Village
at Wolf Creek still on hold: There are several
issues which the developers of the proposed “Village
at Wolf Creek” must address before any construction
can begin. SLVEC and Colorado Wild are waiting
for the Courts to decide on the sufficiency of
the Forest
Service Environmental Impact Statement. For additional
information, see the Wolf Creek update. Also,
check the website at friendsofwolfcreek.org for
the latest information.
March 22, 2007 - Village at Wolf Creek (VWC) Update - Click here
Friends of Environmental
Protection Award: EPA
recognizes Valley water project: On April 12,
2007, Chris Canaly,
Director of San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council,
received the Friends of Environmental Protection Award
for
her work coordinating San Luis Valley LEAP HIGH
(Landscape
Environmental Assessment Program—Health Inspired
Goals for Humans). This was a water quality project,
funded by EPA, which offered free well-testing
to over 400 households in the San Luis Valley.
Link
to award
article - Click here
Water Quality Project
Grant: The San Luis Valley
Ecosystem Council was awarded a $100,000 EPA
Collaborative Problem
Solving Grant (spread over a three-year period)
to continue the work begun in the water quality
project
of 2006. This grant will enable the project
partnership (SLV LEAP HIGH) to begin collecting data
about
health and water quality in the SLV.
For more information on the Project, please
see link to LEAP HIGH.
Link
to LEAP HIGH - click here OR 100K
Grant article - Click here
The Rio Grande Natural Area Legislation was approved
by Congress and signed by the President on October
12, 2006. San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council helped
to draft this legislation.
Link to Natural Area
article - Click here
Lawsuit
on Baca National Wildlife Refuge: On
May 8, 2007, San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council
filed
a lawsuit
against The United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
SLVEC seeks the implementation of the National
Environmental Policy Act for the Baca National
Wildlife Refuge
before any exploratory oil or gas drilling takes
place. The USF&WS
has agreed to start the NEPA process. If you
would
like
more
information
about how to respond to the Environmental Assessment,
please see links below.
Link to
Lexam article -Click here
BLM sale of Conejos
County land for oil and gas: The
BLM recently announced that they are opening several
parcels of land for proposed oil and gas drilling/exploration
in Conejos County, Colorado, in an area called
the San Luis Hills. SLVEC has been working
to inform the
public about this issue. The deadline for comments
was July 25, 2007. This site has been removed
from sale consideration in August, and will
be reconsidered
in the following quarter.
Link to BLM Sale - Click here
Link to San Luis Hills map - .pdf click or right
click here
Travel Management
Planning: SLVEC submitted
recommendations for the Baca Mountain Tract,
which included management
prescriptions and objectives, and maps.
SLVEC has met with Colorado Mountain Club
and local Crestone communities to try and
find
an appropriate
public trail that hikers can use to access
the fourteeners while respecting the needs
of private
property to maintain
quiet and solitude. A comprehensive article
highlighting the importance of roadless
areas and their public
policy status can be viewed at the following
link. SLVEC will
be involved in commenting on the BLM TMP
Final Draft, and beginning the process
for recommendations
on Rio
Grande National Forest Service Travel Management
Plan, and the Motor Vehicle User Map (MVUM)
in 2007-08.
Link
to Roadless area article from the Denver
Post - Click here
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