Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission Monday, February 26, 2018, 5:30 PM Breckenridge Town Hall Lower Level Conference Room 150 Ski Hill Road
5:30 pm Call to Order, Roll Call
5:35 pm Discussion/Approval of Minutes 2
January 2018 Draft BOSAC Minutes
5:40 pm Discussion/Approval of Agenda
5:45 pm Public Comment (Non-Agenda Items)
5:50 pm Staff Summary 9
Field Season Update Recpath Grooming eBike Update Swan River Restoration Update USFS Special Use Authorization Update BOSAC Appointments
6:30 pm Open Space & Trails 11
Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act Commercial Use of Town Trails 2017 Summary
7:30 pm Adjournment
For further information, please contact the Open Space and Trails Program at 970.547.3189 (Tony) or 970.547.3155 (Anne). Town of Breckenridge January 22, 2018 Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission
Roll Call Jeff Carlson called the January 22, 2018 BOSAC meeting to order at 5:36 pm. Other BOSAC members present included Gavin Dalgliesh, Jeff Cospolich, Jeffery Bergeron, Craig Campbell and Matt Powers. Elizabeth Miller was absent. Staff members present included Anne Murphy, Tony Overlock, Scott Reid, Peter Grosshuesch, and Mark Truckey. Brain Lorch representing Summit County Open Space was present. Local resident Clay Schwarck was also in attendance.
Approval of Minutes The December 11, 2017 meeting minutes were approved.
Approval of Agenda The agenda was approved as presented.
Public Comments There were no public comments.
Staff Summary
Field Season Update Since the December BOSAC meeting, the following field work has been completed: Removed numerous downed and hazardous trees Collected data and maintained traffic counters at Sallie Barber, B&B, and Peabody trailhead Installed trailhead kiosk panels at Peabody and B&B trailhead Started winter grooming on Gold Run Rd, portions of Upper Flume, Middle Flume, Tom Baby, and Wellington Trail
Commercial Use of Town Trails Staff is working to develop a comprehensive and effective permitting process for commercial use of Town trails by the spring/summer season. As BOSAC will recall, the Open Space program will administer the permit process starting with an RFP and deadline for all summer and winter commercial activities. This will ensure that all agreements are in place at the start of the summer season and no other proposals will be considered outside of the RFP window.
Staff has been conducting outreach with neighboring open space programs that have established commercial use permitting processes in place. These models will help inform the RFP and criteria so that the resulting process is fair, equitable, and sustainable for all parties. Even with a permitting process in place, however, issues such as carrying capacity and enforcement may be difficult to determine and regulate. Regular monitoring will have to take place.
Staff will work with Summit County Open Space to determine if they wish to participate in a joint permitting process. If they choose not to participate, we will implement a process for Town- only trails.
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Town of Breckenridge January 22, 2018 Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission
Recpath Grooming Update The County and Towns of Frisco and Breckenridge have reached agreement on the terms of a license agreement that will allow Frisco Nordic Center and Gold Run Nordic Center to groom the recpath between Four-Mile Bridge in Breckenridge north to the Frisco Nordic Center. Grooming will take place approximately two times per week, likely on Tuesdays and Fridays as conditions permit.
As discussed at the November 2017 BOSAC meeting, Open Space will commit funds to cover the added costs of grooming. We anticipate the first grooming of the full length between Breckenridge and Frisco to take place within the next week. Our groomers have already been grooming the recpath between the Breckenridge Recreation Center and Tiger Road, as this section of the recpath is managed by the Town. Please feel free to send any feedback on recpath grooming to staff.
Mr. Cospolich: Is Frisco sharing the cost of grooming the recreation path with the Town?
Ms. Murphy: The cost will be shared with the Town of Frisco and the Town Breckenridge. As you will recall, we committed up to $10,000 of Open Space funds for 2018 winter grooming.
River Park Update At a recent Town Council meeting, Oxbow Park was renamed River Park. As the park design has evolved, the “oxbow” was deleted from the river corridor and the design was modified to include more mountain, forest, river, and other nature elements. Due to these changes, staff and Council believe that the “River Park” name is broader and more reflective of the long-term park vision. Staff will be bringing the official name change to Council at a future meeting to comply with the 2014 Town of Breckenridge Naming Policy.
Construction for River Park is slated to begin this spring/summer. An expected Grand Opening of the park will take place in the fall.
Mr. Cospolich: Will there be parking?
Mr. Grosshuesch: There will be about 20 spots.
Yellow Brick Road BOSAC requested an update at the December 2017 meeting on the grading of a property leading to Yellow Brick Road and National Forest lands by a landowner. The County’s Engineering Department opened a violation case against and the property and its landowners in response to complaints received and observations of grading work completed on the property without the proper permits.
In October, the landowners were working with a survey company to complete a topographic survey of the property and disturbed areas. In addition to the topographic survey, the Engineering Department has required that the landowners submit a completed Grading & Excavation Permit Application and detailed plans for the proposed project or the restoration of the site. The County sent a second notice of violation in mid-December and gave a deadline of January 31, 2018 for 3 Page 2 of 7
Town of Breckenridge January 22, 2018 Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission the landowners to comply. If they do not comply, legal action by the County Attorney’s Office up to and including a lien placed against the property will result.
BOSAC Appointments April marks the annual appointments to BOSAC. There are three current BOSAC members whose terms are expiring this spring – Gavin Dalgliesh, Elizabeth Miller, and Matt Powers. As with last year, staff will work with BOSAC to form a subcommittee, consisting of our BOSAC Council rep, a staff person, and a sitting BOSAC member whose term is not expiring this year to review applications and interview candidates. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to Council.
As a reminder, members of BOSAC are now limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms in office. Newly appointed BOSAC members will begin a four-year term starting at the April meeting.
The March 26th BOSAC meeting will be the last with our current commission, as Council will make appointments on March 27th. In order to meet these deadlines, staff will post an ad in Summit Daily News during the last two weeks of February and interested applicants can send a letter describing their interest and background to Anne Murphy at [email protected]. Applications will be accepted through 4 pm on March 2nd. The subcommittee will meet during the month of March to review applications and set up interviews. Please let Anne know if you have any questions.
Mr. Carlson: Would current BOSAC appointees who terms are expiring are reelected need to leave after serving their 4-year term?
Mr. Reid: If appointees are reelected, that would be their final term and they would need to take a break before running for BOSAC again.
Open Space & Trails BreckCreate Art Installation on Open Space Staff recently received a request for conceptual approval from BreckCreate for one of its artists, Thomas Damboo of Denmark, to create an art installation on the dredge rock at the B&B Trailhead. The concept includes a large sculpture made from wood pre-built by the artist as well as wood salvaged from local forests. The concept is a giant who appears to have built a cairn of large rock in front of him. Patrons will seek out the location, visit the site, and build smaller cairns in the area. The piece is proposed for BIFA, which is scheduled for August 10th – August 19th. Mr. Damboo would build the piece during the week leading up to the event on the 10th. The piece could be left in place after the event or, if desirable, it could be dismantled and removed at a timeframe agreed upon by all parties.
BreckCreate’s proposed location for the art installation is on the dredge rock piles near the B&B Trailhead, in both directions (upstream and downstream) from the trailhead. BreckCreate strives to locate sites that will suit the artist’s criteria as well as their own, including a location fairly
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Town of Breckenridge January 22, 2018 Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission near town with some public parking, available dredge rock that can be used by both the artist and the public, and near a forested area for salvaging wood.
The B&B Trailhead location requested by BreckCreate is co-owned by Summit County Open Space, who has not participated in the annual trail mix series or other art installations that the Town of Breckenridge has supported.
BreckCreate is seeking direction from BOSAC before approaching the Town Special Events Committee.
Ms. Murphy: The staff recommendation is that we not allow the public to participate in building rock cairns, as we don’t want to encourage this type of activity on our open space properties. In addition, the County has not expressed interest in supporting this project on jointly owned open space. If there are alternative recommendations for locations within the Town, we will pass that along to BreckCreate.
Mr. Bergeron: Would this be a permanent installation?
Mr. Overlock: No. Staff and BOSAC can dictate the length of time for the installation to remain.
Mr. Campbell: I would hope the structure would fit into our landscape and environment.
Mr. Bergeron: Somewhere along the recreation path or Iowa Hill could be a possible site.
Ms. Murphy: How does BOSAC feel about Block 11 or the McCain property between the recpath and the newly restored river corridor?
Mr. Powers: I am in favor of the installation, but not with the audience participating in building cairns.
Mr. Lorch: Summit County has not fully communicated on the BreckCreate request. This request does not fit within our mission, which is preserving the natural landscape. Our Open Space staff has been reviewing our Master Plan and is focused on carrying capacity. We feel the B&B Trailhead is already reaching or near its capacity during the summer months.
Mr. Dalgliesh: I don’t feel the audience participation of building cairns fits the installation. The original purpose of a cairn is for way finding. The B&B Trailhead is already busy enough and parking is limited. I feel BreckCreate does a good job and I’m in favor of allowing an installation close to Town. The installation should be up for a finite period of time to insure the installation is not degrading. Also, all non-native materials should be removed from site.
Mr. Bergeron: I agree; the B&B Trailhead is not a good spot. It’s too crowded already and does not fit the within Summit County’s mission. We own plenty of property ourselves that could be used.
Mr. Campbell: It would be nice to draw people to an area we would like to show off. 5 Page 4 of 7
Town of Breckenridge January 22, 2018 Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission
Mr. Cospolich: The site needs to have adequate parking, but we should encourage patrons to use their own power, such as hiking or biking, to see the installation. I agree, BreckCreate does a great job and I have received a lot of positive feedback from our customers about the Trail Mix Series.
BOSAC unanimously supports BreckCreate’s request for Thomas Damboo to create an art installation on Town Open Space property, with the following conditions: no audience participation in building rock cairns, staff will need to determine the location, staff and BOSAC would determine a period of time for the installation to remain, and all non-native materials would need to be removed from site following removal of the art installation.
2018 Open Space & Trails and BOSAC Workplan Staff has created a draft 2018 Open Space & Trails and BOSAC Workplan. The first table includes detailed project information with anticipated completion dates and level of priority, while the second table includes ongoing duties. The third table provides workplan items for BOSAC.
In addition to monthly meetings, we encourage BOSAC members to attend 1-2 volunteer work days for events, trail construction, or restoration projects throughout the summer season. Additionally, we would like to set up a visit to another open space program in the state so that we can learn from our colleagues and exchange information and ideas.
Mr. Cospolich: This seems like an ambitious workload for such a small staff.
Ms. Murphy: It is, but it contains everything that we currently do or have to complete in 2018.
Mr. Campbell: It looks like everything in the Workplan is a high priority. Maybe there’s another way to structure the tables; they seem outdated with the high, medium, and low priorities.
Ms. Murphy: I agree. I’ll look for another way to present and organize the information going forward.
Mr. Grosshuesch: The Town of Steamboat has been spending a considerable amount of money on trails and might be worth checking out.
Mr. Schwarck: Eagle County might be an option.
Mr. Grosshuesch: Eagle County is more about land preservation.
Mr. Dalgliesh: In previous meetings, there was talk about restoring French Creek to help prevent water contamination with adjacent mines. Is that still a priority?
Mr. Lorch: We are continuing to push the EPA to consider this idea. Our new contact person at the EPA is a little more favorable to work with.
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Town of Breckenridge January 22, 2018 Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission
BOSAC unanimously supports the 2018 Open Space & Trails Workplan.
2018 State of the Open Space Report Staff has prepared a draft 2018 State of the Open Space Report, which provides an overview of the Open Space program’s accomplishments between the program’s 1997 inception and the end of 2017. The draft Open Space Report was provided at the meeting.
Mr. Powers: It would be nice to get the grooming report out the public. Maybe posting something on our new trailhead kiosks would help.
Mr. Schwarck: I was very impressed to see the Wellington Trail groomed.
Mr. Carlson: Maybe we could have a sticker overlay on areas we groom on our new trailhead kiosk maps.
Mr. Bergeron: In case of any future legal action, we should have a document listing and describing the effects of Vail Resorts activities, construction, and expansions on Cucumber Gulch Preserve. This document should include all Open Space expenditures to research and repair any negative effects Vail Resorts has had on water quality, wildlife, habitat, and overall health of the Gulch.
Mr. Carlson: Jeff Zimmerman was promoted to a new position. Does that mean our contact person for Vail Resorts has changed?
Ms. Murphy: Yes, it does. I believe our contractors at EcoMetrics are familiar with the new staff person and have developed relationships with many of the other staff members over the years. We should plan to meet with this person soon.
Mr. Grosshuesch: We need to spend time with the new staff person and train them about Cucumber Gulch Preserve.
Mr. Cospolich: I would like to see the “budget/pie chart” page move to follow the “at a glance” page.
Ms. Murphy: I will email a draft copy of the State of the Open Space report. Please send your edits or suggestions directly to me.
Executive Session Mr. Powers made a motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss property acquisition and negotiations at 6:45 pm. Mr. Bergeron seconded the motion.
Mr. Bergeron made a motion to exit Executive Session at 7:11 pm. Mr. Carlson seconded the motion.
Mr. Campbell made a motion to adjourn the BOSAC meeting. Mr. Powers seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 7:12 pm. 7 Page 6 of 7
Town of Breckenridge January 22, 2018 Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission
Next Meeting The next regular meeting is scheduled for February 26th at 5:30 pm in the Lower Level Conference Room at Breckenridge Town Hall, 150 Ski Hill Road.
Jeff Carlson
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Memorandum To: Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission From: Open Space & Trails Staff Re: February 26, 2018 Meeting
Staff Summary
Field Season Update Since the January BOSAC meeting, staff has continued to groom Dry Gulch, Gold Run Road, portions of the Upper Flume and Middle Flume, Tom’s Baby, and the Wellington Trail. To help inform the public, the Open Space winter trails conditions page on the Town website is updated on a weekly basis, and a grooming report is posted on the Friends of Breckenridge Trails Facebook and Twitter pages weekly. BOSAC members have been notified weekly by email.
Recreation Path Grooming The Town of Breckenridge, Town of Frisco, Summit County, and the U.S. Forest Service celebrated the grooming of the Summit County Recpath between Breckenridge and Frisco on Thursday, February 8th. Approximately 30 people joined the celebration by skiing, fat biking, and snowshoeing to a meeting point near the high school and Dillon Reservoir. Community support for this grooming has been positive, as demonstrated by social media posts, public comments, and consistent use of the free amenity. Thank you to our partners and groomers in making this vision a reality. The recpath will be groomed approximately twice weekly on Tuesdays and Friday during the winter season as conditions permit. eBike Update Summit County Open Space is conducting public outreach and developing an input process about eBike use on the County recpath, which include an open house, online survey, and focus group meetings. They have also created a new webpage on eBikes as part of this input process.
BOSAC members and other members of the public are encouraged to complete on the online survey, which is available on the County website and runs from February 20th through March 19th. Please also consider attending the public open house on Wednesday, February 28th from 5-7 pm at the County Commons in Frisco.
Summit County Open Space will take the results of this outreach process to OSAC and provide a recommendation to the BOCC at the end of April.
Swan River Restoration Update Our partners at Summit County Open Space will be providing an annual update on the Swan River Restoration activities to the BOCC on Tuesday, February 27th at 9 am in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room in the County Courthouse in Breckenridge. Please feel free to attend, as the County will review project accomplishments from 2017 and
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discuss plans for the 2018 field season, which include continued gravel removal from the valley.
USFS Special Use Authorization Update The Town and County open space programs submitted a proposal (similar to a pre- application) this month to the USFS for a Special Use Authorization to manage and maintain summer and winter recreational resources (non-motorized trails and recreational roads) in the western portion of the Golden Horseshoe known as the Intermix prescription. After we receive feedback from the USFS and the Golden Horseshoe Oversight Committee, staff will work with partners on developing the full application for submittal to the USFS.
BOSAC Appointments As a reminder, staff are currently collecting BOSAC applications through Friday, March 2nd. A subcommittee of BOSAC and staff will review applications and interview candidates in early-mid March. Council will make appointments on March 27th. Newly appointed or reelected BOSAC members will start a four-year term beginning with the April 23rd BOSAC meeting.
Interested applicants can send a letter describing their interest and background to Anne Murphy at [email protected].
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Open Space and Trails
Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act Staff would like BOSAC to familiarize themselves with the Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act (the Act), which was first introduced as the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act by Rep. Jared Polis in 2015 (HR 2554). The intent of this legislation is to protect approximately 58,500 acres of natural beauty, historic resources, wildlife habitats, and outdoor recreation potential in Summit County and eastern Eagle County. The Act was reintroduced as a bill in January 2018 by Rep. Jared Polis (HR 4553) in the House and Sen. Michael Bennet in an identical bill in the Senate (S 2337) as the Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act.
In addition to other Wilderness designations of protection in Summit and Eagle Counties, the Act would designate approximately 5,172 acres as the Hoosier Ridge Wilderness and approximately 7,577 acres as the Tenmile Wilderness, both within close proximity to Breckenridge. The Act would also designate approximately 11,417 acres of federal lands, as the Tenmile Recreation Management Area to the north, west, and south of Breckenridge. The Tenmile Recreation Management area would serve as a companion designation to the Wilderness area and would allow existing mechanized uses (i.e. mountain bikes) to continue. Please see the attached map for the locations of the Wilderness and Recreation Management Areas.
The Town of Breckenridge and many of our partners including Summit County Government have supported previous iterations of this bill and Town Council’s most recent support letter for this legislation is also attached. The Continental Divide Support Book from 2017, which is included in the BOSAC packet, provides a summary of the Act, a list of supporters and other detailed information. The Act is the result of an extensive collaboration over nine years involving hundreds of stakeholder groups and input from thousands of people.
For more information, please read the text of the bill or visit Rep. Jared Polis’s website for a synopsis. Staff will continue to update BOSAC as the bill progresses through legislation.
