Uranium boom hits Western Slope

Western Colorado is in the midst of a uranium mining boom. Just after a mine near Naturita was reopened, efforts are now under way to reopen a mine near Gateway and extract 500 tons of uranium a month.

The Little Maverick Mining Co. recently submitted a plan to the Bureau of Land Management for a new operation that would employ less than a dozen workers and use an existing mine shaft. The mine was last operated 20 years ago, and the previous operator completed environmental clean-up obligations. The BLM plans to undertake an environmental analysis of the proposal, but officials are saying it will not be large scale.

The Little Maverick Mining Co. must have approval from both the Bureau of Land Management and the Division of Minerals and Geology before mining operations can begin.

At least one segment of the population has some concerns. Pete Kolbenschlag, of the Colorado Environmental Coalition, told the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, "Hopefully there will be a good public process people can be involved in. Uranium mining is an activity that hasn't been considered in this area in a long time, and an updated look at public land use and mining activity must be taken in the context of current circumstances."

Wild horse adoption set for Saturday

At least 24 wild horses will be up for adoption this weekend in Farmington. The horses were captured in the Carson National Forest near Bloomfield, where deteriorating range conditions required land managers to decrease the size of the herd.

The estimated population of the herd is currently 275 wild horses. Because of long-term drought conditions, range health has declined on the Jicarilla Wild Horse Territory. To help remedy the range health situation, the district has suspended all livestock grazing activity within the Wild Horse Territory.

The horses will be available for adoption for $125 to individuals who can provide shelter from inclement weather and temperature extremes for the animal. An officer will check on the condition of adopted horses and the facilities that house them during the first probationary year.

"These are nice-looking horses with surprisingly good conformation, and we're looking forward to placing them in homes where they can be appreciated and well cared for," said Stan Dykes, Wild Horse Coordinator.

The event takes place on Sat., April 2, at 9 a.m. at the Browning Ranch in Farmington. The horses will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be viewed April 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, log onto www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/natural_resources/index.shtml.

Land use revisions back on table

The contentious revisions to La Plata County's Land Use Code return to the spotlight this week. The La Plata County Commissioners and Planning Commission will hold a joint work session on Mon., April 4, at the county courthouse. The public is invited to attend but comment will not be taken.

"The concern we had was that the regulations were difficult to use," said Nancy Lauro, community development director, of the reason for the revisions. "We wanted to improve the efficiency of the development review process, and as a result, the quality of development in La Plata County."

However, many county residents don't see the revisions in the same light, and charge that they are overly restrictive, harmful to property values and damaging to area agriculture, among other things.

No decisions will be made during the April 4 session, and public hearings for formal consideration will be scheduled in the coming months. For more information on the revisions and the process, log onto www.co.laplata.co.us.

Big game winter closures continue

Because of continually wet conditions and deep snowpack at higher elevations, the majority of the Animas Mountain Trail and all of Sale Barn and Big Canyon trails will remain closed, the San Juan Public Lands Center announced Tuesday.

The closures, which started in December, are meant to give local elk and deer herds a safe haven and forage until the deep snow in the high country subsides.

According to wildlife experts, spring is a critical time for the herds, as they face dwindling food sources in the face of their annual migration to higher elevations and calving season.

"Elk and deer have been losing weight since last November," said Scott Wait, Colorado Division of Wildlife area biologist. "They have nearly exhausted their body fat from last fall."

Bureau of Land Management and DOW biologists will continue to meet weekly to determine how soon the closures can be lifted. The latest that the trails would reopen is April 15.

"We recognize that people are anxious to recreate, and we are trying to reopen these areas as soon as possible," said Chris Schultz, District Wildlife Biologist for the Columbine BLM Field Office. "As soon as there is a significant warming period, and the snow pack begins melting at higher elevations, we will be able to reopen these areas."

Prescribed burns slated for next week

Spring has arrived, and local fire managers' fancies have turned to prescribed burning.

According to San Juan Public Lands Fuels Specialist Randy Lewis, the window of opportunity for burning is usually just four to six weeks in the spring and again in late fall. "These are generally the best times to burn because the temperatures are more moderate and the fuels have enough moisture to keep the fire at a low intensity," he said. "However, due to a dramatic increase in fuel moistures this year, burning could occur during the summer."

Burning is expected to begin next week in the Dolores District, where elevations and snowpacks are lower. Projects closer to Durango and Pagosa are not expected to start until closer to May. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management hope to burn about 7,700 acres, including:

• The Dolores District: 1,500 acres at the Dolores Rim, about 5 miles east of Dove Creek; and 1,100 acres at Beaver Railroad, about 5 miles north of Dolores.
• The Columbine District: 3,421 acres at Sawmill Canyon, between La Plata Canyon and Lightner Creek; and 1,423 acres at Lange Canyon, about 10 miles east of Bayfield.
• The Pagosa District: 3,000 acres at Fawn Gulch, Lower Valle Seco and Benson Creek.

- compiled by Will Sands and Missy Votel