San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council
Over a decade of dedication to Public Lands

1998-2010

1. 1998, As a result of San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) submitting a Citizen’s Management Alternative (CMA), approximately one-half of the 1.86 million acres of Rio Grande National Forest (RGNF) has been designated as either a Back Country Prescription Area or Designated Wilderness.
    
2. 1999, SLVEC organized, advocated and testified for the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 preserving the 100,000 acre former Cabeza de Vaca (Baca) Ranch, moving this pristine landscape into Public Land. The ranch has become part of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and a large Baca Mountain Tract addition to National Forest.
    
3. 2001-2004, SLVEC sat on Interior Secretary appointed Great Sand Dunes NPS Management Plan Advisory Council, pushing for and receiving recommendation for designation of 50,000 acres of wilderness. Acquiring the mineral rights beneath the National Park will move this designation recommendation forward.
    
4. 2001-2003, SLVEC inventoried one-half million areas of Roadless Areas within Rio Grande National Forest (RGNF), using (SRCA) route forms for documentation and GIS/GPS points for ground-truthing. Thousands of photos were taken which can be linked to GPS points.
    
5. 2004-2005, SLVEC performed a BLM Rapid Assessment Inventory on ½ million acres for SLV BLM Travel Management Plan and submitted a Citizens Management Alternative resulting in 51% road closure within these lands.
    
6. 2005, SLVEC and Colorado Wild filed a lawsuit challenging the Rio Grande County Commissioners' decision on accepting the “Village at Wolf Creek” plat design. District Judge Kuenhold agreed because there was no year round access to the land.
    
7. 2006, SLVEC testified before Congress and the Rio Grande Natural Area Act was passed, designating 33 miles of Rio Grande Corridor, from the southern boundary of the Alamosa Wildlife Refuge to the New Mexico State border, extending protection for one-quarter mile on either bank of the river, mostly under BLM jurisdiction.
    
8. 2006, Judge Marcia Krieger agreed with SLVEC’s challenge of the Rio Ox-bow Land Exchange claiming that it was not in the public interest and by doing so protected some of the few pubic access points to the Upper Rio Grande. This decision has established precedence regarding public/private land trades in Colorado to require an EIS.
    
9. 2006, Colorado Wild and SLVEC challenged the Forest Service EIS decision granting access to “Village at Wolf Creek”. In 2008 Supreme Court Justice Kane agreed with these claims, including the Forest Service narrowing the scope of the EIS. Another “Village at Wolf Creek” proposal has yet to be officially submitted.
    
10. 2005-2010, Water Quality Awareness Project, recipient of EPA Environmental Justice Community Problem-Solving and (CPS) and recently received EPA CARE 1 Grant. Fewer than ten grants were awarded throughout the USA. SLVEC was recipient of the EPA Environmental Stewardship Award (2007) for organizing free household well testing in small communities throughout the SLV. Soon to begin Environmental Risk assessments.
     
11. 2007-2010, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, legal challenge of Oil and Gas Drilling on Baca National Wildlife Refuge without a NEPA Process. This case has recently settled with US Fish and Wildlife agreeing to do another Environmental Assessment. We now have a willing seller to pursue purchase and permanent retirement of the mineral rights, which would put it back in public ownership.
     
12. 2008-2010, The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (NHA), signed into law by President Obama in March 2009, establishes cultural, historical, and natural resource preservation and protection for the southern three counties in the San Luis Valley. The Great Sand Dunes Park and Preserve lands are included within this NHA. SLVEC has been seated on the board for 3 years and is now working to usher in a Management Plan.

Click here to download a PDF version of this document.