Staff requests that BOSAC refresh their understanding of the background and summary information for the Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act and answer the following questions:
1. Does BOSAC have any questions regarding the proposed Wilderness Areas or Recreation Management Area guidelines? 2. Does BOSAC support the current version of the Act? 3. Does BOSAC request or need additional information on the Act?
Commercial Use of Town Trails 2017 Summary As directed by BOSAC, staff is currently working to develop a process for permitting commercial uses on Town-only trails. Staff thought it would be helpful to review the data from our summer 2017 permits to help shape the process moving forward. Staff anticipates bringing forth a recommendation to BOSAC at the March meeting, leaving April and May to get the word out, collect and review applications, and have permits in place by summer. 11 After reviewing these data and the information from other communities on their permitting processes, staff are developing a process that includes an application to gather information on group numbers, estimated numbers of tours, days of week, etc., as well as internal criteria for staff to evaluate the merits of each organization. Staff also seek a maximum number, or limit, of five total permitted commercial companies for the summer season and five for the winter season. We anticipate having two application periods throughout the year, one for summer permits and one for winter permits. Staff also plan to reach out to nonprofit groups who use the Town trail system to have them apply for permits, but without the fee structure. . Doing so will allow us to support non-profit educational groups as outlined in the Open Space Plan, while also protecting the Town from liability, capturing important data on their tours, (including dates, times, numbers of participants, and trails or open space areas used), and better manage use on Town open space lands. This information will help us make informed decisions on trail congestion or capacity concerns as we implement a more formalized permitting process.
At this time, the County has chosen not to join or implement a similar permitting process for commercial uses on open space. County staff has expressed disagreement over the Town’s proposed permitting system, because they have concerns about trail and trailhead capacity and haven’t felt the same need to accommodate commercial use at the County level. The County would also prefer to await the status of the Special Use Authorization proposal with the USFS, which may offer additional clarity about commercial use permitting in the Golden Horseshoe on joint Town- and County-owned lands and trails.
Staff requests that BOSAC review the 2017 Commercial Use Summary and answer the following questions:
1. Does BOSAC have any questions about the current direction of the permitting process? 2. Does BOSAC have any suggestions for staff to consider in developing this process in the coming months?
12 Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act
Legend
Proposed National Historic Landscape Proposed Wilderness Williams Fork WCA Proposed Wildlife Conservation Area Proposed Recreation Management Area
Williams Fork Existing Wilderness Areas Wilderness ¯
Ute Pass Addition Freeman Creek Addition Acorn Creek Addition
Spraddle Creek Eagles Nest Wilderness Addition
Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Ptarmigan Additions Addition Straight Creek Addition
Porcupine Gulch WCA
Holy Cross Wilderness Tenmile North RMA
Camp Hale National Historic Landscape No Name Addition Tenmile Holy Cross Wilderness Wilderness Tenmile South RMA
Hoosier Ridge Wilderness 13 0 2.5 5 10 Miles
Sources: Esri, DeLorme, USGS, NPS, Sources: Esri, USGS, NOAA 14
Continental Divide
Wilderness and Recreation Act
15
Updated September 8, 2017
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Table of Contents
Introduction ...... 1
Businesses ...... 3
Letters of Support ...... 5
Select Media Clips, Editorials and Op Eds ...... 34
-John Fielder (Hoosier Ridge Proposed Wilderness)
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Introduction
The backcountry near Colorado’s Continental Divide features vibrant vistas and unique recreational experiences that drive the local economies of Summit and Eagle counties.
In 2015 Congressman Jared Polis introduced the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act (H.R. 2554) to protect the natural beauty, outdoor recreation, historic resources, and wildlife habitats for some of Colorado’s most iconic landscapes. The Act would protect roughly 58,500 acres -John Fielder (Proposed Tenmile Wilderness) of lands in Summit County and eastern Eagle County.
The proposal would create new Wilderness areas in the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range, and Hoosier Ridge, and would expand the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest, and Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Areas. The proposal also enhances outdoor recreation opportunities such as fishing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and hunting, including through the creation of a Special Management Area within the Tenmile Range and wildlife conservation areas.
A recent addition to this proposed legislation is the designation of the nation's first National Historic Landscape at Camp Hale. The designation would honor the legacy of the landscape that served to train the 10th Mountain Division during World War II by providing for the protection and interpretation of the significant historic resources across the landscape, while encouraging environmental restoration and maintaining popular recreational activities.
This plan was drafted through an open, collaborative process that not only maintains existing recreational uses, but also incorporates community values by accounting for future improvements.
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20 2
Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act Support List
Businesses Abbey’s Coffee - Frisco Ground Works - Vail Alpine Accents - Frisco Haute Route Gear and Apparel - Avon Alpine Mountain Recreation - Breckenridge High Country Dogs – Silverthorne Anew You – Frisco Higher Grounds Café – Golden Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort Home Outfitters - Vail Art on A Whim Galleries– Breck/Vail House of Signs, Inc. – Frisco Art Supply Breck - Breckenridge HyprLoco – Denver b’s Modern Mountain Apothecary – Ice Box Knitting – Lyons Breckenridge Icelantic – Golden Backcountry Nutrition LLC, dba FourPoints Bar Into the Mystic Healing Arts - Golden - Denver Justins LLC. - Boulder Backpacker’s Pantry - Boulder Kickapoo Tavern - Keystone Balloons Over Vail - Vail Lionshead Liquors - Vail Bedell and Co. - Boulder Little Beans Boutique - Frisco Bella Design and Planning - Breckenridge Little Horse Books and Vintage - Louisville Big City Blues Clothing - Breckenridge Log Cabin Cafe - Frisco Black Diamond Deli - Breckenridge Los Amigos Restaurant - Vail Bloomingvails - Vail Lotus Alpine Adventures – Crested Butte Boulder Cycle Sport - Boulder Mary Lynn Gillaspie Photography - Louisville Boutique Bling - Breckenridge Minick Construction - Edwards Breckenridge Bead Gallery - Breckenridge Moose Jaw Restaurant - Frisco Breckenridge Outfitters – Breckenridge Mountain Angler – Breckenridge Broken Compass Brewing – Breckenridge My Trail Company - Boulder Brush Creek Caretaking - Eagle Nina’s Flowers - Louisville By Chance Shoppe – Louisville Nomad Bead Merchants – Boulder Cirque Mountain Apparel - Avon Osprey Packs Inc. - Cortez Columbine Bakery – Avon Outdoor Project - Seattle Copy Copy - Frisco Paragon Guides -Vail Crazy Mountain Brewery - Edwards Perry’s Shoe Shop – Boulder Crescent Moon Snowshoes - Boulder Petal and Bean - Breckenridge Cutthroat Anglers - Silverthorne Point6 – Steamboat Springs Deli Belly’s - Frisco Powder7.com – Golden Dillon Dam Brewery - Dillon PranaTonic - Golden Eco-Products – Boulder Ptarmigan Sports - Edwards Exxel Outdoors - Boulder Red Buffalo Coffee – Silverthorne Faith Davis Massage and Yoga - Boulder Right Path Investments - Frisco Fishpond USA - Silverthorne RINO Bike & Snow Repair - Denver Flourish - Breckenridge Ripstop Repairs - Boulder Fly Fishing Outfitters - Avon Riverwalk Natural Health Clinic/Pharmacy – Found Underground Consignments - Louisville Edwards Frisco Fun and Formal - Frisco Rocky Mountain Anglers - Boulder Frisco Liquors Inc. - Frisco Russell's Restaurant - Vail Frisco Lodge - Frisco Sea to Summit - Boulder Frisco Wine Merchant - Frisco Skea Ltd. - Vail Funky Truck - Frisco Slope Style - Breckenridge Gifted Hands Gallery - Louisville Smok N’ Bra – Frisco Gifts at Cooper’s Corner – Louisville Snowriders International - Denver Glenn Randall Writing & Photography - Boulder SoFlo Glass LLC. - Boulder Gorsuch Ltd – Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone Sonnenalp Real Estate - Vail Grappa Fine Wine and Spirits - Vail Spork and Ladle, LLC. – Boulder 3 21
Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act Support List
Staufer Commercial, LLC - Vail Organizations: Summit Travel – Frisco Access Fund Sweet Pea Designs - Vail Backcountry Hunters & Anglers The Book Cellar - Louisville Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center The Juniper Tree - Frisco Colorado Mountain Club The Mountain Goat Clothing Company – Colorado Ocean Coalition Breckenridge Conservation Alliance The Nettleton Law Firm – Frisco Conservation Colorado The Walnut Gallery – Louisville Continental Divide Trail Coalition The Wild Source – Golden High Country Conservation Center Timeless Collections - Breckenridge Friends of Eagles Nest Wilderness Tinydoorsfrisco.com - Frisco International Mountain Bicycling Association Todd Powell Photography - Frisco League of Conservation Voters Trident Booksellers and Cafe - Boulder Outdoor Industry Association Two Hands Paperie – Boulder Patriot Anglers Upslope Brewing Company – Boulder People for Bikes Vail Fine Wine - Vail ProgressNow Vail Resorts - Broomfield Public Land Solutions Vail Valley Anglers - Edwards Rocky Mountain Wild Vail Valley Anglers – Vail Sierra Club Verde Brand Communications – Boulder, Summit Fat Tire Society Durango The Wilderness Society Vertical Runner - Breckenridge Vail Valley Mountain Bike Association Ville de Luxe Boutique - Louisville Vet Voice Foundation Vision Ridge Partners - Boulder Veterans Expeditions Wendy Griffith Photography - Vail Wilderness Workshop West Vail Liquor Mart - Vail Wilderness Sports - Dillon Women’s Empowerment Workshop - Eagle Woodland – Breckenridge Government(s): Wool Hat Collective - Denver Town of Breckenridge Xcel Energy - Denver Colorado River District Colorado Springs Utilities Eagle County Summit County Town of Vail
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Letters of Support
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The Honorable Jared Polis
1433 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative Polis:
The undersigned businesses, organizations, and community leaders support your efforts to protect Colorado’s Central Mountains. From pristine watersheds to world-class hiking and mountain biking, we need to sustain this landscape that is so important to our local economies, the success of our businesses, and the well-being of our employees and communities.
Outdoor recreation in Colorado annually generates $13.2 billion in consumer spending, supports 125,000 jobs, and pays $4.2 billion in direct wages and salaries. In Summit and Eagle Counties, recreation generates $1.5 billion in spending. Your proposal to protect key areas for their stunning scenery, sensitive wildlife, critical watershed values, and many recreational opportunities will promote this vital part of our economy.
As business owners, we recognize that wilderness areas conserve our watersheds, wildlife habitats, and scenic vistas, while offering exceptional hiking, fishing, snowshoeing, climbing, skiing, hunting, and other recreation opportunities. Protecting these natural assets will help Colorado remain a place where people want to live and where businesses thrive.
Conservation efforts in Colorado ensure a long-term sustainable customer base for our state’s economy. We look forward to supporting your efforts to protect Colorado’s Central Mountains.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Meltzer Brett Elkman The Mountain Goat Clothing Company Vail Valley Anglers Breckenridge, CO Edwards, CO
Chris Krance David Minick SlopeStyle Minick Contruction Breckenridge, CO Edwards, CO
Dan Brewster Marisa A. Selvy Haute Route Gear and Apparel Crazy Mountain Brewery Avon, CO Edwards, CO
Deborah Wiancek Riverwalk Natural Health Clinic and Pharmacy Edwards, CO 6 24
Theresa P. Art Supply Breck Ptarmigan Sports Ashiey Rothman Edwards, CO Breckenridge, CO
Debbie King Suzanne VerSchure Bloomingvails, LLC Abbey’s Coffee Vail, CO Frisco, CO
Diane Boyer Jan Shackelford Skea Ltd. The Jumper Tree Vail, CO Frisco, CO
Ronda Niederhauser Holly Miller Columbine Bakery Little Beans Boutique Avon, CO Frisco, CO
Molly Mikita Stevie Day Vertical Runner Smok N’ Bra Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO
Holly Stein Ruth Bremer Flourish Frisco Fun and Formal Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO
Andrea Dickson Lisa Tousey Big City Blues Clothing Deli Belly’s Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO
Kristie Hoffman Roger Cox Breckenridge Bead Gallery House of Signs, Inc. Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO
Reem F. Badwan Susanne Johnston Timeless Collections Frisco Wine Merchant Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO
Emily Campbell Lynda Colety Bella Design and Planning Moose Jaw Restaurant and Bar Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO
Cathy Cleary Yvonne Zook B’s Modern Mountain Apothecary Anew You Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO
Reem F. Badwan Susan Minus Boutique Bling Summit Travel Frisco, CO Frisco, CO 7 25
Julie Williams Noah Westby Gifts at Coopers Corner Trident Booksellers and Café Louisville, CO Boulder, CO
Nancy Welch Faith Davis By Chance Shoppe Faith Davis Massage and Yoga Louisville, CO Boulder, CO
Geoffrey Whitmore Vicki Nichols Goldstein The Walnut Gallery Colorado Ocean Coalition Louisville, CO Boulder, CO
Kara Reese Stephanie Stoss Ville de Luxe Boutique Justin’s LLC. Louisville, CO Boulder, CO
David Mann Matt Sylvester Nina’s Flowers SoFlo Glass LLC Louisville, CO Boulder, CO
Mary Lynn Gillaspie Nancy Cooley Mary Lynn Gillaspie Photography Found Underground Consignments Louisville, Boulder, CO Louisville, CO
John Davis Ian Jacobson Frisco Liquors Inc. Eco-Products Frisco, CO Boulder, CO
Charles Hauck Barbara Butterworth Alpine Accents The Book Cellar Frisco, CO Louisville, CO
Diane Bedell Mike Price Bedell and Company Little Horse Books and Vintage Boulder, CO Louisville, CO
Brian Harris Amy Howard Rocky Mountain Anglers Gifted Hands Gallery Boulder, CO Louisville, CO
Mia Semingson Derek Spois Two Hands Paperie Spork and Ladle Boulder, CO Boulder, CO
Jacob March James Clements Nomad Bead Merchants Ripstop Repairs Boulder, CO Boulder, CO 8 26
Amy Dannwolf Scott Wescott Powder7.com Wilderness Sports Golden, CO Dillon, CO
DR Richardson Ian Belter Vision Ridge Partners Progess Now Boulder, CO Denver, CO
Louisa Morrissey Gene Karpinski High Country Dogs League of Conservation Voters Silverthorne CO Rodney Smith Brandon Dwight Backpacker’s Pantry Boulder Cycle Sport Boulder, CO Boulder, CO Tim West Josh Lautenberg Breckenridge Outfitters Sonnenalp Real Estate Breckenridge, CO Vail, CO
Dave Gorsuch John Bishop Gorsuch Ltd RINO Bike & Snow Repair Vail, CO Denver, CO
Tom Mullen Jackson Streit West Vail Liquors Mountain Angler Vail, CO Breckenridge, CO
Jonathan Staufer David Stillman Grappa Alpine Mountain Recreation Vail, CO Breckenridge, CO
John Land Le Coq Patrick Perry Fishpond USA Vail Valley Anglers Silverthorne, CO Vail, CO
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CDTC* 710 Tenth Street Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401*303-996-2759
July 29, 2016
Dear Senators Bennet and Gardner,
On behalf of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, I am writing this letter of support for the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act (H.R. 2554) to protect roughly 58,500 acres of land in Summit and Eastern Eagle Counties. This designation is critical to preserve and enhance the mountains of Central Colorado, which includes the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, by protecting their natural resources, wildlife habitat, scenic view- sheds and primitive recreation opportunities. We encourage you to work together and introduce a version of Congressman Polis’ bill into the U.S. Senate.
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) is the lead national partner with the USFS to support the completion, management and protection of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT). The CDTC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 2000 members nationwide. To date, CDTC has been successful in coordinating volunteer stewardship to improve and complete the CDT, including over 40,000 hours of volunteer labor worth over $550,000. In the process CDTC works building positive relationships with federal land managers and local trail focused clubs, organizing special events to help educate the Public about the CDT, implementing an Adopt-A-Trail program and working with Congress to continue to appropriate funding specific for the CDT in the Forest Service budget.
The CDT traverses across the proposal and much of the area is visible from the CDT and is important to the CDT Experience. The 1976 Study Report describes the purposes of the CDT are to “provide a continuous, appealing trail route, designed for the hiker and horseman, but compatible with other land uses. . . . One of the primary purposes for establishing the CDNST would be to provide hiking and horseback access to those lands where man's impact on the environment has not been adverse to a substantial degree and where the environment remains relatively unaltered. Therefore, the protection of the land resource must remain a paramount consideration in establishing and managing the trail. There must be sufficient environmental controls to assure that the values for which the trail is established are not jeopardized. . . . The basic goal of the trail is to provide the hiker and rider an entree to the diverse country along the Continental Divide in a manner, which will assure a high quality recreation experience while maintaining a constant respect for the natural environment. . . . The Continental Divide Trail
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would be a simple facility for foot and horseback use in keeping with the National Scenic Trail concept as seen in the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails.”
The Study Report further identifies the significant qualities, characteristics and trail opportunities of the proposed CDT including scenic and natural qualities. The scenic qualities defined for the CDT as: “Spectacular scenery of the quality and magnitude along the proposed CDT route is not available anywhere in the Continental United States. The trail traverses a variety of terrain, including high desert, forests, geologic formations, and mountain meadows. Flora abounds in the near views, while distant views of major valleys and mountain peaks are exceptional. “ (Study Report page 98)
The natural qualities are defined as: the “visitor” of the proposed route of the CDNST would encounter a great variety of terrain, geology, climate, and plant and animal life. This would include the unique and unusual character of the backcountry solitude of 16 (now 25) National Forest Wilderness and primitive Areas. Certain plants, trees, and animals that may be observed along the Trail are unique to the area traversed. (Study Report page104, as modified)
We believe this proposal helps further protect the landscape in a way that preserves the national significance of these areas and environs that make up the CDT Experience.
