Comment time on mine, plant extended

Area residents have a reprieve in weighing in on whether to give one of the region’s aging coal-fired power plants a new lease on life. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has announced it will be extending the comment period on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine Energy Project. The 31-day extension provides the public until June 27 to comment on the draft proposal.

The draft EIS was released March 28 and examines the environmental impacts of four specific requests:

-  Permit renewal request from Arizona Public Service Co. through 2041 for the Four Corners Power Plant, near Fruitland;

-  Right-of-way renewals for transmission lines connected to the plant;

-  Permit renewal request from the Navajo Transitional Energy Co. for the Navajo Coal Mine, located on the Navajo Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.;

-  Development of a new 5,600-acre coal mining area, known as the Pinabete Mine Permit area, immediately south of the existing mine, to supply coal to the power plant for up to 25 years, beginning July 2016.

The plant, which has been a target of environmentalists for years, shut down three of its five older stacks late last year rather than pay to meet new Environmental Protection Agency requirements. APS has invested $185 million in the remaining stacks at the plant, which dates to the early 1960s.

OSMRE held nine meetings throughout the region between April 30 - May 9.

Comments must be submitted no later than June 27 to: Marcelo Calle, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Western Region Office, 1999 Broadway, Suite 3320, Denver, CO 80202-3050 or emailed to: FCPPNavajoEnergyEIS@ osmre.gov.  For more on the DEIS, go to: www.wrcc.osmre.gov/ initiatives/fourCorners.shtm

Trails 2000 promotes Share the Trails

Instead of pushing each others’ buttons, local trail users are being asked to wear buttons. The campaign, Durango Shares the Trails, is being headed up by Trails 2000 in an effort to foster positive interactions and trail stewardship. It kicks off Sat., June 7, in conjunction with National Trails Day.

On that day, Trails 2000 volunteers will ask trail users to take the “Durango Shares the Trails” pledge and in exchange, be given a special button. Each button designates various trail-user types, including hiker, dog walker, mountain biker or equestrian rider. The campaign will start at Horse gulch and move onto different area trailheads  throughout the trail season, with the idea to create a connection between all trail users – community members and visitors alike.

“Responsible outdoor participation is best achieved through a strong commitment to stewardship, and the more people we connect to the land, the more folks will better understand its value, and respect and appreciate it,” Mary Monroe Brown, executive director of Trails 2000, said. “We hope the connection will have a strong impact on trail users, instilling respect and appreciation for the land, as well as those around them.”

For the most part, Monroe Brown noted that Durango, with its 300-plus miles of trails within 30 minutes of town, already has a high tolerance for multiple uses.

“With all the great access to trails right from town, interactions on the trail are positive,” she said. “Durango knows how to share the trails, and we want to pass on this positive message and keep this great thing going.”

The campaign has the blessing of both City and federal land managers.

Jed Botsford, district recreation staff officer for the Columbine Ranger District in Durango, agrees. “As a recreation manager, Trails 2000’s approach to encouraging the Share the Trails philosophy is appreciated and of great value to our region,” he said.

Trail users will be provided the opportunity to pass Durango Shares the Trails buttons on to family and friends, as a way to exemplify the connection to one another.

“Durango thrives on the outdoors and the same person might enjoy hiking, mountain biking, dog walking, and other trail activities. It is this diversity that appears to create a greater level of tolerance and appreciation for a variety of trail users, which ultimately reduces conflict,” said Monroe Brown. “Our program celebrates our connection and reminds people how much we appreciate their attitudes on the trail.”

For more information, visit: www.trails2000.org/2014/05/ durangosharestrails/.

Multiple ‘safe routes’ under way

After talking the talk, the City’s Multi Modal Department is starting to walk the walk. Starting earlier this spring, the department began implementing several pedestrian/bike access improvements, many of which were recommended by the citizen-driven Multi Modal Transportation Master Plan.

The City’s Streets Division will be busy well into 2015 with the infrastructure projects meant to improve bike/pedestrian safety, connectivity and accessibility to transit stops, sidewalks and trails. The improvements were made possible by $782,000 in grants as well as the City’s Operations Capital Improvement Plan.

Projects include:

-   Needham Elementary Connect project. Named as one of the top priorities in the Multi Modal Master Plan, this project received a state Safe Routes to School grant for $292,000. The project will provide sidewalk and ADA ramps for the Needham Elementary - Arroyo Drive area and build a new bike/ped trail around the school that will serve as the first phase of the Needham-Miller Connect.

-  Installation of more than 280 ADA ramps at intersections throughout the city. This work will continue throughout the summer, scheduled for late-summer/early fall completion.

-  Brookside Park/24th Street Bridge project. This project, also listed in the Multi Modal Master Plan, will provide sidewalk and ADA improvements from the 24th Street bridge to the Brookside Park transit stop. This project eventually will connect to the above-mentioned Needham-Miller trail. Construction to begin in June.

-  East 2nd Avenue / 15th Street Connectivity project. Ranked as the highest priority in the master plan, this project will be funded by the Federal Transportation Administration and includes improving sidewalks, connectivity and accessibility to the Animas River Trail at Rotary Park, Florida Road and downtown. The project will also improve the safety of the railroad crossing at 15th Street. Construction is slated to begin in November.

For more information, go to www.getarounddurango.com

– Missy Votel