River group inspires watershed act
The locally based River Protection Workgroup is making waves in Washington.
The locally based River Protection Workgroup is making waves in Washington.
Recommendations from the Hermosa Workgroup, part of the River Protection Workgroup, inspired the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act of 2012, a bill introduced by Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., on Wed., July 18.
The Hermosa workgroup is one of five groups of diverse river users examining waterways in the area in an effort to create suggestions to protect them in the future. Other workgroups include the Animas River, San Juan River, Vallecito Creek/Pine River and Piedra River.
“This bill originated from a local effort that took into account the varied interests of the community,” Bennet said in a press release. “Their collaborative approach set the tone early for a public process that led to a strong bill.”
Co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., the bill would designate about 108,000 acres located in the San Juan National Forest north of Durango as a combination of wilderness and multiple-use recreational areas. Most of these lands would remain open to historic uses, such as mountain biking, motorized recreation, selective timber harvesting and grazing.
About 38,000 acres would be designated wilderness, where mechanized recreation is not permitted. The lands considered for wilderness protection lie within an area to the west of Hermosa Creek. The wilderness would be bordered by Corral Draw to the north, Hermosa Creek Trail to the east and Indian Trail Ridge to the west. These popular trails, as well as the Colorado Trail, would not be included in the wilderness and would remain open to mechanized travel.
Local conservation groups have praised the bill for taking into account protection of the watershed. “Whether you’re looking for hungry brook trout, elusive Colorado River cutthroat, wild turkey, a six-by-six bull elk or trophy mule deer, Hermosa Creek has it all,” said Ty Churchwell, of the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project for Trout Unlimited. “Protecting backcountry habitat with such high value is a must if we’re to ensure our sporting heritage is enjoyed by future generations.”
Another part of the bill, S.3400, includes language that would protect federal lands on Animas Mountain and Perins Peak Wildlife Area from future mineral, oil and gas leasing, exploration and development.
In a letter to Bennet dated April 2011, Durango city officials supported the bill, describing the area as a key scenic and recreational amenity for both residents and visitors. The lands and recreation they provide “would be negatively impacted by oil and gas exploration,” stated the letter.
The City of Durango, La Plata County Board of Commissioners and Bureau of Land Management all passed resolutions back in 2009 supporting the withdrawal of oil and gas leases from Perins Peak.
If passed, these lands would not be susceptible to future mineral leasing.
Currently, the bill is headed for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the U.S. Senate, where it begins its legislative journey.
Durango teens catch Olympic fever
While most people around the world tune into the Olympic Games this weekend, a handful will get to see the action live and in person.
Among that handful will be three Durango teens.
“It’s like winning the lottery,” said Arn Menconi, executive director and founder of SOS Outreach, a local youth development program.
Incoming Durango High School seniors Sage Potter, Samantha Jones and Luke Sutherland are packing for London, getting ready to take the trip of a lifetime.
They earned the opportunity as junior mentors with SOS, working with the program for at least five years, attending leadership workshops and completing service projects in the community.
This is a first for SOS. Partnering with Global Sports Development, a program promoting sportsmanship among the youth, and corporate sponsors like K2, SOS was able to take 19 Colorado teen-agers, including the three local seniors, across the pond to experience the 2012 Summer Games.
The group will get to meet U.S. athletes, attend cultural and sporting events, and see the sights around London.
“I’m extremely excited,” Potter said.
He has been to Canada a few times, but never Europe, and is looking forward to seeing London and experiencing the diversity of people attending the Olympic Games.
Menconi started SOS Outreach in 1993 as a way to introduce underprivileged youth to the mountains and snowboarding. Eventually, it grew into a nonprofit charity that includes summer and winter outdoor activities with a value-based leadership curriculum.
As a youth development nonprofit, SOS combines sports, leadership and charity to inspire underserved youth in the community.
Local adult volunteers mentor the program’s participants, but Menconi said it’s about the kids. “I think the kids are helping the adults more than the adults are helping them,” he added.
Through SOS’s character development and mentoring programs, participants like Potter have the opportunity to improve their grades and learn how to give back to the community.
“It’s a way to reinforce good morals and being responsible for school work,” Potter said about SOS. Opportunities like the trip to the Olympics are the rewards for those efforts.
Although he’s not certain where the future will take him, Potter is certain that SOS will be a part of that future. And so will the London Olympics.
Multi Modal Plan gets green light
After more than 75 public meetings and three years on the ground, Durango’s Multi Modal Transportation Master Plan is a done deal. City Council unanimously approved the plan at its regular meeting July 17.
“It’s a significant step forward,” said councilor Dick White, noting that he campaigned on a platform of sustainability. “I commend the effort that’s gone into it.”
Fellow councilor Christina Rinderle echoed White’s sentiments. “It’s such a great asset. I can’t say enough about the collaboration,” she said, adding that she has already noticed changes around town, such as the newly revamped Florida Road. “It’s a complete street, with bike lanes, medians, sidewalks and trees,” she said.
The lone voice of caution came from councilor Paul Broderick, who referred to the plan as “lofty” and warned future councils about the costs associated with it. “If we were to add up all the costs of this plan, there wouldn’t be enough numbers on the calculator,” he said. “We need to be careful. Policy can have unintended consequences and huge costs.”
Mayor Doug Lyon defended the plan, noting that it is not set in stone, but rather a blueprint which could help facilitate future funding. “It’s a roadmap to the future and a good set of aspirations,” he said. “If we have the plan on a shelf, we can go out and get money to implement it.”
At the urging of the community, the city began work on a Multimodal Master Plan in 2009. The vision of the plan is to create a fully connected public transportation system that anyone can access with ease.
“The rule of thumb is if a middle school-aged child can walk or bike independently through Durango,” said Multi modal Coordinator Amber Blake.
Among the ideas to achieve these goals are: bicycle boulevards, low-volume, low-speed streets; signed bike routes; extended bike lanes at intersections; additional bike lanes and “buffered” bike lanes; curb ramps; and facilities such as transit stops, bus storage, bicycle and vehicle parking and multi-use trails.
For the complete Multi Modal Master Plan, go to http://www.getarounddurango.com/multi-modal-master-plan.
– Tracy Chamberlin and Missy Votel