We appreciate the opportunity to work with the coalition of groups supporting this proposal and urge you to support this proposal not just for all Coloradans, but the entire American and International public. Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Teresa Ana Martinez Executive Director Continental Divide Trail Coalition
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Vet Voice Foundation PO Box 10031 Portland OR 97296 719-235-7030
October 29, 2015
The Honorable Michael S. Bennet United States Senate 261 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Bennet:
The Vet Voice Foundation channels the interests of U.S. military veterans on a range of important policy issues, including the protection of America’s public lands. As you draft legislation to protect certain public lands in Summit and Eagle counties, we request that you provide Camp Hale with a heightened designation that would protect the surrounding environment and ecosystems, enhance the historic and educational value to visitors, and directly fund preservation of this national treasure.
The United States Army established Camp Hale in 1942 to train combat troops for alpine and high- altitude conditions. Located in Colorado between Leadville and Red Cliff — at 9,250 feet above sea level — Camp Hale was home to the 10th Mountain Division. During World War II, the Division used mountaineering and skiing skills to drive the German army out of the Alps of Northern Italy. The Army held German prisoners of war at Camp Hale and the Central Intelligence Agency secretly trained Tibetan troops there during the early 1960s.
Camp Hale also played an important role in the development of the ski industry from a niche sport into one of the nation’s most popular forms of recreation. After the war, the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale taught skiing and founded the ski resorts in Colorado’s central mountains. Among the veterans, Peter Seibert developed the Vail ski resort, Friedel Pfeifer co-founded the corporation that developed Aspen, Laurence Jump opened Arapahoe Basin in 1946, and Bill Bowerman became a co-founder of Nike. Overall, the National Ski Hall of Fame has inducted 28 veterans of the 10th Mountain Division.
In 1965, the Army shut down Camp Hale and moved the 10th Mountain Division to Texas. Only one structure — a vault — remains standing today, although there are other ruins and eroded foundations visible on the ground. The U.S. Forest Service took over management of the area in 1966, designating it the Camp Hale National Historic Site. Situated in the White River National Forest, there is a 10-stop
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walking tour with signage that takes visitors on a loop around Camp Hale. Stone pillars mark the entrance to the site 17 miles south of I-70 on U.S. Highway 24.
Congress and the Forest Service in the past have considered designating Camp Hale a National Historic Landmark. In 2014, a group of stakeholders finalized a plan for comprehensive restoration of Camp Hale and the Eagle River headwaters. The goals are to restore river and aquatic health, repair wetland areas, remove non-native plants, and improve recreation. The Forest Service has started an environmental review of the plan.
As veterans, we fought to protect our country, including our precious public lands. We support protecting and funding the area in and around Camp Hale so that future generations may learn its significant history and enjoy its natural beauty.
Sincerely,
Garett Reppenhangen U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division OIF Veteran Rocky Mountain Director Vet Voice Foundation [email protected]
275 local Colorado Vet Voice Foundation Members recently signed on to the above letter –
/s/ [Names available upon request]
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SUMMIT COUNTY CITIZENS VOICE
New push for Colorado wilderness expansion
Posted on May 22, 2015 by Bob Berwyn
New wilderness is in the works for Eagle and Summit counties, in the mountains of Colorado.
Congress Jared Polis introduces land protection measure
FRISCO — A proposal for new Colorado wilderness areas is back on the political table in Washington, where Congressman Jared Polis introduced a new bill that ‚ if passed, would add more than 39,000 acres of land to the wilderness roster.
“The areas that stretch along the Continental Divide in Summit and Eagle counties are the iconic playground of our state,” Polis said. “They are where Coloradans and out-of-state tourists alike go to ski, hike, mountain bike, hunt, and fish … and this bill will ensure they are preserved for future generations to enjoy,” he added.
According to Polis, the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act will help sustain recreational resources, protect watersheds, preserve important wildfire corridors, and strengthen Colorado’s tourism economy.
Along with new wilderness, the bill would also designate 16,000 acres as special management areas for recreation, and where some other activities, including wildfire mitigation and forest health treatments would be permitted.
The legislation is a new iteration of previous measures going back many years to the original Hidden Gems campaign, a grassroots effort to identify potential wilderness.
“Coloradans love their public lands, and the Continental Divide Act would permanently protect some of our most superb wildlands that are critical to wildlife, recreation and forming our state’s scenic backdrop,” said Conservation Colorado director Pete Maysmith. 35 53
SUMMIT COUNTY CITIZENS VOICE
“Congressman Polis’ bill represents a welcomed evolution of land protection using a variety of tools to maximize protection while retaining quality trail access,” said Jason Bertolacci, regional director of the International Mountain Biking Association, which lobbied to keep some areas open for cycling.
The measure also got support from Colorado Springs, which operates water diversions in the area covered by the Polis bill.
Colorado Springs Utilities very much appreciates the collaborative spirit between Congressman Polis, the Wilderness Society, Conservation Colorado, and our staff here from Utilities in finding a reasonable solution of compromise in this legislation,” said Gary Bostrom, Colorado Springs Utilities chief water services officer.
Specifically, the proposal would create new wilderness areas in the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range, and Hoosier Ridge, as well as expand the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest, and Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Areas.
The plan also would enhance outdoor recreation opportunities such as fishing, hunting, biking, and backcountry snow sports by creating an 11,500-acre Recreation Management Area along the Tenmile Range.
The proposal was drafted through an open, collaborative process with local stakeholders that not only maintained existing recreational uses, but also incorporated community values by accounting for future improvements.
Earlier this month Polis held a naming contest for the bill. The winning submission was suggested by Bob Waters, of Boulder.
Also earlier this month, Polis hosted the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Raul Grijalva, so he could tour the proposed protection areas first-hand and hear from local leaders about the importance of the bill. During that meeting, Grijalva called the bill “a precedent-setter.”
“The broad local support and buy-in behind this bill is incredibly impressive. We’re going to make this a priority,” Grijalva said.
With his new seat on the House Natural Resources Committee and Grijalva’s engagement on the issue, Polis is optimistic about moving the bill through Congress this session. The recent successes in protecting Hermosa Creek and Browns Canyon demonstrate Colorado’s commitment to preserving its open spaces and this bill’s passage would be a logical next step in that chain of events. 36 54
SUMMIT COUNTY CITIZENS VOICE
Full breakdown of proposal area:
Wilderness:
Acorn Creek, 1,139 acres (Summit County) Hoosier Ridge, 5,182 acres (Summit County) Ptarmigan Additions, 2,266 acres (Summit County) Tenmile, 7,577 acres (Summit County) Ute Pass, 2,944 acres (Summit County) Williams Fork, 9,338 acres (Summit County) Freeman Creek, 1,175 acres (Eagle County) Spraddle Creek, 5,907 acres (Eagle County) No Name, 3,942 acres (Eagle County)
TOTAL: 39,470 acres
Special Management Area:
Tenmile North, 6,991 acres (Recreation area, Summit) Tenmile South, 4,426 acres (Recreation area, Summit) Porcupine Gulch, 5,204 acres (Summit)
TOTAL: 16,621 acres
Potential Wilderness Addition:
Spraddle Creek Potential, 2,338 acres (Eagle)
TOTAL: 2,338 acres
The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act is endorsed by the following groups, organizations, and businesses:
Eagle County, Summit County, Town of Vail, Town of Breckenridge, Colorado Springs Utilities, Vail Resorts, Xcel Energy, Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Access Fund, Conservation Colorado, People for Bikes, Public Land Solutions, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Outdoor Industry Association, Wilderness Workshop, The Wilderness Society, Vet Voice Foundation, Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, Sierra Club,, Sierra Club – Rocky Mountain Chapter, The Wilderness Society, The 37 55
SUMMIT COUNTY CITIZENS VOICE
Wilderness Society – Colorado Chapter, League of Conservation Voters, Pew Charitable Trusts, Alpine Accents, Frisco Liquors Inc., Summit Travel, Anew You , Moose, Jaw Restaurant, Frisco Wine Merchant, House of Signs, Inc., Deli Belly’s, Frisco Fun and Formal, Smokn’ Bra Little Beans Boutique, The Jumping Tree, Abbey’s Coffee, Art Supply Breck, Boutique Bling, Timeless Collections, b’s Modern Mountain Apothecary, Bella Design and Planning, Breckenridge Bead Gallery, Big City Blues Clothing, Flourish, Vertical Runner, Slopestyle, The Mountain Goat Clothing Company, Columbine Bakery, Haute Route Gear and Apparel, Skea Ltd., Bloomingvails, Gorsuch Ltd., Ptarmigan Sports, Crazy Mountain Brewery, Minick Construction, Vail Valley Anglers, Riverwalk Natural Health Clinic and Pharmacy, Mary Lynn Gillaspie Photography, Nina’s Flowers, Ville de Luxe Boutique, The Walnut Gallery, By Chance Shoppe, Gifts at Cooper’s Corner, Found Underground Consignments, Gifted Hands Gallery, Little Horse Books and Vintage, The Book Cellar, SoFlo Glass LLC., Faith Davis Massage and Yoga, Trident Booksellers and Café, Nomad Bead Merchants, Two Hands Paperie, Rocky Mountain Anglers, Bedell and Co., Colorado Ocean Coalition, Justins LLC., Ripstop Repairs, Spork and Ladle, LLC., Eco-Products, Powder7.com, Vision Ridge Partners, High Country Dogs
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Denver Post
DENVER AND THE WEST
Rep. Polis pushes to preserve Continental Divide land from development
By Bruce Finley The Denver Post POSTED: 05/20/2015 05:23:03 PM MDT HTTP://WWW.DENVERPOST.COM/NEWS/CI_28157074/
Fly fishing guide Jay Creighton, of Fly Fishing Outfitters in Avon, casts a cattus for brook trout on the Piney River, with Mount Powell and the Gore Range in the background. Gore Range is one of the areas that would be protected under Polis' legislation. (Denver Post file)
More than 39,000 acres in the Colorado mountains around resorts would be protected as wilderness under legislation that U.S. Rep. Jared Polis is poised to introduce in Congress.
An additional 18,000 acres would gain lesser protection — allowing mountain bikes, for example, at an 11,500-acre Tenmile area north of Quandary Peak — under his Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act.
Polis, a Boulder Democrat, has been working for years to protect the land, mostly around edges of existing wilderness areas near Dillon, Vail and Breckenridge.
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Denver Post
"The threats are political. Every administration can reclassify lands however they want. We want to make sure these are permanently preserved against future development," Polis said in an interview.
The new wilderness, if approved, would expand the 3.6 million acres of existing wilderness around Colorado that currently total 6 percent of the state's land. Those areas include land near Aspen, Indian Peaks on the Front Range, the Sangre de Cristo and Weminuche areas in southern Colorado, and the Flat Tops north of Interstate 70.
A federal wilderness designation prohibits mechanized vehicles and development.
Summit and Eagle county officials, Conservation Colorado, the Wilderness Society and the International Mountain Bike Association are among the groups supporting this proposal.
Only Congress can declare wilderness. Under the Wilderness Act of 1964, 110 million acres of forests and other public lands in 44 states have gained protection.
Polis introduced a bill in 2010 and 2011 then redesigned it. Staffers said they're optimistic. He sits on the House Natural Resources Committee, which handles wilderness legislation, and recently took Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., the top Democrat on the committee, on a tour. Polis said he has received assurances that his bill will be a priority.
"Losing this area to private developers, whether mining or for buildings," he said, "would jeopardize our watersheds and hurt our tourist economy."
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SUMMIT DAILY
Wilderness bill a top priority for Polis, Bennet heading into fall congressional session
http://www.summitdaily.com/news/wilderness-bill-a-top-priority-for-polis-bennet-heading-into-fall-congressional-session/ Kevin Fixler - September 3, 2017
Coming out of U.S. Congress's August recess, Rep. Jared Polis, who represents Colorado's 2nd District, is closing in on plans to reintroduce a piece of wilderness preservation legislation straddling the White River National Forest that has far-reaching implications.
Now eight years in the making, the updated Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act would safeguard more than 92,000 acres of land stretching from Summit to Eagle counties as a follow-up on its predecessor that imagined similar designations for about 58,000 acres. The bill was last pitched in May 2015 and Polis believes its adoption is more critical than ever before.
"Congress hasn't done any additional wilderness bills in several years and in fact, quite to the contrary, we're fighting the threat of privatizing our public lands," said Polis. "These are important tourist destinations, they're important areas that local residents use for quality of life and recreation, and to preserve those … will really help ensure that our communities have those natural resources in perpetuity."
If accepted, the law would add wilderness and/or recreation protections to a number of locations, among them the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range, Hoosier Ridge, Ute Pass and Porcupine Gulch. Areas in Eagle that would also receive the special-management classification include Spraddle Creek and Freeman Creek in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, as well as No Name joining the existing Holy Cross Wilderness Area.
Perhaps the biggest change to the forthcoming proposal is the addition of Camp Hale, the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division's former training grounds, for consideration as the country's first-ever National Historic Landscape. The site between the city of Leadville and town of Red Cliff presently holds a National Registry of Historic Places listing, but the new label would provide for heightened preservation and restoration practices, prolong current recreational activities there including snowmobiling, and offer improved conservation and management direction to maintain its picturesque scenery.
Securing a couple key wildlife habitat areas is also a big part of the act. From several conversations with Colorado Parks and Wildlife following the last version of the bill, the territories for both Williams Fork,
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north of Silverthorne, and Porcupine Gulch, near Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels along Interstate 70, have both been amended slightly to better shield those conservation zones.
"The area going over the tunnel is the most important alpine wildlife corridor in the state, and one of the few places that wildlife can cross I-70 at that altitude," Scott Miller of The Wilderness Society told county leadership this past spring. "So CPW and wildlife advocates are very anxious to protect that corridor."
During a May presentation to the Summit Board of County Commissioners, Miller — whose land conservation nonprofit helped draft the latest edition of the bill — noted the Williams Fork area is the southeastern-most range of the greater sage-grouse. A redesigned boundary allows all parties, including CPW and the U.S. Forest Service, to continue managing the location for sustained recreational uses and wildlife conservation.
Aside from the bill's set of enhancements based on a number of regional stakeholder suggestions, this time around the five-term congressman — and candidate for Colorado governor — has a new ally in the fight in fellow federal lawmaker Sen. Michael Bennet. The two Colorado Democrats intend to set forth companion legislation in their respective chambers to strengthen its chances of passage.
"You'll see both members of Congress introduce pretty much identical bills so we have something that can move through Congress in tandem," Noah Koerper, Bennet's central mountain regional director, explained at the spring meeting. "We are really taking our time with it because I think that — especially in the current political environment — it remains incredibly important that this be not just us. It needs bipartisan support."
The collaborative approach allowed Polis and company to focus on the adjustments to some of the area boundaries in the prior pitch, while Bennet's team has concentrated its efforts on the inclusion of Camp Hale. That site alone adds roughly 25,000 more acres in protections to the previous bill.
Supporters of the proposed law submit its broad-based local consent as a central reason for why it should be approved. The list of endorsements spans more than 130 organizations and businesses, from Summit and Eagle county governments and the towns of Vail and Breckenridge to Vail Resorts, Xcel Energy and a number of wildlife and outdoor recreation groups.
At the moment no exact timeline for formal introduction is set, but the hope is to push the bill through the active 115th U.S. Congress. And it's that level of regional backing that makes sponsors optimistic 2017 will finally be the year where the legislation gets passed.
"We will get it done," said Polis. "It's a matter of when, not if. We've got the support of the local community — the mayors, the commissioners, the business community — and really Summit and Eagle counties have worked closely with us to put together a proposal that not only preserves some of our wild outdoor areas along the Continental Divide, but helps ensure that the economic driver that these areas create can continue to be able to create jobs in Summit and Eagle counties."
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VAIL DAILY
Advocates working to make 10th Mountain Division birthplace America’s first National Historical Landscape http://www.vaildaily.com/news/advocates-working-to-make-10th-mountain-division-birthplace- americas-first-national-historical-landscape/
Randy Wyrick - January 26, 2017
CAMP HALE — The birthplace of the famed 10th Mountain Division is also the birthplace of Colorado’s outdoor recreation industry, and state Sen. Michael Bennet wants it protected. Bennet is pushing hard to have Camp Hale declared the nation’s first National Historic Landscape.
Bennet aide Noah Koerper said the senator intends to move quickly.
“We want to get this bill done soon, but we want to get it right and that’s the priority,” Koerper said.
The plan is to designate Camp Hale as America’s first National Historic Landscape as part of Boulder Democrat Jared Polis’s Continental Divide Camp Hale was the top of the world when American Wilderness and Recreation Act. Camp troops were training there during World War II. Hale is already on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bennet originally announced the idea last Memorial Day during a quick trip to Camp Hale.
Division veteran Sandy Treat was there on Memorial Day, and was also on hand for Saturday’s Camp Hale living history event, featuring presentations by the 10th Mountain Division Living History Display group and the 10th Mountain Division Foundation.
WINNING THE WAR, BUILDING THE PEACE
Soldiers who trained at Camp Hale helped win some of World War II’s most pivotal — and bloody — battles in the northern Italian Alps. The Germans claimed that Riva Ridge could not be taken in the daylight. The Germans were probably right — the front side of the mountain was heavily, and effectively, defended. So on a snowy, dark night in February 1945, thousands of 10th Mountain soldiers
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climbed the 1,500-foot steep mountainside, taking the difficult, but undefended back way. That victory prevented the Germans from using the peak to observe U.S. forces below.
That victory was short-lived, and the next day the division’s three regiments joined a successful assault on nearby Mount Belvedere. Hundreds of 10th Mountain soldiers died in the battle.
Many 10th Mountain Division soldiers returned home and built ski areas including Vail and Beaver Creek, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Steamboat Springs and Aspen, along with an estimated 60 other ski areas around the country.
Among the 10th Mountain veterans are Vail founder Pete Seibert, Colorado Ski Hall of Famer Earl Clark, Aspen Ski School co-founders Freidl Pfeifer and John Litchfield and Colorado Ski Country USA co-founder Bob Parker.
