Durango set to make love connection
When 10 o’clock rolls around the morning of Thurs., Sept. 27, Jack Turner is expecting a chain reaction unlike any the city of Durango has ever seen.

“My goal is to have Shan Wells and Vi McCoy hold hands,” says Turner, only half joking. In fact, he has contacted both Wells, a well known liberal leaning artist (who, in full disclosure, is the political cartoonist for the Telegraph,) and McCoy, a similarly notorious letter writer from the opposite end of the political spectrum.

So far, both seem amicable to the idea, says Turner, which is exactly the intent of next week’s Durango Connect. In the works since January, the event is meant to bridge the political and ideological gap, if only for a few minutes, by symbolically lining thousands of people along the completed 7.2 miles of Animas River Trail.

Turner, a fifth-generation Durangoan who admits to having a wide-range of beliefs along the political spectrum, knows it’s a lofty goal. “This is a lot harder to pull off than I ever believed,” he said.

But like a human wave at a football stadium, the momentum has been almost unstoppable. And for those who think the Connect is about hippies and Kumbaya, Turner said that is not exactly the case. “It’s not about rainbows and unicorns,” he said. “This is for everybody.”

Not only has Turner enlisted 5,000 9-R school students to participate, but civic leaders; politicians (J. Paul Brown was the first to step forward); 75  members of the Southern Ute Tribe (complete in ceremonial garb); members of the Durango Senior Center (who will be escorted by high school students); and Turner’s own parents, who at 80 will be making the trek to the trail come next Thursday. “My mom and dad are excited to be part of it,” said Turner. “There are so many things they can’t do. This is one that they can do.”

Oh, and to catch the momentous occasion, there will a film crew shooting footage from the air.

Turner estimates up to 8,000 people are needed to complete the chain, and bodies especially will be in demand on the southern reaches of the trail. In addition, participants are asked to walk or ride bikes to the trail instead of driving.

Tuner said he envisions a “Promontory, Utah” type scene at the newly completed missing trail link, the bridge behind the Durango Mall. There, a child from each school, veterans and various cultural and civic leaders will link up. This is also where a top-secret sculpture, made by Dave Clausen of Edgemont pine cone fame, will be unveiled to the city.

“I can’t wait,” said Turner. “We have the chance for this to be an epic adventure for this town. Even if we don’t make it all the way, it’s still going to be successful,” he said.

And what if it’s just so crazy that it does work? “I like to think of it as hitting the pause button,” he said. “For a few minutes, it doesn’t matter who you are, just go out and have a good time. And at 10:30, you can go back to fighting like cats and dogs.”

Participants are asked to gather at the River Trail at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 27. For more information, go to www.durangoconnect.com.


Oil and gas comment period extended
The public gets more time to comment on gas leases headed for the auction block next year after the Bureau of Land Management extended the deadline to Tues., Oct. 2.

“We are extending the comment period to ensure that we receive applicable information regarding resources on these parcels,” according to a BLM press release.

“Leasing Reform has provided the public a new approach to providing input, and we want to make sure that everyone is aware of this opportunity to become involved and comment,” BLM Tres Rios Field Manager Connie Clementson said.

The 12 parcels nominated for leasing cover more than 12,000 acres in Southwest Colorado, and eight of those parcels are located southwest of Hesperus, between highways 160 and 140.

The preliminary Environmental Assessment, released Aug. 17, looked at the potential effects of the sale and possible stipulations for each parcel. It did not examine the effects of potential drilling, a process reserved for the development stage after the sale is complete.

People looking to comments on the EA have two additional weeks to do so after the deadline was extended from Sept. 17 to Oct. 2. Many of the comments submitted during the original two-week public scoping process in June included a request for more time.

Although the San Juan Citizens Alliance, one of the advocates for an extension of the comment period, was pleased with the decision, the organization said it believes any project as significant as this leasing decision should not progress without completion of the BLM’s forthcoming Resource Management Plan.

That plan is a guiding document for federal land managers. The BLM currently operates under a plan dating to 1985 with a subsequent oil and gas-specific amendment was approved in 1991.

The 12 lease parcels, spread across Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Miguel counties, cover more than 12,000 surface acres, most of which is private property.

The mineral rights that belong to the federal government will be put up for lease during an auction scheduled for Feb. 13, 2013. However, the BLM must first complete an environmental assessment of the parcels, providing stipulations for future development and an opportunity for public comment.
The BLM requests comments be related to specific parcels, rather than the project as a whole. The comment period is followed by a notice of sale in November and protest period.

Comments can be submitted to the Tres Rios Field Office by mail, Attn: Oil and Gas Lease Sale, 29211 Hwy. 184, Dolores, CO, 81323; by fax (970) 882-6841; or by email tres_rios_lease_sale@blm.gov.

City to purchase land along Animas
Durango has taken two steps forward along the Animas River.

After releasing the final Animas River Corridor Management Plan last week, City Council unanimously approved the purchase of a small parcel Tuesday that would directly connect the Cameron-Sterk property (aka “The Beach”) to Animas View Drive.

The 17,076-square-foot property, called the Sherman Parcel, cost $225,000 plus closing costs. It will give the city more options in the future development to Cameron-Sterk, a potential public river access point along the Animas. “It gives us a lot more flexibility,” said Parks and Recreation director Cathy Metz.

She said much of Cameron-Sterk is susceptible to flooding and the Sherman parcel could allow for parking, restrooms or other amenities out of the floodway. It also could allow for flexibility with the Animas River Trail.

However, the future design and development of the land would ultimately involve a public process. The Sherman parcel and Cameron-Sterk property, a 43.71-acre parcel, are expected to close on the same day, Sept. 27.

The development of Cameron-Sterk, a potential public river access point along the Animas, is one of many community-driven ideas outlined in the Animas River Corridor Management Plan.

A draft management plan was released in April, and the public was asked to review and comment on the draft. These comments were accounted for in the latest draft, released last week.

Metz said the biggest difference between the draft and the revised versions was defining management goals. The goals listed in the revised version were suggested by the public during the initial process. The management plan was developed by community members, and only ideas brought forth during the public process were included in the document. Therefore, the revisions made to the April draft were ideas generated during that process.
“We had to stay true to the process,” Metz said. “ … So the people felt their voice was being kept through the entire process.”

The revised plan will be reviewed by the Natural Lands Preservation Advisory Board at 6 p.m. Mon., Oct. 8, at the Durango Public Library and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board at 5 p.m. Wed., Oct. 10, at the Durango Rec Center.  

After the advisory boards consider the final document, it moves on to City Council for review and adoption. The public is welcome at these meetings, and public comment is still being accepted.

To view the revised plan, comment or for more information, call 375-7300 or visit www.durangogov.org.

http://www.durangogov.org.
– Missy Votel and Tracy Chamberlin