being limited.

Response received Monday, 1:46PM, July 23, 2018

Dallas, Dan -FS

Peter, good questions, I will answer below within your letter below, highlighted in yellow using direct quotes from documents available on our website.  

Correction! Does RGNF restrict comments on Village at Wolf Creek Draft Decision?

I'll leave my letter as it was and simply add Dan Dallas' clarification.

Open letter of inquiry to RGNF/USDA

Dan Dallas clarifies, "There is no limitation on who can comment, this is a mischaracterization of the process that we’ve tried our best to clearly describe 

What is limited is who has standing to file an objection of the decision because it (decision) is based on an existing EIS which has already been commented on. ..."   (7/23/18)

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Village at Wolf Creek Environmental Impact Statement and draft Record Of Decision 
are available on-line at: 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=35945. 

Comments are to be sent to before September 4th: 

Reviewing Officer, Tammy Whittington, Deputy Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service, Region 2, 1617 Cole Blvd., Building 17, Lakewood, Colorado 80401 or email r02admin_review@fs.fed.us. 

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Dear RGNF Supervisor Dallas,

Mr. McCombs and Ms Shields, please reconsider your intentions, VillageWolfCreek speculation. (an open letter)

Today I was doing some clean up and came across an open letter I'd sent by US Post to both Red McCombs and his daughter Marsha M. Shields along with posting it here.  What shocked me is that in a few days it'll be year since I sent it.  Never did get a response, still it list issues and reasons that can't be ignored and it's as timely today as it was a year ago and it's also worth posting again. 

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I believe it is appropriate to personally petition Mr. McCombs and his daughter Marsha M. Shields, asking them to completely reconsider their out of date plans for a mountain village at Alberta Park. I encourage others to send their own thoughtful and constructive petitions on behalf of yourself, Alberta Park and all the wildlife and biology going on that can’t speak for itself.  

Open letter to Mr. McCombs and family, 

written while visiting Alberta Park mid June 2017.

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Dear Mr. McCombs and Marsha Shields,

We’ve met a couple times. Once was in Creede, at your 2005 Village at Wolf Creek presentation. I was passing out my No-VWC pamphlet and though we never got close, we did share a couple eye-to-eyes during the many speeches. Then at Congressman Salazar’s 2010 (Adam's State College) roundtable in Alamosa.  You walked up to me and accepted my flier, then you surprised me by extending your hand.

I was honored to shake it. Not much was said, just two guys sizing each other up and walking away. I honestly cherish the memory since it made you a real person to me and not some distant cartoon. 

Given Judge Matsch’s decision and the Village at Wolf Creek land trade being nullified, I feel it’s a good time to personally explain why I’ve been dogging your project and to ask that you and your daughter stop to consider Alberta Park as the irreplaceable biological treasure that it is.

Open Letter to Mr. McCombs and Marsha Shields, please reconsider your intentions.

I believe it is appropriate to personally petition Mr. McCombs and his daughter Marsha M. Shields, asking them to completely reconsider their out of date plans for a mountain village at Alberta Park. I encourage others to send their own thoughtful and constructive petitions on behalf of yourself, Alberta Park and all the wildlife and biology going on that can’t speak for itself.  
(It was suggested that my letter lacked an appropriate ending.  Upon reflection, they were right.  Revised June 20th.)

Open letter to Mr. McCombs and family, 

written while visiting Alberta Park earlier this week.

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Dear Mr. McCombs and Marsha Shields,

We’ve met a couple times. Once was in Creede, at your 2005 Village at Wolf Creek presentation. I was passing out my No-VWC pamphlet and though we never got close, we did share a couple eye-to-eyes during the many speeches. Then at Congressman Salazar’s 2010 (Adam's State College) roundtable in Alamosa.

You walked up to me and accepted my flier, then you surprised me by extending your hand and I was honored to shake it. Not much was said, just two guys sizing each other up and walking away. I honestly cherish the memory since it made you a real person to me and not some distant cartoon. 

Given Judge Matsch’s decision and the Village at Wolf Creek land trade being nullified, I feel it’s a good time to personally explain why I’ve been dogging your project and to ask that you and your daughter stop to consider Alberta Park as the irreplaceable biological treasure that it is.

Letter to Mr. McCombs and LMJV - supplemental information

List of links and other supporting information for my letter to LMJV’s Red McCombs and his daughter Marsha McCombs Shields pleading with them to consider abandoning all their development dreams for Alberta Park, in favor of leaving that precious landscape unmolested to continue serving the many biological and wildlife support functions it currently fulfills.

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“Creede, at your 2005 Village at Wolf Creek presentation”

www.denverpost.com/2005/05/01/wolf-creek-braces-for-battle/

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“2010 (Adam's State College) roundtable in Alamosa"

www.chieftain.com/news/local/salazar-seeks-consensus-over-wolf-creek-study/article_7c1a071b-abf8-5017-ab60-4cbc47a45137.html

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“surrounding watershed”

www.cnhp.colostate.edu/download/documents/2012/RGNFWetlandAssessmentReportFINAL.pdf

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Fens “provide a real service”

https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/fen/FWSRegion6FenPolicy1999.pdf

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“La Garita Wilderness Area”

www.coloradowilderness.com/wildpages/lagarita.html]

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“Weminuche Wilderness Area”

www.coloradowilderness.com/wildpages/weminuche.html

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“Silverton” 9,813 feet above sea level

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverton,_Colorado

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WOLF CREEK PASS, COLORADO

Elevation: 10326 feet     Latitude: 37 29N     Longitude: 106 52W

Köppen Classification: Continental Subarctic Climate

www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=381950&cityname=Wolf+Creek+Pass,+Colorado,+United+States+of+America&units=

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“the wind blows incessantly”

https://www.windfinder.com/report/pagosa_springs_wolf_creek_pass

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“Why would we expect calm days”

https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/nwcc/site?sitenum=874

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Defining “subarctic weather conditions”

https://www.britannica.com/science/continental-subarctic-climate

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Federal Judge Has Ruled - Red McCombs and LMJV land swap nullified.

US District Court Colorado, Judge Matsch's ORDER: 

"Where an agency action is found to be arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, or 39 otherwise not in accordance with law, the Court must “hold [it] unlawful and set [it] aside.” 5 U.S.C. § 706(2). The Court finds and concludes that Defendants‟ actions violated the APA in the respects specified in this decision.  

Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the Record of Decision dated May 21, 2015, is SET ASIDE.”

For Text of Ruling:

http://no-villageatwolfcreek.blogspot.com/2017/05/red-mccombs-lmjv-land-swap-nullified.html