After the war, the Army flooded the U.S. with hundreds of thousands of pairs of affordable military surplus skis, down sleeping bags, backpacks and outdoor gear, giving rise to an outdoor recreation industry that changed the economy and face of Colorado and other states.
WORKING TO HONOR THE 10TH
State Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, announced plans to support Bennet’s bill in the state legislature by creating a Resolution of Support. She said she intends to send a signal to Washington that Colorado broadly supports this effort.
Along with designating Camp Hale as America’s first National Historic Landscape, Polis’ wilderness bill’s aims include:
• Create three new wilderness areas, 54,492 acres in Summit and Eagle counties in the White River National Forest.
• Create five additions to existing wilderness areas: Eagle’s Nest, Holy Cross and Ptarmigan wilderness areas.
“We have been working very hard to gather input, generate compromises and find creative ways to preserve recreation while protecting the wild values of the lands in this proposal,” said wilderness advocate Susie Kincade, who has worked tirelessly on this project. “The addition of Camp Hale National Historic Landscape is a wonderful way to enhance the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, while protecting this historic area for future generations. The designation will maintain the recreational activities that go on there, and protect a critical wildlife migration corridor as well as the headwaters of the Eagle River. The Camp Hale addition is a win-win for everyone and will help make the overall bill legacy legislation.”
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and [email protected].
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Grand Junction Sentinel – Letter to the Editor
Sen. Cory Gardner should help protect vital historical land and water
January 24, 2017
On Jan. 21 I stood in the cold, high-altitude at Camp Hale with approximately 50 other hardy individuals and one particularly rugged individual, 94-year-old Sandy Tweet.
Mr. Tweet is one of the last 30 surviving men of 15,000 who trained for the United States during World War II at the 10th Mountain Division’s Camp Hale. Mr. Tweet was attending and skiing for Dartmouth in New Hampshire when he joined the Army and returned there to continue his education after being discharged.
In 2015, Congressman Jared Polis introduced the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act (HR 2554) to protect wilderness lands in this area and make Camp Hale the first National Historic Landscape, protecting the historical, ecological and recreational values of this landscape.
This area, west of the continental divide, supplies 80 percent of Colorado’s clean water and is the headwaters for the Eagle River. Three water providers are partnered with this measure: Eagle County Water, Colorado Springs, and the Denver Water Board, as well as over 200 private businesses.
This area is home to the land bridge corridor near Porcupine Gulch, which is considered the major wildlife migration route from Canada down to Mexico. Becoming a National Historic Landscape, outdoor recreational opportunities such as mountain biking, backcountry skiing, hiking, fishing and hunting will continue. Critical Colorado clean water preservation can be safeguarded, as well as the protection of Camp Hale, which was the most expensive WWII military facility to be built and maintained.
I urge Sen. Cory Gardner to help protect this vital historical land and water which all Coloradoans and Americans value, plus the recreational opportunities which help drive local economies.
RICK SEYMOUR Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Silt
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Aspen Daily News Online
Camp Hale historic designation sought by Samantha Bear, Special to the Aspen Daily News Monday, January 23, 2017 Supporters of the bill say that multiple uses of site wouldn’t be threatened
Local activists, plus state and federal government officials met Saturday evening at Vail’s Ski and Snowboard Museum to discuss plans to include a protection of Camp Hale in the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act. The act seeks to protect an additional 58,492 acres within the White River National Forest, including a first of its kind designation for Camp Hale as a National Historic Landscape. Camp Hale, the original training site for the 10th Mountain Division during World War II, now supports ample outdoor recreation including snowmobiling, mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing, and more. Many of the veterans who trained there had a profound impact on the U.S. ski industry after returning home and were instrumental in the development of modern-day Aspen. “Part of what is special about (Camp Hale) is the multiple use. We have no interest in changing any of that. In fact, we want to make sure it is protected going forward,” said Noah Koerper, regional representative for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO). He added that one of the goals was “to make sure people can keep enjoying it.” State Sen. Kerry Donovan, (D-Vail), whose family settled in Colorado after her grandfather was recruited to the 10th Mountain Division, said she will be introducing language in this session of Congress asking to support the protection for Camp Hale. Donovan said she will then ask constituents to reach out to other elected officials to “send a strong message that this is what we believe is worth the efforts of protection.” Donovan said her grandfather returned from the Pacific Islands — “he always called it the great John Dakin/Courtesy photo wisdom of the Army that he trained people in winter Sen. Kerry Donovan’s grandfather was a 10th warfare and then found himself in the jungles” — Mountain Division soldier who found his post- before PTSD was a recognized diagnosis. war therapy in the wilderness. The state senator who represents Aspen and Vail would “He found his therapy and his recovery in the Eagles like Camp Hale, located between Minturn and Nest Wilderness,” she said. Leadville and where soldiers trained for World With regard to the importance of attaching this War II, to receive an historic designation from Congress. designation to the current bill, Koerper stated that, 46 64
“you don’t get to do multiple bills on an area in Congress. Once you’ve passed a bill for Eagle and Summit counties’ public land, that’s it.” He added, “We’re trying to do it quickly but more importantly, we’re going to try to do it right.” As a National Historic Landscape, Camp Hale would be managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The area, as discussed Saturday, would include Camp Hale itself but also what Koerper called the “visual landscape” — “so that when you’re standing at Camp Hale, what you feel in the landscape there is the National Historic Landscape.”
Developing the ‘alpine attitude’ Tom Haines, chairman of the board of the 10th Mountain Division Foundation and son of a 10th Mountain veteran, spoke to the historic significance of Camp Hale. Built in 1942 over the course of seven months, at the cost of roughly $30 million, Haines defined Camp Hale’s purpose: “To get these soldiers in the mountains so they could develop that alpine attitude. The alpine attitude is one where you have to care for yourself, you care for others, you stay warm, you know where you are, you know what food you have to eat, and you’re self accountable.” Haines described the area today as a place where people can go to develop a passion for the outdoors. It’s where “they can link with their fellow campers, skiers, hikers, mountain bikers. It’s that love of the mountains, that love of each other being in the mountains and those activities including the ones we can do for veterans to help them overcome PTSD and other infirmities,” he said. Sandy Treat, a 10th Mountain Division veteran who celebrated his 94th birthday on Sunday, briefly described his personal experiences at Camp Hale, which included training ski jumpers from Minnesota, who he said had trouble stopping. Sen. Donovan said she believes it appropriate that the wilderness and historic aspects of the site be officially tied together. During the evening, she also shared that her grandfather became a citizen advocate for the original Wilderness Act, even once testifying about it before Congress. “We put the highest level of protection on wilderness areas so that they’re maintained far past what we can even imagine and historic landscapes are meant to remind us of our past so that we make good decisions going forward. So the wonderful pairing of these things together seems wonderfully natural,” Donovan said. Koerper concluded the discussion optimistically stating that, “If we can get both of your senators on this bill, both sides of the aisle, I think there’s a strong chance of this moving forward.” If the bill is eventually passed, Koerper stated that the public will likely not notice any immediate changes. Rather, the intent is “to make sure that Camp Hale is commemorated and protected forever; to place a mandate on the federal government, the owner of the land, to make sure that when they are managing this land that they are doing so with its historic significance in mind.”
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Outdoorproject.com
PROTECTING SPRADDLE CREEK WILDERNESS AND THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
Justin Michael blog - 10.20.16
The backcountry near Colorado's Continental Divide features vistas and unique recreational experiences that drive the local economies of Summit and Eagle counties. Conservation Colorado and the Continental Divide Organization are working to ensure protection of these spectacular wild landscapes through the expansion of wilderness areas along Colorado's Continental Divide. Wilderness protection for areas like the proposed Spraddle Creek Wilderness Addition, adjacent to Vail in Eagle County, are fundamental to sustaining Colorado’s unique recreation resources, protecting critical watersheds, preserving important wildlife corridors, and strengthening the tourism economy.
In early 2015 U.S. Rep. Representative Jared Polis, Colorado, introduced the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreational Act to protect the natural beauty, outdoor recreation, historic resources, and wildlife habitats of Summit and eastern Eagle counties. The act would create 40,000 acres of new wilderness areas in the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range, and Hoosier Ridge, and it would expand the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest, and Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness areas. The bill would also enhance outdoor recreation opportunities such as fishing, hunting, biking, and backcountry snow sports. For example, it would establish a 11,500-acre Recreation Management Area along the Tenmile Range to protect and provide world-class mountain biking, hiking, and wildlife watching.
Building on the act's momentum, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet has been working to draft similar legislation in the Senate that would preserve vital wildlife habitat and recreation areas in Eagle and Summit Counties as a companion bill. Drafted through an open, collaborative process, the legislation not only maintains existing recreational uses, it also incorporates community values by accounting for future improvements.
Recently Outdoor Project had the fortunate opportunity to join Conservation Colorado and other members and volunteers of the Continental Divide Coalition to get out on a hike through a portion of the proposed Spraddle Creek Wilderness area and to learn more about the proposed bills. Spraddle Creek sits on the north side of I-70 in Vail, and it includes the western half of Bald Mountain and two creeks that drain the watershed. It encompasses 9,110 acres of land that consists mostly of steep, grassy hillsides and groves of aspens and fir trees. This area offers an important buffer between the urban development in Vail and the Eagles Nest Wilderness to the east. The wilderness proposal helps protect the land from timber extraction, which would effect the migratory and breeding patterns of native elk and deer. It would also allow the Forest Service the flexibility to perform certain restoration projects in order to protect its wilderness quality.
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Hiking up toward the large aspen groves. Photo by Justin Michael.
Seeing the land firsthand, we were amazed at the quick transition from a Vail-area mansion corridor to pristine, lush hillside. Within just a few hours of hiking we saw red-tailed hawks, mule deer, bear scat, flourishing wildflowers, and towering old-growth aspen grooves. The sound of the traffic along I-70 faded away once we climbed to 9,000 feet, and we were subsumed by the qualities of wilderness. Anyone who has hiked through the aspens and meadows of Spraddle Creek, which encompasses historic Camp Hale, the World War II training area for the 10th Mountain Division, knows just how special this area truly is.
Please join Conservation Colorado, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, The Wilderness Society, Wilderness Workshop, local communities and countless outdoor industry and tourism businesses supporting this effort to protect these special places. By signing your support, volunteering your time, or donating to the organizations, you can play an important role in leaving a wilderness and outdoor recreation legacy for future generations.
To learn more about the Continental Divide Wilderness proposal, please visit continentaldivide.org.
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VAIL DAILY
Honoring the legacy of the 10th
Nic Gray - Valley Voices October 3, 2016
The transition — or perhaps the calling — from military service to entrepreneurship isn't an original story.
There's one such local legacy that sticks in my head, pushing me to work harder as a business-builder and simultaneously persuading me to get outside more often. The story is that of the American soldiers on skis — the Army's 10th Mountain Division. These days, we remember and celebrate the role that Camp Hale, in Colorado's cold and puzzling landscapes between Leadville and Red Cliff, played in training 14,000 soldiers who went on to serve and protect in 1945. Many made the ultimate sacrifice. Others returned home and helped craft the Colorado we know and love today, with inextricable ties between the great outdoors and our innovative economy.
As entrepreneurs, we are all too often seen as saviors of the economy, shattering tired paradigms, reinventing categories and generally bettering the planet. But rugged individualism doesn't build bridges nor businesses. Entrepreneurs are vital to our economy, but they, like the individuals who make up our military, rely on collective effort. This is a lesson I have had to learn, time and again.
I am here to tell you, as a startup founder and former member of the United States Army, you can put together the greatest mission in the world, and when boots touch the ground, perfectly plotted plans change. I'd venture a guess that Vail founder Pete Seibert, Aspen Ski School co-founders Freidl Pfeifer and John Litchfield and Colorado Ski Country USA co-founder Bob Parker — all members of the 10th Mountain Division — would agree. You must improvise.
After transitioning out of the Army at the end of 2007, I traded Fort Riley, Kansas, for Colorado Springs. The high desert, sparse rain and surplus of sunshine kept me outside more than not. From Colorado Springs to Denver, a deep pool of military members and access to inspiring natural landscapes provided me therapeutic camaraderie and healing vistas along the road back to civilian life.
By 2013, I met my match — in business, that is — and we combined his smart, mobile know-how with my tech savvy to create HyprLoco, a reactive intelligence software platform. We started up trying to fit the ocean into a fishbowl, but learned quickly and narrowed our field of play, completing market and customer discovery to hone our strategy. Within a year, our product was ready to take to market.
Rooting my business and my home in Colorado post-service was no accident — I am grateful everyday for the security and freedom this sanctuary provides. Outdoor recreation has the potential to provide fertile ground for veterans recovering from PTSD to heal without medical interference.
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There's a "legacy we need to honor and a history we cherish in Colorado," said Sen. Michael Bennet, in an interview about his yet-to-be introduced bill to protect Camp Hale. The legislation expands on Rep. Jared Polis' Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, a proposal to grow Colorado's wilderness in the central Rockies and enhance a range of recreational uses and amenities. Moreover, Rep. Polis encourages the veteran community to get outside — citing studies that illustrate the extensive benefits associated with employing veterans in public service and outdoor engagement. He has devised targeted measures, legislation and used his foundation as a platform to provide transitional assistance to separating service members through an employment model dating back to the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s.
As I look to the future, the network of veterans here continues to play a vital and vibrant role, and as I look back, I am emboldened, because the story of modern veterans in Colorado may not be all that different from that of the 10th Mountain Division members who returned to Colorado to marry work and play. It was a commitment, companionship and a rugged collectivism that incited me once to serve and protect my home and today, compels me to do the same.
Thus, I would hope that we continue to put in the elbow grease and collaboratively preserve the very landscapes that both trained and supported military personnel as they prepared for war and that today, nourish us — mind, body and spirit.
Nic Gray is the founder and CEO of Hyprloco, a location-based intelligence company in Denver.
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COLORADO STATESMAN
Veterans group backs wilderness bill after Bennet adds Camp Hale by David O. Williams on August 29, 2016
When Garett Reppenhagen, an honorably discharged cavalry scout and a sniper with the U.S. Army First Infantry Division, returned to his home state of Colorado in 2005 after serving in Kosovo and Iraq, the wilderness advocate recovered by spending time on public lands.
“When I came home I looked to the outdoors kind of instinctively to find healing and repose from the war,” said Reppenhagen, Rocky Mountain Director of the Vet Voice Foundation. “My mom’s house is in Green Mountain Falls near Colorado Springs and borders Pike National Forest and Pikes Peak, so that mountain was kind of a sanctuary for me.”
Reppenhagen recently participated in an EcoFlight flyover of U.S. Rep. Jared Polis’ proposed Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, which would add 40,000 acres of public land to the Holy Cross, Eagle’s Nest and Ptarmigan Peak wilderness areas in Eagle and Summit counties. It would designate another 15,000 acres of the Tenmile Range in the White River National Forest as Garett Reppenhagen special Recreation Management Areas to allow for mountain biking.
And Philip Clelland, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, recently told The Colorado Statesman that a companion bill in the upper chamber has taken additional time because “we’re also planning to include the designation of Camp Hale as a National Historic Landscape in our bill, and we are working closely with these groups to make sure we get it right.”
Bennet first announced his plans to draft a bill last August, and Clelland says the senator has been meeting with stakeholders and nailing down community support, “working hard to introduce a bill as soon as possible.” Polis, who serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, has been pushing to get a hearing on his bill in the next month.
“Camp Hale would be a special management area called a National Historic Landscape — the first in the country — and a lot of those recreational uses [mountain biking, off-road vehicles] would still be allowed,” Reppenhagen said of the area between Leadville and Vail where U.S.
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Army troops trained for winter warfare against German troops in the Italian Alps and later against the Japanese in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands during World War II.
“That’s one of the most key pieces of this is to let people use that area like it was used by 10th Mountain Division soldiers when they were training to go to Europe to fight,” Reppenhagen said of the legendary ski troopers who returned home to found many of the nation’s most iconic ski areas, including Vail. Vail Resorts supports the Polis bill, and a representative of the ski company participated in the recent flyover sponsored by Conservation Colorado.
So did Eagle County Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry, who marveled at views of the public lands surrounding Vail and Beaver Creek, including 14,009-foot Mount of the Holy Cross. She lamented the fact that for political reasons the Polis bill has been scaled back dramatically from the controversial Hidden Gems plan, which started out proposing wilderness protection for more than 340,000 acres of public lands, including parcels in Pitkin and Gunnison counties.
“I’d love to see the western part of Eagle County become its own wilderness bill when we’re ready to do that, but this part is solid and has agreement from all the stakeholders and Sen. Bennet is carrying it on that side of the Congress,” Chandler-Henry said, adding that western Eagle County, Gunnison and Pitkin counties fall in the 3rd Congressional District and advocates have to work with U.S. Rep Scott Tipton, “or perhaps Gail Schwartz depending on how the election comes out.”
Schwartz is a former state senator who represented much of Southwest Colorado for eight years and is challenging Tipton for his CD3 seat in November. The entirety of the Polis proposal is in the 2ndCongressional District, which stretches west from Boulder and includes Summit County and the eastern third of Eagle County. There is a separate Gunnison Public Lands Initiative pushing for wilderness protections in Gunnison County, where Schwartz lives in Crested Butte.
“When it comes to federal land management, I support a balanced approach,” Tipton told The Statesman via a spokeswoman. “I believe that the push for any land designation must come from the local level, and I support efforts that revolve around respecting the environment we all deeply value, while making the best use of our resources.”
Wilderness protection is the most stringent form of management for federally owned public lands and typically prohibits oil and gas drilling, mining, logging and grazing, while also restricting recreational activities to prohibit motorized travel.
“Congressman Polis’ bill does not cover lands in the 3rd Congressional District, which I’m running to represent,” Schwartz said via a spokesman. “I understand many people have requested wilderness legislation that could include lands in the 3rd District, and I welcome those discussions.
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“Additionally, the efforts in Gunnison County with the working group initiative serve as the model for building consensus in communities in order to identify lands that are in the long-term interests of the communities to protect.”
