Alberta Park Swap FOIA Request update 4/2/12

For the results see: http://no-villageatwolfcreek.blogspot.com/2012/05/usda-forest-service-decision-notice-and.html

As I've mentioned before I'm a independent working guy and it's no surprise I'll make mistakes along the way.  I received a letter (a week late because I was out of town) from the Rio Grande Forest Supervisor asking for clarification on my FOIA request.  My response:

Regarding:  RGF-2012-004
Addition to my 3/15/12 FOIA request
                           

Reply to Dan Dallas’ letter
of March 22, 2012
File Code 6270



Dear Supervisor Dallas,

Thank you for your letter of March 22. 
I’ve been west of here for the past week,
so am reading it for the first time.

Forgive my clumsy wording in the 3/15/12 letter. 
I’m a working guy not versed in legalize so this will be a learning process. 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The records I seek:

1) ... a copy of the 1986 RGNF decision that rejected the LMJV land trade offer for Alberta Park.

2) ... a copy of the USDA (or RGNF) order to Rio Grande National Forest officials to transfer Title to a 300 acre portion of Alberta Park to LMJV. 

3) ... most importantly, a copy of the decision/decree/veto ~ whatever it was ~
that reversed the original RGNF decision which rejected LMJV’s hostile takeover bid for the heart of the RGNF’s Alberta Park watershed.
{Which incidentally, is part of the source waters for the interstate, international Rio Grande River.}
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I thank (ST) for her helpful phone call and look forward to hearing from (TC) when she has some information.


Sincerely,

Peter Miesler

The Village at Wolf Creek, It’s A Scandal

Let me tell you a story about a man named Red. It was back in the 80’s, he purchased some private land within the Saguache Ranger District of the Rio Grande National Forest. It was nice land; land the Forest Service had been eyeing for some time and Red had a plan.

With those chips in hand Red saddled up to the public lands real estate table, proposing to trade his coveted Saguache District chips for an incredible parcel smack in the middle of the high country and Rio Grande National Forest.  Not just any land, but an amazing water shed that captures and filters some of the greatest snow all in the 48 States.  In 1986 after due process Red’s’ proposal was rejected by RGNF officials.  … but, …

RGNF sent the official rejection papers to the Reagan era US Department of Agriculture, where the trade was miraculously reborn then returned to RGNF marked ‘land trade accepted’ and Mr. Red McCombs received Title.

Amazingly RGNF officials are unable to produce a record of how that reversal actually occurred. Unfortunately, since it’s past the statute of limitations, no one seems interested in learning about it.

Well I am, so March 15th I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for the paper trail of what transpired between the RGNF’s rejection and McCombs receiving Title.

(FOIA) Freedom of Information Request: Regarding The Title Transfer of Alberta Park ~ 3/15/12 ~

For an update see: http://no-villageatwolfcreek.blogspot.com/2012/05/usda-forest-service-decision-notice-and.html


I've decided to share my Freedom of Information Act request to the Rio Grande National Forest:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 3/15/2012

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request records of the Saguache District, Rio Grande National Forest land trade proposal by Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture.  Wherein he proposed to trade out three private parcels within the Saguache District for a large section of Alberta Park (near Wolf Creek Pass) - Rio Grande National Forest land. . .

Defending Alberta Park, Memes Courier, La Plata Democratic Assembly

.

On occasion I do a flier titled the Memes Courier.  

Here's a copy of my most recent venture.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

✯ EXTRA ✯  The Memes Courier  ✯ EXTRA  ✯

Alberta Park, Rio Grande River Watershed, 

Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado, USA

~ The Bid for a Village at Wolf Creek ~

La Plata County Democratic Assembly Edition ~ March 17, 2012

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

While fact checking the article in the previous post, I discovered something interesting.

The original 1986 Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture’s offer to trade Saguache District parcels for a chunk of Alberta Park near Wolf Creek Pass was rejected by the Rio Grande Forest Service.
Yet, that original rejection metamorphosed into an approval and the USFS cannot cite how it happened!

What happened?  Who knows?  Was it perhaps a clerical error? 
How do we actually know McCombs’ Deed is legitimate? 
Has everyone been fooled into playing liars poker?

Fast forward a quarter century and that landlocked parcel at Alberta Park has been nothing but failed advances and headaches for the intrepid speculator.
 
Now McCombs want’s to trade in 178 acres of that land, for 204 acres of RGFS land with direct access to Highway 160.

Sadly, all bets seem to be that the RGNF is on the way to allowing the trade. 

The Red McCombs’ Alberta Park Real Estate Poker Game

The saga continues: 
{updated March 23, 2012}  
 

Red McCombs’ 
Alberta Park Poker Game 

{Yup, the one near Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado.}

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

The sad saga of Alberta Park began back in the 1980’s when a billionaire purchased some private land within the Saguache Ranger District of the Rio Grande National Forest. It was nice land; land the Forest Service had been eyeing for some time.

With those chips in hand Red McCombs saddled up to the public lands real estate table. Proposing to trade his coveted Saguache District chips for an incredible parcel smack in the middle of the high country. In 1986 after due process McCombs’ proposal was rejected by Rio Grande National Forest officials. But, McCombs had a few cards up his sleeve. . .

The proposed Village at Wolf Creek revisited

March, 2012
The proposed Village at Wolf Creek revisited

Given that the Rio Grande National Forest will be releasing their preliminary draft EIS for the Red McCombs Land Swap Offer in another couple months - and considering people will have a short moment of opportunity when sharing their thoughts will actually matter - an update is called for.

Feds Reject Permit for Flaming Gorge Pipeline

Well there is some good news to share.  Seems the Green River has been spared an ecological disaster:

February 23, 2012

 Feds Reject Permit for Flaming Gorge Pipeline Threatening Colorado River, Endangered Fish

DENVER— The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today rejected a preliminary permit application by Wyco Power and Water, Inc. to construct a 500-mile water pipeline that would pump more than 250,000 acre-feet of water annually from Flaming Gorge Reservoir to Colorado’s Front Range.