Scott Braden, wilderness advocate for Conservation Colorado, says he’s hopeful a hearing will be held soon in the House and that Bennet will be able to introduce his version this session. Asked about support from the rest of Colorado’s congressional delegation, Braden said he thinks some members may back the proposal because of its overwhelming support from the local business communities and elected officials.
“Congressman Tipton has never fully endorsed [the bill], but he’s never opposed any of this,” Braden said. “We hope that when it comes down to it we’ll have more support from other Colorado House members. Polis and [U.S. Rep. Doug] Lamborn are on the Natural Resources Committee. Lamborn hasn’t taken a position on it, but we’re hoping that he’ll recognize that it’s widely supported and goes for it.”
A Lamborn spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN POST
Polis optimistic wilderness bill will someday make it through Congress
By David O. Williams August 25, 2016, 6:48 am
Congressman Jared Polis, a Boulder Democrat who represents Summit and eastern Eagle counties, expressed optimism this week that his long-running battle to add more than 40,000 acres of federal land to the wilderness inventory could someday actually see be won.
Wilderness proponents, left to right, Scott Miller of The Wilderness Society, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (and his dog Gia), Max and Rennick Williams admire the views in McCullough Gulch near Quandary Peak (David O. Williams photo). His proposed Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act would add 40,000 acres of public land to the Holy Cross, Eagle’s Nest and Ptarmigan Peak wilderness areas in the two high-country counties. It would also designate another 15,000 acres of the Tenmile Range near Breckenridge as special Recreation Management Areas to allow for mountain biking.
“This bill is very well positioned to get it done,” Polis told RealVail.com during a hike Sunday up McCullough Gulch in the proposed Tenmile Wilderness addition on the flanks of 14,265-foot Quandary Peak in Summit County.
“The holdup, of course, has been that Congress hasn’t done a single wilderness bill in the last two sessions,” Polis added. “When Congress is once again ready to look at some wilderness, this is really queued up to be one of the very first ones that goes through.”
That’s because Polis has spent virtually his entire seven-plus years in Congress trying to craft some version of a wilderness bill that would have the wide-ranging support of special districts, elected officials, business representatives, and a diverse array of user groups and local residents. Unlike the massive and controversial Hidden Gems plan before it, Polis says this bill has it all.
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“There’s a tremendous amount of community support from the towns, the special districts, the counties, local businesses, and we’ll be very excited to get it across the finish line so that others can enjoy this very same hike decades from now, centuries from now,” Polis said.
Wilderness designations offer the highest level of protection for public lands, prohibiting any kind of large-scale development or infrastructure projects such as ski areas, mining, oil and gas drilling and other extractive uses. It also restricts mechanized travel.
Many Republicans oppose the more restrictive management of public lands, supporting more intensive development of natural resources in order to promote local jobs. Wilderness backers point to the growing and economically vital outdoor recreation industry and its reliance on untrammeled public lands.
Asked about getting a hearing for his bill this session in the House Natural Resources Committee, which Polis serves on, he said he’ll continue work with Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah.
“We’re continuing, obviously, to push for a hearing,” Polis said. “That would be the next step. I think this is one of the best positioned bills to move forward as soon as the Committee and the House are open to considering any wilderness proposals.”
Pressed on whether that will ever realistically happen with Bishop as chairman, Polis said there could be room for a deal.
“We’ll see. He’s expressed an openness to wilderness,” Polis said. “They haven’t moved any wilderness bills, but he has some things he wants to do on land management, so we’ll see if there’s a way we can get this included.”
And Polis added that it’s helpful U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, is coming close to introducing his own version of the bill in the upper chamber, including a proposed new National Historic Landmark designation for the old 10th Mountain Division training area of Camp Hale.
“Any bill needs to be bicameral, of course,” Polis said. “We’ve been very thrilled to work with Sen. Bennet and excited about the inclusion of Camp Hale as well.”
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DAILY CAMERA
Businesses have responsibility to protect Colorado's outdoors
By Demetri Coupounas POSTED: 08/06/2016 04:36:03 PM MDT
As the founder of Boulder-based My Trail Company, I know that environmental stewardship is good business.
Eighteen years ago, when my wife, Kim, and I started a company named GoLite to help people lighten up and enjoy the outdoors more, we considered literally all 50 states to base it in. We chose Colorado. Almost two decades later, older, wiser and more experienced, I've made the same choice of home base again for My Trail, because I believe this is the best place on Earth to headquarter a global outdoor brand. Among the reasons we're here is the great pool of talent and the concentration of cutting-edge customers. But both of these, and other key factors as well, arise from the foundation of gorgeous public lands accessible nearby. After all, that's why we're all here.
In Colorado, advocating for our public lands is about more than simply showing leadership — it supports our bottom line. Public lands are the basic infrastructure upon which Colorado's $13.2 billion outdoor industry is built.
Building a place-based company comes with a responsibility. I have a duty to speak out in support of protecting the places around Boulder — and beyond — for future generations of recreationists. That's why we are proud to be a founding member of the Colorado Outdoor Business Alliance, a coalition of more than 80 business leaders from across Colorado's outdoor recreation economy and emerging Lee Bullock of Eagle lands a fish while a mentor looks on at the industries who advocate to conserve Nova Guides Pond at Camp Hale in this 2011 Denver Post file photo. and protect access to our public lands.
We're particularly excited to support the effort to protect Colorado's Continental Divide region as a new recreation and wilderness area.
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The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, introduced by U.S. Rep Jared Polis, D-Boulder, would protect 58,500 acres of Colorado's most popular trails and forests in Summit and Eagle counties. The White River National Forest, which spans much of this region, hosted over 12 million visitors in 2012, making it the most visited national forest in the country. If we are to continue loving these landscapes without loving them to death, they need greater protections.
The Continental Divide proposal designates approximately 40,000 acres of new and expanded wilderness areas, protecting wildlife, habitat, water quality and recreation. In addition, the proposal creates an 11,417-acre Recreation Management Area for the Tenmile Range. This new legal designation will explicitly protect world-class mountain biking, which is otherwise not allowed in wilderness. Thanks to this innovative tool, the Continental Divide effort has the full support of the local mountain bike community.
It's also great to hear that U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is planning to protect this area. He announced over Memorial Day that he will soon be introducing legislation to protect the recreation and wilderness amenities, as well as the Camp Hale area as the country's first National Historic Landscape. Veterans from Camp Hale have played a crucial role in establishing the modern ski industry. Former members of the 10th Mountain Division, who trained at Camp Hale during World War II, went on to help found about 60 ski resorts around the country, including Vail, Aspen, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Steamboat.
The Continental Divide proposal will protect some of Colorado's most-loved wild places. It will create space for wildlife and ecosystems to flourish, and ensure that the local landscapes and waterways that we depend on for play, solace and restoration remain intact.
And when we protect our public lands, we protect our state's increasing economic potential. My Trail is just one of thousands of Colorado businesses that depend on healthy, well-managed, and well- protected public lands where our customers can use our products. To my friends and colleagues in the Colorado outdoor community: Now is the time to show leadership and give back to the places that sustain us.
I thank Rep. Polis for introducing the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act and Sen. Bennet for announcing additional protections for Camp Hale in his pending legislation. I urge each member of our congressional delegation to continue prioritizing public lands protection in support of our thriving outdoor industry. And I encourage the outdoor business community to stand up for our foundational economic asset — Colorado's public lands.
Demetri Coupounas is founder of My Trail Company in Boulder. He lives in Longmont.
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BOULDER DAILY CAMERA
The case for protecting Camp Hale's historic landscape June 4, 2016 Garett Reppenhagen EDITORIAL http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_29978522/garett-reppenhagen-case-protecting-camp-hales-historic- landscape
Growing up in Colorado, and being part of a family with a military tradition, I knew about Camp Hale. It wasn't until seeing the locations of World War II battles in Europe and hiking the training areas in the Rocky Mountains that I truly understood the amazing feats of the 10th Mountain Division. The mountain training center would have never been built in Colorado if it wasn't for the rugged landscape, high altitude, and severe climate.
When I heard about the proposal to extend wilderness and recreation areas throughout Colorado's Continental Divide, I joined the effort to include Camp Hale, because the lands challenged the 10th to become one of the most exceptional fighting forces the world has ever known.
The United States Army established Camp Hale in 1942 in Colorado — at 9,250 feet above sea level. The training area was named after the founder of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Colorado native Irving Hale. The base was used to train combat troops for alpine and high-altitude conditions. During WWII, the division used mountaineering and skiing skills to drive the German army out of the Alps of Northern Italy.
Camp Hale also played an important role in the development of the ski industry. After the war, the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale taught skiing and founded the ski resorts in Colorado's Continental Divide. Among the veterans, Peter Seibert developed the Vail ski resort, Friedel Pfeifer co-founded the corporation that developed Aspen, Laurence Jump opened Arapahoe Basin in 1946, and Bill Bowerman became a co-founder of Nike. Overall, the National Ski Hall of Fame has inducted 28 veterans of the 10th Mountain Division.
In 1965, the Army shut down Camp Hale and moved the 10th Mountain Division to Texas. Only one structure — a vault — remains standing today, although there are other ruins and eroded foundations visible on the ground. The U.S. Forest Service took over management of the area in 1966, designating it the Camp Hale National Historic Site.
In 2014, a group of stakeholders finalized a plan for comprehensive restoration of Camp Hale and the Eagle River headwaters. The goals are to restore river and aquatic health, repair wetland areas, remove non-native plants, and improve recreation. The Forest Service has started an environmental review of the plan.
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I support a heightened designation of Camp Hale that would protect the surrounding environment and ecosystems, enhance the historic and educational value to visitors, and directly fund preservation of this national treasure.
As a member of the veterans' community, I care about the protection of America's public lands. These are the lands we love and swore to defend. A growing number of veterans are using the outdoors to help heal from the trauma of war. Our public lands and waters also inspire us to overcome physical injuries. These are the places we take our friends and families when we want to reconnect after long deployments overseas.
When I was serving as a sniper in Iraq, I would sometimes shut my eyes and dream about being home. It was the wilderness of Colorado's Continental Divide I imagined. The thoughts of serene vistas and majestic ranges kept me motivated for that next mission.
Recently, 275 Colorado members of my nonprofit organization, Vet Voice Foundation, signed on to a letter urging Sen. Bennet to include Camp Hale in the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act. That letter inspired the senator to announce his intent to protect Camp Hale on Memorial Day 2016 in front of a group of veterans that included WWII 10th Mountain Division heroes.
We are proud to include the designation of Camp Hale as a National Historic Landscape with the greater Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act because the wide range of trail systems and connected huts that were used by the 10th Mountain Division fall into much of the already proposed wilderness and special management areas. Congressman Jared Polis has already introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Camp Hale is a welcomed addition.
As veterans, we fought to protect our country, including our precious public lands. We thank Sen. Bennet for supporting the conservation of the area in and around Camp Hale and we urge decision-makers on both sides of the aisle to protect this amazing landscape so that future generations may learn its significant history and enjoy its natural beauty.
Garett Reppenhagen is the Rocky Mountain director of the Vet Voice Foundation and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division. He lives in Como in unincorporated Park County.
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DENVER POST Bennet’s plan for Camp Hale celebrates 10th
Mountain Division legacy, protects recreation
10th Mountain veterans who trained at Camp Hale went on to create the U.S. ski industry
By Jason Blevins | [email protected] May 30, 2016 http://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/30/sen-bennets-plan-for-camp-hale-celebrates-legacy-of-10th-mountain-soldiers-and- protects-recreation/
Dick Over was 22 when the Army shipped him to a cold alpine meadow along the headwaters of the Eagle River near Leadville in 1943.
It’s the “D Series” maneuvers he remembers best from his years at Camp Hale, where he trained as one of the first soldiers in the Army’s then- experimental 10th Dean Krakel, Special to The Denver Post Mountain Division. Camp Hale, where the 10th Mountain Division trained during World War II. “They took all the members of the camp and divided us into two military forces opposing each other, and we lived six weeks in sub-zero temperatures,” said 93-year-old veteran who lives in Golden. “Oh, my, yes, a lot of fond memories. And a lot of difficult times going through those maneuvers in the middle of winter.”
Over and some of the dwindling number of 10th Mountain Division’s World War II veterans will gather on Memorial Day at Camp Hale, where Sen. Michael Bennet will announce plans to provide additional layers of protection for the storied mountain training center where more than 14,000 soldiers and support personnel prepared for war. 61 79
DENVER POST
Bennet wants Camp Hale, already on the National Register of Historic Places, to be the nation’s first National Historic Landscape, honoring its legacy with interpretive and educational elements, while maintaining the area’s diverse recreational amenities and uses and protecting it from future development.
The harsh winters and rugged terrain at Camp Hale helped ready the 10th Mountain Division’s skiing soldiers for their gallant battles in the northern Italian Alps. Thousands of 10th Mountain troopers silently slipped up the steep Riva Ridge in the dark of a snowy night in February 1945, preventing Germans from using the precipice to survey U.S. forces below. The next day, the division’s three regiments joined a successful assault on Mount Belvedere. Hundreds of 10th Mountain soldiers died in that pivotal battle.
“That’s a legacy we need to honor and a history we cherish in Colorado,” Bennet said. “But the other amazing thing about this is after finishing the service, many of the surviving men of the 10th Mountain Division used their training and experience at Camp Hale to start careers in the outdoor industry, which at the time barely existed.”
Many of those soldiers returned home and built ski Camp Hale, where the famous 10th Mountain Division skiing soldiers trained areas such as Vail, Arapahoe in the 1940s, may get some additional federal protection. Basin, Keystone, Steamboat Denver Post file photo and Aspen in Colorado, to name a few of the estimated 60 U.S. ski areas founded by 10th Mountain veterans. The Army flooded the U.S. with hundreds of thousands of affordable skis, down sleeping bags, backpacks and outdoor gear after the war, giving rise to an industry that today ranks among the nation’s top economic engines.
“We take pride in the fact that almost all of the ski industry was developed by 10th Mountain members after the war,” said Over, naming lost pals such as Vail founder Pete Seibert, Colorado Ski Hall of Famer Earl Clark, Aspen Ski School co-founders Freidl Pfeifer and John Litchfield, and Colorado Ski Country USA co-founder Bob Parker. “We have a lot of history, and we take great pride in the fact that we played
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DENVER POST
such a big role in what has become a $5 billion business now, with much of that going to the betterment of Colorado.”
Bennet’s not-yet-formalized bill to protect Camp Hale will be part of a larger public lands proposal planned as a companion to Rep. Jared Polis’ Continental Divide and Recreation Act. Polis’ act grows Colorado’s wilderness lands in the central Rockies while enhancing recreational opportunities with multi-use Recreation Management Areas.
Bennet said his proposal will resemble his bipartisan Hermosa Creek Watershed Act, which in 2014 protected 100,000 acres in the San Juan National Forest north of Durango. Some of those acres were set aside as wilderness, protected from roads, mineral extraction and mechanized travel, while more than 70,000 acres was drawn into a “special management area” where mountain biking, motorized travel and some timber harvesting are allowed.
Bennet said he is working with different user groups to create a similar consensus that preserves all the existing recreational opportunities at Camp Hale. The camp is a popular alpine playground, with climbing crags, snowmobiling, ATV riding, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, biking and hiking along the Continental Divide Trail.
Leadville is ready to claim Camp Hale as yet another jewel among the history-rich tourist draws that are helping the country’s highest-altitude city bolster an economy struggling with the decline in mining. There’s always been a bit of contention in Leadville about the growth of recreational tourism. Some residents think the town’s growing outdoor draws — amplified by the famous Leadville 100 bike and running races — threatens the area’s historical appeal.
“This is a good combination of both, and that’s something we need,” said Leadville Chamber of Commerce director Michael Ward, who a month ago bought a 10th Mountain soldier peacoat on eBay that he plans to display in the town’s new visitor center. “A lot of people come into Leadville looking for tangible things they can see and experience about Camp Hale. This is a big deal for us.”
Camp Hale, which was returned to the White River National Forest when it was decommissioned in 1966, is undergoing an intense restoration of the headwaters of the Eagle River, returning it to its original meandering flow. That plan includes developing more interpretative resources, similar to the popular memorial near the entrance to Ski Cooper, which bears the names of 10th Mountain soldiers who did not return from Italy.
Bennet plans to meet with 10th Mountain veterans and their families Monday to “make sure what we write matches their expectations.” He said the protection plan is not a response to any immediate threat to Camp Hale.
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“But if something isn’t done, we might have to fight that battle soon,” said Garett Reppenhagen, the Rocky Mountain director of Vet Voice Foundation, which has worked with Bennet on the proposed legislation.
Reppenhagen served as an Army 1st Infantry Division sniper in Kosovo and Iraq.
“Without our public lands, I would not have survived my transition home,” he said. “The increased protection of these landscapes would make sure the area is conserved for future generations to explore and learn from. What made this training ground manifest is the unique climate and topography. We wouldn’t have this incredible piece of history in Colorado if it wasn’t for the rugged landscape.”
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Bennet to honor Camp Hale’s role in Colorado’s past
May 30, 2016 EDITORIAL http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20160530/OPINION01/160539975/0/SEARCH/Bennet-to-honor-Camp- Hale%E2%80%99s-role-in-Colorado%E2%80%99s-past
olorado’s Sen. Michael Bennet has a plan to honor and protect Camp Hale, the legendary former Army base near Leadville. He would make it the nation’s first National Historic Landscape, a C designation that would allow for enhanced educational elements while preserving it from development and maintaining its recreational uses.
The main thing, of course, is to honor Camp Hale and the men who served there, and to recognize the pivotal role they played in Colorado history. Together, they are as much responsible as anyone for creating the Colorado we know today.
Camp Hale was constructed in 1942 to train troops in winter and mountain warfare. It is at 9,200 feet near Tennessee Pass, north of Leadville. A number of units trained there, but the first and most famous was the 10th Mountain Division. The Army recruited skiers and outdoorsmen from around the country and trained them in the kind of warfare employed by the Finnish army in the Winter War of 1939-1940 against the Soviet Union. Photos from the time show men on skis clad all in white. More than 14,000 trained there.
The 10th Mountain was deployed late in the war, with its most famous engagement occurring in Italy. In February of 1945, in what was really an exercise in armed rock climbing – at night – the men of the 10th Mountain scaled a steep formation called Riva Ridge. The division then took the highest mountain in the region, Mount Belvedere, while suffering heavy casualties.
But the 10th Mountain Division’s greatest impact on Colorado came later. Returning to civilian life, many of its veterans employed the skills they had honed to develop skiing and the entire outdoor recreation industry. Army-surplus skis and gear combined with young, fit men and a love of the sport. Vail, Aspen, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Steamboat are just a few of the roughly 60 ski areas founded by veterans of the 10th Mountain.
Much of what the world now envisions at the mention of Colorado can be traced directly to those men – and to Camp Hale. Bennet is right to want to see it preserved.
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Camp Hale proposed as national landscape May 30, 2016 Randy Wyrick - [email protected] http://www.vaildaily.com/news/22187073-113/camp-hale-proposed-as-national-landscape
CAMP HALE — The birthplace of the famed 10th Mountain Division is also the birthplace of Colorado’s outdoor recreation industry, and Sen. Michael Bennet is trying to declare it a National Historic Landscape.
Bennet made the announcement in front of 10th Mountain Division legends Sandy Treat and Crosby Perry-Smith, and a small crowd of their families and friends, amid the remains of Camp Hale’s recreation hall.
Perry-Smith smiled, nodded at the senator and declared it “an excellent idea.”
Perry-Smith was on Riva Ridge, a 1,500-foot climb the Randy Wyrick / Vail Daily | Nazis didn’t think could be done in the daylight. Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division climbed it at Sen. Michael Bennet, left, greets 10th night, under heavy fire, so his and Treat’s opinions Mountain Division World War II veterans Sandy Treat, right, and Crosby Perry-Smith at count more than most. Camp Hale Monday morning. Bennet accounced that he will introduce a bill that “The soldiers we honor today did not just climb Riva would designate Camp Hale as a National Ridge or take Mount Belvedere, or serve in the Middle Historic Landscape. East, or come to our nation’s aid, they also shaped much of the state of Colorado as we know it today,” Bennet said. “Their leadership, their resilience and sense of adventure is everywhere. The 10th has produced leaders who have built entire industries from the ground up.”
“They changed our state’s entire economy and changed how people around the world experience the mountains in winter.”
Vets support it
Hundreds of Colorado veterans have made it clear to Bennet and others that this is important to them. 66 84
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Garett Reppenhagen used to be a sniper in Iraq. Now he’s the Rocky Mountain West coordinator for the Vet Voice Foundation, one of the groups promoting this idea.
When he returned home, he headed outdoors, and it was nature that healed him, he said.
He said it’s no surprise that the men of the 10th Mountain Division returned home and started a recreational movement in the outdoors.
“It’s impossible to feel anything but peace when you’re standing in a stream with a rod in your hand,” Reppenhagen said. “I want my son to come here, not just for outdoor recreation, but to learn about why it’s possible for us to enjoy it,” Reppenhagen said.
Nancy Roberts Kramer’s father was a 10th Mountain veteran. They lived in Steamboat Springs after he returned home from World War II. Like most veterans, he didn’t talk much about it.
“There was not a lot of conversation in our families about what happened,” Kramer said.
One summer day, they drove down through Leadville, stopped at the Silver Dollar Saloon for a libation, then made their way to Camp Hale.
“We were just being a bunch of Chatty Cathys when we saw our dad standing silently in front of the memorial with his hand on the names,” Kramer said. “It made us aware of the importance of this place and what they had been through.”
National Historic Landscape
For now, there’s no such thing as a National Historical Landscape, but there will be if Bennet’s idea becomes a reality. The plan is to include Camp Hale as the nation’s first National Historic Landscape in Boulder Democrat Jared Polis’s Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Bill.
“It would protect this landscape, where their story begins, and ensure they are never forgotten,” Bennet said.
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Bennet to honor service and a part of Colorado’s past
May 30, 2016 EDITORIAL http://www.the-journal.com/article/20160530/OPINION01/160539988/Bennet-to-honor-service-and-a-part-of-Colorado%E2%80%99s-past
olorado’s Sen. Michael Bennet has a plan to honor and protect Camp Hale, the legendary former Army base near Leadville. He would make it the nation’s first National Historic Landscape, a C designation that would allow for enhanced educational elements while preserving it from development and maintaining its recreational uses.
The main thing, of course, is to honor Camp Hale and the men who served there and to recognize the pivotal role they played in Colorado history. Together, they are as much responsible as anyone for creating the Colorado we know today.
Camp Hale was constructed in 1942 to train troops in winter and mountain warfare. It is at 9,200 feet near Tennessee Pass, north of Leadville. A number of units trained there, but the first and most famous was the 10th Mountain Division. The Army recruited skiers and outdoorsmen from around the country and trained them in the kind of warfare employed by the Finnish army in the Winter War of 1939-1940 against the Soviet Union. Photos from the time show men on skis clad all in white. More than 14,000 trained there.
The 10th Mountain was deployed late in the war, with its most famous engagement occurring in Italy. In February of 1945, in what was really an exercise in armed rock climbing — at night — the men of the 10th Mountain scaled a steep formation called Riva Ridge. The division then took the highest mountain in the region, Mount Belvedere, while suffering heavy casualties.
But the 10th Mountain Division’s greatest impact on Colorado came later. Returning to civilian life, many of its veterans employed the skills they had honed to develop skiing and the entire outdoor recreation industry. Army-surplus skis and gear combined with young, fit men and a love of the sport. Vail, Aspen, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Steamboat are just a few of the roughly 60 ski areas founded by veterans of the 10th Mountain.
Much of what the world now envisions at the mention of Colorado can be traced directly to those men — and to Camp Hale. Bennet is right to want to see it preserved.
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VAIL DAILY Earth Day a reminder of value of wilderness
April 22, 2016
Kathy Chandler-Henry and Karn Stiegelmeier Valley Voices http://www.vaildaily.com/opinion/21693585-113/vail-daily-column-earth-day-a-reminder-of
Earth Day has a special meaning for both of us here in Colorado. As Colorado natives, we were brought up with a sense of wonder and appreciation for our state’s amazing natural resources. Through the decades, we have experienced increasing population and development pressure on Colorado’s natural wonders.
Hiking, skiing, mountain biking and fishing with your kids really makes you think about Earth Day, its origins and why we should observe this holiday with our children. Earth Day came about more than 40 years ago, in response to a growing need to safeguard our natural resources. Animals were going extinct at an alarming rate, pesticides were poisoning wildlife and humans, and rivers were on fire.
With drop-dead gorgeous scenery, Colorado is the perfect place to reflect upon Earth Day. People come from near and far to hike, bike, raft, paddle, ski, hunt, and fish. Many people think that Colorado will always be a protected outdoor recreation haven, but without taking steps to safeguard our public lands, the future of our Rocky Mountains could look quite different. Our beloved Holy Cross and Eagle’s Nest wilderness areas preserve our watersheds, give shelter to wildlife and are critical to the health and sustainability of our communities.
There is another area that deserves an Earth Day shout-out: Colorado’s Continental Divide. The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act was introduced by Congressman Jared Polis last year. It would safeguard roughly 60,000 acres of the White River National Forest as wilderness and special management areas. With mounting pressures on our state’s resources, protecting these lands for future generations is a most important legacy. We want our grandchildren to experience the wonders of Colorado, as we have been able to enjoy.
The legislation would help keep drinking water pure and clean for the West Slope and communities along the Front Range. At a time when it is hard to open the newspaper without reading about a water crisis somewhere in the country, it is critically important that we do everything we can to protect our most precious resource. The act would also preserve critical wildlife habitat. The area is home to black bear, bighorn sheep, moose, lynx, elk and wild turkey. 69 87
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Finally, the legislation will grow Colorado’s sustainable economy. Outdoor recreation is a booming business, generating $13.2 billion in consumer spending every year. It also supports 125,000 jobs that pay $4.2 billion in salaries and wages. All of the people who come from near and far to White River National Forest to hike, ski, hunt, fish, bike, ride horseback and camp rely on all sorts of businesses. Whether it is taking families out for an adventure of a lifetime, providing visitors with food and shelter or selling outdoor recreation gear, local businesses depend on our public lands.
A diverse group of business owners, veterans, sportsmen, mountain bikers and outdoor recreationists have come together to protect this small portion of the White River National Forest.
The Colorado Continental Divide coalition is remarkably like the people who first celebrated Earth Day 46 years ago. It was a bipartisan group of everyday folks from all walks of life who wanted to protect their homes and natural surroundings for their children and grandchildren.
Every time we take our kids hiking in the mountains, fishing in a stream or camping on a lake, we reflect on how fortunate we are to have this great playground right in our backyard. All that’s required is a pack and some hiking shoes.
On this Earth Day, we want to thank our community and Congressman Polis for working to safeguard our environment, our economy and our way of life. Now is the time for Congress to act and pass the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act.
Kathy Chandler-Henry is an Eagle County commissioner, and Karn Stiegelmeier is a Summit County commissioner.
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New wilderness would be welcomed by veterans March 26, 2016 Louis Chapman http://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/21307748-113/chapman-new-wilderness-would-be-welcombed-by-veterans
Every day I wake up grateful to live in Colorado. We are blessed with vibrant communities, clean water, spectacular scenery and amazing access to some of the most treasured public lands and rivers in the country. Most folks know that these lands draw visitors from around the world to Colorado and they provide the backbone of our robust and sustainable resort and tourism economy. But what is likely less recognized is the solace these lands and waters bring to those who have served in our country’s armed forces.
I am a co-founder of the Patriot Anglers, which takes military service members, veterans and their families into Colorado’s wild places to fish and reconnect with one another and nature. I have seen first-hand the value of spending time immersed in nature. The abundance and proximity of protected lands in Colorado is crucial to our organization’s mission and ability to help veterans overcome post services issues.
That’s why we’re excited to support the effort to protect new wilderness and recreation areas in Summit and Eagle counties through the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, which would preserve nearly 60,000 acres of land near the communities of Breckenridge and Vail. The areas proposed for protection are a mix of spectacular wildlife habitat and cherished recreation lands. While skiers, mountain bikers and hikers can all find stuff to like in this proposal, for Patriot Anglers, it’s about the great fishing streams and lakes in the proposed wilderness area that deserve protection.
Places in the bill like Spraddle Creek and the Tenmile Range provide iconic backdrops to ski areas and mountain communities. But they do more than that as well. In an era of non- stop communication and news, the chance to spend a few days or even hours moving and thinking at a slower pace can be life changing. For many, military service — in addition to being a very rewarding experience — can also bring challenges as we integrate back into civilian life. It can be challenging for veterans to find peace, maintain relationships with loved ones, and become successful members of civilian society. Spending time in wilderness is one of the most effective ways for veterans to reconnect with family and friends.
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As a young man serving my country and going to war I was full of pride to serve, protect and to help make history. Coming home from Iraq in early 2004 after participating in the invasion of Iraq I was changed. I was angry, aggressive and on the edge of not being a good citizen. Placed on top of my emotional problems I still felt the weight of a loss early in my military service. I lost a mentor and a battle buddy to suicide. I did everything I knew at the time to save him to no avail. His death, a failing marriage and my father’s later passing in the years after returning home should have been enough to break me. In these hard times I did the only thing that felt right, I returned to nature. Following all my cherished memories of my childhood on the water fishing with my dad, I spent every weekend on the water fishing. After my father’s passing one by one I started to take my friends and fellow veterans to those few precious fishing holes. They found the same thing I did in nature, which is a place of peace as well as a place to find balance in the chaos. Once we realized nature was on our side and helping us it only took a month to stand up the Patriot Anglers. Since the founding in late 2012 hundreds of veterans have benefited from nature via a rod and reel in Colorado’s public lands and parks.
The Patriot Anglers is hopeful that Congress will quickly consider and pass the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act. Additional wilderness increases the places Patriot Anglers can take veterans and their families to reconnect and find peace following the challenges of military service.
Veterans are some of the most dedicated Americans, constantly giving in support of our country. Advocating for protection of some of Colorado’s most treasured landscapes continues that goal of service. It only takes watching the joy on a child’s face as they catch their first fish or seeing a family reconnect as they wade into a fast rushing stream deep in Colorado’s High Country to know why protecting wilderness should be a top priority.
Louis Chapman is the CEO and co-founder of Patriot Anglers.
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Opinion: Guest Opinions Christmas in Holy Cross Wilderness
By John Land Le Coq POSTED: 12/26/2015
It's no coincidence that the Colorado National Forest Wilderness Act passed three days before Christmas 35 years ago. On Dec. 22, 1980, Colorado and the citizens of our great country gained 1.4 million acres of wilderness, including the 122,396-acre Holy Cross Wilderness. Located in between the recreation hubs of Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge, our Holy Cross Wilderness is truly a gift from that generation to ours and all to come.
With lakes, rivers, creeks, and healthy habitat for hundreds of species, the Holy Cross Wilderness is a photographer and angler's paradise. The area is home to incredible scenic views and blue-ribbon trout fishing opportunities. Colorado's Continental Divide is one of my favorite places to photograph, and photography ultimately led to me to start my small fishing products business, Fishpond. But these mountains are more than an inspiration. I depend on protected lands and waters to keep my business booming.
Outdoor recreation is the third-largest economic sector in the United States with roughly $646 billion in annual contributions and over 6 million American jobs. In Colorado, where quality talent and Fall colors in the Holy Cross wilderness area. (Alaina Case / The Denver great companies are locating because of Post) the recreational opportunities provided by our public lands, we are able to generate $34.5 billion annually from outdoor recreation and create 313,000 jobs, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Wilderness areas and other public lands draw inspiration, creativity, and a shared passion for coexistence with the species and habitat that is the vital link for our economic and personal health.
While the Holy Cross Wilderness is celebrating 35 years of protection, we need to look to other opportunities to keep our water clean and healthy. That is why I support the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act introduced by Congressman Jared Polis earlier this year. In addition to adding acreage to my beloved Holy Cross Wilderness, it would also expand the Eagles Nest and Ptarmigan Peak wilderness areas. And it would create the Williams Fork, Hoosier Ridge, and Tenmile 73 91
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Range wilderness areas — all excellent places to explore Colorado's diverse backyard. The bill would also protect important mountain biking trails through special management areas.
Yet as we celebrate the gift that is the Holy Cross Wilderness, we are seeing precious land disappear. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the United States is losing roughly 6,000 acres of open space each day. That means that the lands that protect our watersheds, provide a home for wildlife, and offer us outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities are at risk. Ensuring that we have wild places to hike, camp, raft, paddle, fish, hunt, ski, bike, and so much more is important if we want to leave a natural legacy for future generations to enjoy.
As the CEO and founder of a fly-fishing products company, I know that safeguarding Colorado's Continental Divide makes economic sense. Colorado's economy is built on our great outdoors. Whether DAILY CAMERA it is the recreation tours that take people on adventures, grocery stores and small shops that serve residents, or manufacturer and outdoor product businesses like mine, we all depend on protected lands and waters.
It is time to invest in Colorado's future and pass the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act. Earlier this summer, Sen. Michael Bennet made a commitment to introduce a Senate companion to the legislation, and I hope that happens soon. People have been working to preserve this special part of Colorado for over five years. From sportsmen to veterans and small business owners to mountain bikers, our community has been talking about the best way to protect our environment and our way of life — and we found a solution in Congressman Polis' bill.
We have a responsibility to protect what's in our own backyard and to work with others to do the same thing. None of us can do everything, but each of us can do something. Time is running out to protect Colorado's Continental Divide. Let's work together as a country, and as a state that recognizes the value of our public land, to make sure that the economic blood, the true heartbeat of what defines our identity and economic future, remains a priority — not only for people, but the species that depend on our voice.
John Land Le Coq is the CEO/Founder of Fishpond, Inc. in Silverthorne.
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Beats, Brews, and Bills: Lend Support to Colorado’s Wilderness
KIRSTEN DOBROTH - NOVEMBER 16, 2015 http://www.elevationoutdoors.com/beats-brews-bills-lend-support-colorados-wilderness
Upslope Brewery, Conservation Colorado, and the Tyler Grant Trio will be teaming up this Wednesday, November 18th, to drum up support for the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, sponsored by Representative Jared Polis, of Colorado’s 2nd District. With the bill gaining momentum in Congress and throughout Colorado as an opportunity to preserve some of the state’s natural attributes as Wilderness Areas, local musicians are helping to raise awareness for this important piece of legislation as well.
Set to designate an additional 40,000 acres in Colorado’s national forests as Wilderness Areas, the bill is getting support from both sides of the political spectrum, as it has found wide acceptance among town officials, business owners, and conservationists alike. Congressman Polis’ plan affects both Summit and Eagle Counties, as the the bill seeks to designate forest land within the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range, and Hoosier Ridge along with expanding areas within the Holy Cross, Eagle’s Nest, and Ptarmigan Ridge Wilderness areas as well. National Forest Areas fall within federal jurisdiction, and the further distinction of a Wilderness Area can only be designated via Congress. Wilderness Areas differ from National Forest land in that they are not subject to any type of development, whereas land that falls outside of that designation can still be used to expand motorized roads and trails, mining, or logging. The bill also sets aside an additional 18,000 acres of special management areas within Summit County, known as the Tenmile Recreation Management Area and the Porcupine Gulch Protection Area. The Tenmile area would put an emphasis on recreation, and preserve the area for recreational outlets, such as mountain biking, hiking, and other outdoor pursuits, while the Porcupine Gulch area would place more of a priority on wildlife protection. Both areas would be managed to allow for various forms of outdoor endeavors, and protect the land from things like mining and private development.
Conservation Colorado, which campaigns for preservation within the state, has been teaming up with other advocacy groups to spread awareness of the bill in hopes that it will spur further action at the federal level, and increase support for Rep. Polis’ legislation as it moves through Congress. Specifically,
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the push to promote the legislation has been a coalition effort that has heightened public awareness, and organized hikes of the area for members of the community. The Wilderness Society, IMBA, and Vet Voice Foundation have all worked as proponents for both the preservation and recreation goals found within the legislation, along with advocacy group Rock the Earth, which is heavily founded in the music industry, to mobilize Colorado based musicians for the cause. Rock the Earth’s Executive Director, Marc Ross, explained that the organization is created by, for, and consists of environmental advocates within the music industry. “Not only do we advocate for particular issues brought to us by artists,” he said, “But we also conduct environmental education and citizen activation at over 200 concerts throughout the US each year.”
While the Tyler Grant Trio will be leading the charge at Wednesday’s event, other Colorado based musicians are speaking out in favor of preserving areas of the state for future Coloradans. Bridget Law, of Elephant Revival, has been active with the campaign to promote Congressman Polis’ bill, and spoke of the importance of keeping much of Colorado’s natural areas preserved. “Getting outside is so important to keeping happy and healthy, and helping to protect some of these areas instigates even more of a want to experience it,” she said.
This same attitude is one that Conservation Colorado is hoping that attendees to Wednesday evening’s event will take on, as it could increase a trend being seen in Congress that seems to be playing out in favor of conservation and recreation. The event will run from 5-7 p.m., and is a great opportunity to get involved. Similarly, proponents for the bill suggest voicing support to Representative Polis’ office by phone or mail, or contacting other Colorado congressman to push for similar legislation.
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Why MTB groups and environmental advocates should compromise on the Wilderness Act
Mike Zobbe, Big Fat Tire August 28, 2015 http://www.summitdaily.com/news/17800440-113/why-mtb-groups-and-environmental-advocates- should-compromise
Recently, Congress passed the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness bill and President Obama signed it into law. I have never ridden my bike or hiked in this area of Idaho, and I’m not up on the bill’s political back story, but it has created a lot of anger in the mountain-bike community. It’s my understanding that the new wilderness designation will ban the use of mountain bikes on numerous trails that have been used by cyclists as long as mountain bikes have been around.
For a long time, there have been calls from some MTB groups to amend the wilderness act to allow bicycles in designated wilderness area. With the passage of this bill, those ranks are swelling. Many mountain bikers feel the original intent of the wilderness act doesn’t bar human- powered bicycles and that use was arbitrarily banned — not by the legislation itself, but by prejudiced interpretation. For over 20 years the Summit Fat Tire Society has been taking care of trails in Summit County and Whether that is true or not will, of course, depend on who Mike Zobbe (pictured) has been there since the beginning. Why? "Cause I like mountain biking. It's you talk to. Like almost any law or constitution, people totally selfish." can, will and do argue endlessly about matters of interpretation to suit their point of view (Want to talk about the Second Amendment?). Opinions on both sides of the issue tend to be passionate and entrenched, and both sides feel the other isn’t basing their argument on facts, logic or what best serves the land.
Personally, I’m fine if bicycles aren’t allowed in designated wilderness. I think there should be land where travel and activity is limited to its most basic and primitive form, and I’m not so sure bicycles fit that ethos. But, I see a problem when a wilderness act suddenly closes off lands that have established and historic mountain-bike trails or are appropriate locales for new trails.
The Summit Fat Tire Society was long involved with what began as “Hidden Gems.” The SFTS was not supportive of the first, or second or third version of Hidden Gems, and the proposal (It never became a
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bill) pretty much died. Out of that process, though, a dialogue between mountain bikers and wilderness advocates — uneasy at times, for sure — was established, and some innovative ideas were put on the table. Folks like Mike McCormick, Ellen Hollinshed, Laura Rossetter and others worked under the umbrella of the SFTS with the support of the International Mountain Bike Association, putting in many volunteer hours to pore over maps and work with their counterparts on the “other side” of the table.
Out of that dialogue came a new proposal, known as the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, sponsored by Rep. Jared Polis. It began to take shape with boundary adjustments that preserved MTB access on Summit trails like Wheeler, Miners Creek and others. Peer groups in the Vail and Roaring Fork valleys did similar work. As part of the act, special management areas were created, offering environmental protection in buffer zones near designated wilderness areas while still allowing mountain bikes on existing trails.
This proposal isn’t perfect from a mountain biker’s point of view. There are a few lesser-used trails that might be closed to mountain biking; although, to be honest, some of those trails would be considered closed with or without the wilderness proposal. But, that’s what negotiation is about, and it preserves almost all trails that see significant mountain-bike traffic.
Opinions on the wilderness act vary within the MTB community. Some adamantly oppose any designation due to the bike ban. Some support the concept of no bikes, but not when established mountain bike trails are closed to that use. Regardless of how they feel about the intricacies of the wilderness act, though, most mountain bikers highly value wild lands and all the plant life, animal life, clean water, clean air, scenery and primitive beauty they provide. They want to see these lands protected from more intensive recreational and industrial use. The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act shows what we can do when we respect each other and work together.
As I said before, I’m not familiar enough with the Boulder-White Clouds back story and process to comment on how it came to pass, but I lament the loss of bike-friendly trails. Moving forward, I hope everyone who works on land-use designations, no matter what they are, can use the example we’ve created locally. I’m not so naïve to believe that the same dynamic we have here exists everywhere else, but it can work.
It’s not easy. It can be contentious, tedious and frustrating, and you can almost guarantee you won’t get everything you want. It’ll drive you crazy if you take it personally, but I’d like to think we’ve created a model for others to mimic so we can have wild and remote areas across the U.S., areas that allow folks to continue enjoying the rapture that those places offer — on a bicycle.
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Sen. Bennet visits Breckenridge in support of Continental Divide conservation legislation
Alli Langley [email protected] August 21, 2015
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet visited Breckenridge on Wednesday, Aug. 19, to learn more about a conservation effort that would create more federally designated wilderness and other conservation areas around the Continental Divide.
Hunters, anglers, outdoor recreationists, small business owners, elected officials, veterans and conservationists met with the senator at Breckenridge Ski Resort to show their support for a Senate companion of the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis in the House.
The legislation would safeguard roughly 58,000 acres U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, right, looks at a map of land through wilderness and other management of proposed conservation areas in Summit and designations in Eagle and Summit counties. The areas Eagle counties at Breckenridge Ski Resort on serve as popular destinations for sportsmen and other Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015. Bennet announced outdoor recreationists and provide critical habitat for he would introduce companion legislation in fish and wildlife and sources of clean water. the Senate to U.S. Rep. Jared Polis' bill in the House and partner on achieving federal The proposal would add new areas to the Eagles Nest, designation of the new wilderness and other management areas. Ptarmigan Peak and Holy Cross wilderness areas as well as establish three new wilderness areas — Hoosier Ridge, Tenmile, and Williams Fork — in addition to the Porcupine Gulch Protection Area and Tenmile Recreation Management Area.
After hearing from about a dozen representatives of various groups involved in creating the legislation, including local mountain bikers, Bennet announced at the gathering that he would introduce a companion bill in the Senate and work with Polis to pass the legislation.
To learn more about the Continental Divide coalition, visit: http://continental divide.org.
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Breckenridge demonstration supports Clean Power Plan, climate action
Two weeks after President Obama announced historic limits on global warming pollution from power plants, a Colorado environmental organization held a demonstration in Breckenridge to show support for the Clean Power Plan and push for climate action.
Organizers gathered near the Riverwalk lawn on Thursday, Aug. 20, gave out popsicles and encouraged passersby to take photos with signs pledging they would take action on climate change.
The new rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, known as the Clean Power Plan, will cut carbon pollution from Colorado power plants 32 percent by 2030 while developing a framework for building a stronger clean energy economy that focuses on solar, wind and energy efficiency.
More than 200,000 Coloradans, along with public health experts, outdoor recreational groups and businesses, submitted comments in support of cutting this carbon pollution.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment executive director Dr. Larry Wolk said, “The EPA listened to Colorado and other states and stakeholders in making needed revisions, providing important flexibility to the states to craft specific strategies to reduce CO2 emissions and the time needed to accomplish the goals.”
Participants at the event called on Colorado’s U.S. Senators Bennet and Gardner to publicly support the final rule.
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Bennet to introduce Senate version of Polis wilderness bill
8/21/2015 By David O. Williams
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet on Wednesday announced he’ll introduce a bill this session to protect more than 58,000 acres of public land in Eagle and Summit counties as wilderness.
Bennet made the announcement at a press event in Breckenridge attended by local politicians, area residents and business leaders. The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act will be the Senate version of bill introduced earlier this in the House by Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder.
Polis, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, has been working on the bill since late last decade, paring it down from the original and highly controversial 342,000-acre Hidden Gems proposal.
After dozens of town halls and other public meetings over the years, Polis in 2010 scaled back the proposal to just Eagle and Summit counties (eliminating any land in Pitkin and Gunnison counties) and introduced a bill that would still have put the more restrictive wilderness designation on nearly 166,000 acres.
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet announces on Aug. 19 in Breckenridge he plans to introduce the Senate version of the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis in the House. The bill would protect more than 58,000 acres of public land in Eagle and Summit counties as wilderness. Photo courtesy Sen. Bennet’s office
Now it’s down to just over 58,000 acres, including an 11,500-acre Recreation Management Area within the Tenmile Range in Summit County. It has the backing of groups such as the Wilderness Society, Vail Resorts, the Outdoor Industry Association, the International Mountain Biking Association, Conservation Colorado and many towns, businesses and water districts.
“Communities throughout Eagle and Summit counties have been working on a proposal to protect this land for years now,” Bennet said in a release. “Today’s meeting demonstrated that there is significant support to move forward with a bill in the Senate. With the help of Rep. Polis, we will draft a bill that works for the local communities and introduce it in the Senate.” 81 99
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Vail Resorts, the largest employer in the two counties and on the entire Western Slope, backed the Polis bill earlier this year.
“It is interesting to note that 20 percent of all recreation visits to our national forests take place at a ski area, yet ski areas occupy less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all public Forest Service lands,” said Kristin Kenney Williams, the company’s vice president of mountain community affairs.
Wilderness designation does not allow for alpine skiing using mechanized lifts or vehicles. However, Kenney Williams noted that tourism is the state’s second-largest industry and that wilderness areas are vital for non-mechanized recreation such as hunting, fishing, hiking and Nordic skiing — all of which are big economic drivers for local communities.
“So we are proud to support this effort that strikes this unique and important balance of being able to offer thoughtfully developed recreation opportunities at our ski areas and the conservation of wilderness,” she added.
Mountain biking is not permitted in most wilderness areas, but the special Tenmile Recreation Management Area would protect a huge swatch of public land for off-road cycling.
“This proposal has gained widespread support because it was shaped by multiple user groups,” said Jamie Malin, president of the Vail Valley Mountain Bike Association. “It preserves access and keeps critical corridors open to traditional users.”
Malin joined Breckenridge Mayor John Warner in praising the process that Polis used to get to this point.
“Protecting our mountains and our backyard is essential to Breckenridge’s appeal to tourists, our residents and our economy,” Warner said. “We hope [Bennet] and Rep. Polis will work hard to make this proposal a reality in the current Congress, knowing they have community support behind them.”
Bennet, a Democrat, told the gathering on Wednesday that wilderness designation should not be a partisan issue and was confident he’d be able to get bipartisan support for his bill in the Republican- controlled Senate.
Polis did not attend Wednesday’s event but was in Breckenridge recently to tout the proposal, most of which falls in his sprawling 2nd Congressional District. Polis earlier this month toured the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center and held town hall meetings in Eagle and Summit counties.
In other wilderness news, Denver Democrat Diana DeGette once again introduced her Colorado Wilderness Act in the House earlier this month. She has been trying to pass a version of this far more sweeping legislation since 1999, and the latest proposal would protect 32 separate areas consisting of more than 715,000 acres.
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Polis tours Summit County with Arizona congressman to raise support for wilderness bill
Alli Langley [email protected] May 8, 2015
U.S. Reps. Jared Polis (CO-02) and Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), the top Democrat on the House Natural Resource Committee, toured Summit County Thursday, May 7, to look at proposed wilderness and special management areas in the White River National Forest.
Driving west, they stopped at Loveland Pass, Sapphire Point and Officers Gulch, and Conservation Colorado wilderness advocate Scott Braden showed Grijalva which mountains and forests he saw would be included in the From left, Conservation Colorado wilderness advocate Scott bill Polis will reintroduce later this month. Braden talks with U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02), U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-03) and Wilderness Society representative Scott The representatives also participated in a Miller about a proposed special management area from the Sapphire Point overlook above Dillon Reservoir on Thursday, lunchtime roundtable discussion in Vail with May 7, 2015 about 30 local elected officials, large and small business owners, water suppliers and wilderness advocates who worked with Polis to craft the bill, so Grijalva could hear from locals about why they support the wilderness protections in Polis’ bill.
“Our bill would ensure that our public lands, which drive this economy, are preserved and protected for generations to enjoy,” Polis said. “We’re thrilled Rep. Grijalva got to see these areas first-hand and hear directly from those impacted.”
The roundtable included Summit County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier, Summit Huts Association director Mike Zobbe, Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center director Bruce Fitch, Silverthorne area resident and nature photographer John Fielder, Vail Resorts vice president of natural resources and conservation Rick Cables, longtime High Country resident and business owner Dave Gorsuch.
Several people expressed concerns about energy development, and some suggested Polis convince those opposed to the bill that wilderness is the energy source for the High Country.
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Garett Reppenhagen, a Park County resident and the Rocky Mountain director of the Vet Voice Foundation, spoke about what wilderness meant to him after his military service.
“When I came home that’s where I went. I went out into the wilderness, and that’s where I found healing,” he said. “If we don’t have those for our kids and future generations then what the hell did I fight for?”
Grijalva, whose influence on the Natural Resources Committee could help move the bill to a House vote, said he was impressed by the bill’s broad local support.
“We’re going to make this a priority. It’s a well-done piece of legislation, and I was glad to see it first-hand,” Grijalva said. “This is a precedence setter.”
The bill would protect 58,000 acres of wilderness lands in Summit County and eastern Eagle County and create new wilderness areas in the Tenmile Range, Hoosier Ridge and Williams Fork Mountains as well as expand the existing Eagles Nest, Ptarmigan Peak and Holy Cross wilderness areas.
The plan also would create an 11,500-acre Recreation Management Area in the Tenmile Range near Frisco and Breckenridge that would be managed like a wilderness areas but would allow mountain biking.
The proposal was drafted in partnership with local stakeholders so that it maintains existing recreational uses and accounts for future improvements local communities valued. With his new seat on the House Natural Resources Committee and Grijalva’s engagement, Polis said he is optimistic about moving the bill through Congress this session.
For more information about the bill, which Polis is working to retitle through a naming contest, visit polis.house.gov/wilderness.
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SUMMIT DAILY
Vets hike Hoosier Pass for wilderness
Alli Langley - [email protected] July 23, 2015 http://www.summitdaily.com/news/17397139-113/vets-hike-hoosier-pass-for-wilderness
Veterans and their families are invited to explore the newly proposed Continental Divide Wilderness Area with Garett Reppenhagen of the Vet Voice Foundation.
The group will meet atop Hooser Pass at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, for a moderate, 5-mile loop hike starting just below treeline and rising to about 13,000 feet.
The ridgeline hike will offer participants views of areas proposed for federal wilderness protection by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis. Polis’ mountain representative Nissa Erickson will join to help hikers learn more about the conservation effort.
Participants will meet by the Continental Divide sign at the Hoosier Pass parking lot 11 miles south of Breckenridge on Highway 9. They should bring water, lunch/snacks and sunscreen and be prepared for potentially cold and wet weather. Children who are capable hikers are welcome, but dogs should be left at home.
RSVP to Garett Reppenhagen, U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division OIF veteran and Vet Voice Foundation Rocky Mountain West coordinator, at 719-235-7030, or [email protected].
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Continuing Colorado's legacy of conservation
Rep. Jared Polis – Valley Voices Opinion Column July 1, 2015
Those who live here know that the sunrise from atop Quandary Peak, the alpenglow of the Gore Range and mountain valleys flush with Columbine are at the core of Colorado’s character. Coloradans and tourists alike flock to our mountains and open spaces to ski, hike, mountain bike, hunt and fish, among many other activities. In the process, they add billions to our state economy each year. It’s important that we sustain this natural resource and economic driver.
Generations of Coloradans have understood this. Beginning with the Wilderness Act in 1965 to the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, and most recently, the hard fought victory to designate Browns Canyon as a national monument and to protect the Hermosa Creek Watershed, Coloradans have united behind preserving our state’s iconic beauty, wildlife and recreational resources.
We’re continuing that legacy today. Earlier this year, I introduced a bill that designates 40,000 acres of pristine peaks and surrounding valleys as wilderness, and another 18,000 for management as recreational zones. These areas that stretch along the Continental Divide in Summit and Eagle counties are the iconic playground of our state. This Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act — named by a constituent in our first-ever Name Your Own Bill contest — would make certain that we are protecting the breathtaking spaces that add billions to our state and local economies each year and help form the core of our Colorado identity.
Specifically, the proposal would ensure access and enhance opportunities to the world-class hunting, fishing and backcountry snow sports Colorado is famous for by creating new wilderness areas within the White River National Forest, such as the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range and Hoosier Ridge, and by expanding the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest and Ptarmigan Peak wilderness areas. The plan would also protect and expand access to bike trails by designating nearly 18,000 acres across Tenmile and Porcupine Gulch as Special Management Zones.
To put this into perspective, the White River National Forest — one of the most popular national forests in the country — attracts millions of visitors per year. This is the lifeblood of our economy. From equipment rentals to resort staff, tourism and outdoor recreation generates over $13 billion in consumer spending and creates over 125,000 jobs statewide. In 2013 alone, Colorado received $994 million just from the state and local taxes on outdoor recreation spending.
Equally important are the wildlife, watersheds and unique ecosystems this legislation would protect. These lands are home to a wide range of protected species and house some of our most treasured resources.
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Carefully crafted over six years with input from dozens of stakeholder groups — including Vail Resorts, the Outdoor Industry Association, the International Mountain Biking Association, Colorado Springs Utilities, the Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Fishermen, Conservation Colorado and affected municipalities, small businesses and utility providers — the Continental Divide bill reflects the same spirit of grassroots collaboration that helped Browns Canyon and Hermosa Creek finally achieve federal protections last year. It’s a bill everyone can get behind.
Getting Congress to act on Colorado’s commitment to protect its public lands is the hard part. But the victories in Browns Canyon and Hermosa Creek are evidence that patience and persistence pay off.
That’s why last month, I invited Rep. Raul Grijalva, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, to tour these iconic landscapes first-hand and hear from locals about the importance of protecting these proposed wilderness and recreation areas. The area’s beauty combined with the overwhelming local support for the bill made a lasting impression on my colleague, who indicated his commitment to making this project a priority.
With Grijalva’s support and my new seat on the House Natural Resources Committee, I’m optimistic that we can move this bill forward this Congress. The varied and vocal support for this bill reflects Colorado’s commitment to preserving its open spaces; passing this bill and protecting Colorado’s Continental Divide is the next step.
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis represents Congressional District 2, which includes the eastern part of Eagle County.
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Ski-Hi News
Continuing Colorado's legacy of conservation
Rep. Jared Polis – Guest Opinion June 30, 2015
Those who live here know that the sunrise from atop Quandary Peak, the alpenglow of the Gore Range, and mountain valleys flush with columbine are at the core of Colorado’s character.
Coloradans and tourists alike flock to our mountains and open spaces to ski, hike, mountain bike, hunt, and fish, among many other activities. In the process, they add billions to our state economy each year. It’s important that we sustain this natural resource and economic driver.
Generations of Coloradans have understood this. Beginning with the Wilderness Act in 1965 to the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, and most recently, the hard fought victory to designate Browns Canyon as a national monument and to protect the Hermosa Creek Watershed, Coloradans have united behind preserving our state’s iconic beauty, wildlife, and recreational resources.
We’re continuing that legacy today. Earlier this year, I introduced a bill that designates 40,000 acres of pristine peaks and surrounding valleys as Wilderness, and another 18,000 for management as recreational zones. These areas that stretch along the Continental Divide in Summit and Eagle counties are the iconic playground of our state. This Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act — named by a constituent in our first-ever “Name Your Own Bill” contest — would make certain that we are protecting the breathtaking spaces that add billions to our state and local economies each year and help form the core of our Colorado identity.
Specifically, the proposal would ensure access and enhance opportunities to the world-class hunting, fishing, and backcountry snow sports Colorado is famous for by creating new wilderness areas within the White River National Forest, such as the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range, and Hoosier Ridge, and by expanding the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest, and Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Areas. The plan would also protect and expand access to bike trails by designating nearly 18,000 acres across Tenmile and Porcupine Gulch as Special Management Zones.
To put this into perspective, the White River National Forest – one of the most popular national forests in the country – attracts millions of visitors per year. This is the lifeblood of our economy. From equipment rentals to resort staff, tourism and outdoor recreation generates over $13 billion in consumer spending and creates over 125,000 jobs statewide. In 2013 alone, Colorado received $994 million just from the state and local taxes on outdoor recreation spending.
Equally important are the wildlife, watersheds, and unique ecosystems this legislation would protect. These lands are home to a wide range of protected species and house some of our most treasured resources.
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Ski-Hi News
Carefully crafted over six years with input from dozens of stakeholder groups — including Vail Resorts, the Outdoor Industry Association, the International Mountain Biking Association, Colorado Springs Utilities, the Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Fishermen, Conservation Colorado, and affected municipalities, small businesses, and utility providers — the Continental Divide bill reflects the same spirit of grassroots collaboration that helped Browns Canyon and Hermosa Creek finally achieve federal protections last year. It’s a bill everyone can get behind.
Getting Congress to act on Colorado’s commitment to protect its public lands is the hard part. But the victories in Browns Canyon and Hermosa Creek are evidence that patience and persistence pay off.
That’s why last month, I invited Rep. Raul Grijalva, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, to tour these iconic landscapes first-hand and hear from locals about the importance of protecting these proposed wilderness and recreation areas. The area’s beauty combined with the overwhelming local support for the bill made a lasting impression on my colleague, who indicated his commitment to making this project a priority.
With Grijalva’s support and my new seat on the House Natural Resources Committee, I’m optimistic that we can move this bill forward this Congress. The varied and vocal support for this bill reflects Colorado’s commitment to preserving its open spaces; passing this bill and protecting Colorado’s Continental Divide is the next step.
Rep. Jared Polis represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Guest Columnist
Polis: Continuing Colorado’s legacy of conservation
http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/995801-polis-continuing-colorado%3Fs-legacy- conservation
6/19/2015
By Rep. Jared Polis, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Those who live here know that the sunrise from atop Quandary Peak, the alpenglow of the Gore Range, and mountain valleys flush with Columbine are at the core of Colorado’s character. Coloradans and tourists alike flock to our mountains and open spaces to ski, hike, mountain bike, hunt, and fish, among many other activities. In the process, they add billions to our state economy each year. It’s important that we sustain this natural resource and economic driver.
Generations of Coloradans have understood this. Beginning with the Wilderness Act in 1965 to the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, and most recently, the hard fought victory to designate Browns Canyon as a national monument and to protect the Hermosa Creek Watershed, Coloradans have united behind preserving our state’s iconic beauty, wildlife, and recreational resources.
We’re continuing that legacy today. Earlier this year, I introduced a bill that designates 40,000 acres of pristine peaks and surrounding valleys as Wilderness, and another 18,000 for management as recreational zones. These areas that stretch along the Continental Divide in Summit and Eagle counties are the iconic playground of our state. This Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act — named by a constituent in our first-ever “Name Your Own Bill” contest — would make certain that we are protecting the breathtaking spaces that that add billions to our state and local economies each year and help form the core of our Colorado identity.
Specifically, the proposal would ensure access and enhance opportunities to the world-class hunting, fishing, and backcountry snow sports Colorado is famous for by creating new wilderness areas within the White River National Forest, such as the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range, and Hoosier Ridge, and by expanding the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest, and Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Areas. The plan would also protect and expand access to bike trails by designating nearly 18,000 acres across Tenmile and Porcupine Gulch as Special Management Zones. 90 108
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To put this into perspective, the White River National Forest — one of the most popular national forests in the country — attracts millions of visitors per year. This is the lifeblood of our economy. From equipment rentals to resort staff, tourism and outdoor recreation generates over $13 billion in consumer spending and creates over 125,000 jobs statewide. In 2013 alone, Colorado received $994 million just from the state and local taxes on outdoor recreation spending.
Equally important are the wildlife, watersheds, and unique ecosystems this legislation would protect. These lands are home to a wide range of protected species and house some of our most treasured resources.
Carefully crafted over six years with input from dozens of stakeholder groups — including Vail Resorts, the Outdoor Industry Association, the International Mountain Biking Association, Colorado Springs Utilities, the Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Fishermen, Conservation Colorado, and affected municipalities, small businesses, and utility providers — the Continental Divide bill reflects the same spirit of grassroots collaboration that helped Browns Canyon and Hermosa Creek finally achieve federal protections last year. It’s a bill everyone can get behind.
Getting Congress to act on Colorado’s commitment to protect its public lands is the hard part. But the victories in Browns Canyon and Hermosa Creek are evidence that patience and persistence pay off.
That’s why last month, I invited Rep. Raul Grijalva, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, to tour these iconic landscapes first-hand and hear from locals about the importance of protecting these proposed wilderness and recreation areas. The area’s beauty combined with the overwhelming local support for the bill made a lasting impression on my colleague, who indicated his commitment to making this project a priority.
With Grijalva’s support and my new seat on the House Natural Resources Committee, I’m optimistic that we can move this bill forward this Congress. The varied and vocal support for this bill reflects Colorado’s commitment to preserving its open spaces; passing this bill and protecting Colorado’s Continental Divide is the next step.
Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat, represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District. He lives in Boulder.
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FIGHTING FOR OUR NATURAL HERITAGE
Garrett Reppenhagen – Valley Voices – Opinion Column May 28, 2015
You could say that serving my country is in my blood. As a third generation veteran, I always knew that I would follow in the footsteps of my father and grandfather. You could also say that speaking out for the causes I believe in is also in my blood. Because with military service comes a deep love and respect for our country, and all that makes her great.
A big part of what makes America so special is our public lands. They are our natural heritage — an iconic patchwork of beauty dotting the country from coast to coast. They are lands that serve as home for wildlife, a recreation haven and an economic powerhouse. Our lands and waters are also a place where veterans can go to find strength and healing after coming home from tours overseas.
Recently, Rep. Jared Polis introduced legislation to safeguard roughly 58,000 acres of public land in Eagle and Summit counties. The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act came after years of hard work and cooperation from different stakeholders including mountain bikers and snowmobilers, hunters and anglers, local elected officials and small business owners, and veterans like me.
The legislation will protect key watersheds which provide drinking water for local communities along the Front Range. It will also safeguard local streams and blue-ribbon trout fishing opportunities. And it will preserve healthy wildlife habitat by limiting road building, new mines and other development that would degrade watershed values. Speaking of wildlife, these areas are home to black bear, elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, moose, lynx and wild turkey.
People come to the central Rocky Mountains to hike, camp, ski, kayak, raft, hunt, fish, mountain bike, horseback ride, ATV and snowmobile. Those adventures translate into big business for the outdoor recreation and tourism industries and the hotels, restaurants and grocery stores that support the visitors. Across Colorado, these activities generate $13.2 billion in consumer spending and are responsible for 125,000 jobs that pay $4.2 billion in salaries and wages.
It seems like everyone has their reasons for wanting to safeguard these natural treasures for future generations. For me, it is because that is where veterans like me go to be with family and friends and heal from the traumas of war. These are the places where we reconnect with our loved ones and learn how to be civilians again. It is where we go to be with other veterans to share our experiences and leave them behind.
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A 2013 poll by Vet Voice Foundation found that over 70 percent of Colorado veterans support protecting public lands like the ones in Eagle and Summit counties so future generations can enjoy all that these lands have to offer.
I want to thank Rep. Polis for his leadership on protecting public lands and introducing the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act, and I hope Congress listens to our voices and moves this legislation forward. Fighting for our country does not always end when we come home. For me it means now fighting for our shared natural heritage.
Garett Reppenhagen is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He lives in Denver.
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POST INDEPENDENT
Polis introduces new wilderness bill with Colorado impacts
STAFF REPORT – MAY 26, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Jared Polis, a Boulder Democrat whose district includes the eastern third of Eagle County, has introduced a bill to preserve 58,000 acres of wilderness and recreation lands in Summit and eastern Eagle counties.
Crafted with input from groups including The Wilderness Society, Vail Resorts, the Outdoor Industry Association, the International Mountain Biking Association, Conservation Colorado and affected municipalities and businesses, the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act will help sustain recreational resources, protect watersheds, preserve important wildfire corridors and strengthen Colorado’s tourism economy.
‘PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS’
“The areas that stretch along the Continental Divide in Summit and Eagle counties are the iconic playground of our state,” Polis said. “They are where Coloradans and out-of-state tourists alike go to ski, hike, mountain bike, hunt and fish, among many other activities, and this bill will ensure they are preserved for future generations to enjoy.”
Specifically, the proposal would create new wilderness areas in the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range and Hoosier Ridge, as well as expand the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest and Ptarmigan Peak wilderness areas.
The plan also would enhance outdoor recreation opportunities including fishing, hunting, biking and backcountry snow sports by creating an 11,500-acre Recreation Management Area within the Tenmile Range. The proposal was drafted through a collaborative process with local stakeholders that not only maintained existing recreational uses, but also incorporated community values by accounting for future improvements.
Also earlier this month, Polis hosted the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, so he could tour the proposed protection areas first-hand and hear from local leaders about the importance of the bill. During that meeting, Grijalva called the bill a precedent-setter, saying, “The broad local support and buy-in behind this bill is incredibly impressive. We’re going to make this a priority.”
With his new seat on the House Natural Resources Committee and Grijalva’s engagement on the issue, Polis is optimistic about moving the bill through Congress this session. A map of the proposal is available on Polis’ website at www.polis.house.gov.
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Continental Divide Recreation and Wilderness Bill Receives Local Applause from Diverse Constituency For Immediate Release 5/21/2015 Contacts: Jason Bertolacci, IMBA, 303-956-9099 Scott Braden, Conservation Colorado, 720-530-7473
Breckenridge, CO (May 21, 2015) – A coalition of outdoor recreationists, sportsmen, small business owners, local elected officials, and conservationists today applauded a bill to protect Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains. Congressman Jared Polis’ introduction of the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act would safeguard roughly 60,000 acres of land through wilderness and other designations in Eagle and Summit counties. The areas serve as popular recreation destinations, critical habitat for wildlife, and sources of clean water.
The name Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act was chosen during a two-week long contest, in which roughly 200 Coloradans suggested titles that would honor this recreation and wildlife haven to the west of Denver. The contest reflected Rep. Jared Polis visited IMBA's office recently to the “for Coloradans by Coloradans” nature of the discuss his land protection plans. proposal.
“For years, people have been coming together to safeguard this portion of the Rocky Mountains—the backbone of our local economy,” said Dan Gibbs, a Summit County Commissioner. “In addition to our thriving outdoor recreation and tourism economy, people choose to live here because of our incredible backyard.”
Over the past five years, local community members have been working to protect this area of Colorado’s Continental Divide. The legislation would add new areas to the Ptarmigan Peak, Holy Cross, and Eagles Nest wilderness areas as well as establish three new wilderness areas: Hoosier Ridge, Tenmile, and Williams Fork in addition to the Porcupine Gulch Protection Area.
The legislation also includes the Tenmile Recreation Management Area, which would protect important lands and trails for mountain biking and other recreation uses. “Like hikers, skiers, hunters and anglers, mountain bikers have come to love and respect these lands through exploration and adventure. We
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recognize the need to protect both the ecological resources of the land and the dependent local recreation economies. Congressman Polis' bill represents a welcomed evolution of land protection using a variety of tools to maximize protection while retaining quality trail access,” said Jason Bertolacci, International Mountain Bicycling Association's Colorado/Wyoming Regional Director.
Preserving Colorado’s Continental Divide will safeguard sportsmen’s time-tested backcountry traditions, and secure access for world-class hunting and fishing. The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act would protect ecologically important mid-elevation areas that provide vital wildlife habitat to black bear, elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, moose, lynx, and wild turkey.
Garett Reppenhagen, a U.S. Army Kosovo and Iraq War veteran said, “I fought to protect all that makes our nation great, and that includes the public lands that belong to every American. I want to salute Rep. Jared Polis for his leadership in safeguarding our natural heritage, and look forward to Senator Michael Bennet introducing a Senate companion.”
People come to Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains to hike, camp, ski, kayak, raft, hunt, fish, mountain bike, horseback ride, ATV, and snowmobile. Outdoor recreation is critical to Colorado’s economy. It generates $13.2 billion in consumer spending and is responsible for 125,000 jobs that pay $4.2 billion in salaries and wages. The Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act would play an important role in maintaining and contributing to this important part of our state’s economy.
“Protected public lands help provide clean water and safeguard such lands from future development,” said Joe Macy, Eagle County Resident and Fishing Guide. “Clean water is essential for the healthy fisheries that our guests from all over need to enjoy the outdoors.” Over a dozen stakeholder groups have submitted letters to Rep. Polis in support of safeguarding Colorado’s Continental Divide. The coalition looks forward to working with Rep. Jared Polis and Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner in safeguarding the areas that would be protected by the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act.
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Rep. Polis introduces Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act
Alli Langley - [email protected] May 21, 2015 http://www.summitdaily.com/news/16440339-113/rep-polis-introduces-continental-divide- wilderness-and-recreation
Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02) introduced a bill Thursday, May 21, to preserve 58,000 acres of wilderness and recreation lands in Summit and eastern Eagle counties.
Crafted with input from dozens of stakeholder groups, including The Wilderness Society, Vail Resorts, the Outdoor Industry Association, the International Mountain Biking Association, Conservation Colorado, and affected municipalities and businesses, the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act aims to help sustain recreational resources, protect watersheds, preserve wildfire corridors and tourism economy.
The proposal would create new wilderness areas in the Tenmile Range, Williams Fork Mountains and Hoosier Ridge, as well as expand the existing Eagles Nest and Ptarmigan Peak and Holy Cross Wilderness Areas.
The plan also would enhance outdoor recreation opportunities such as fishing, hunting, biking and backcountry snowsports by creating an 11,500-acre Recreation Management Area within the Tenmile Range. The proposal was drafted through a collaborative process with local stakeholders that not only maintained existing recreational uses but also incorporated community values by accounting for future improvements.
Earlier this month, Polis hosted the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), so he could tour the proposed protection areas and hear from local leaders about the importance of the bill.
With his new seat on the House Natural Resources Committee and Grijalva’s is optimistic about moving the bill through Congress this session.
For a map of the proposal, visit http://polis.house.gov/wilderness.
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9NEWS
Polis to introduce Continental Divide wilderness bill
Associated Press, news source 8:52 a.m. MDT May 21, 2015
DENVER (AP) - Conservation groups hope their latest attempt to designate 90-square- miles in the heart of Colorado ski country as wilderness will have better luck now that Rep. Jared Polis has a seat on the House Natural Resources Committee.
The Colorado Democrat plans to introduce the Continental Divide Wilderness Area and Recreation bill Thursday, and Polis' new committee will have a key role in the decision.
The bill would expand some existing wilderness areas and create new ones on land bordering the Continental Divide in Summit and eastern Eagle counties.
The name of the bill was picked after a public contest with nearly 200 submissions. The winner was Bob Waters of Boulder.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Photo: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
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SUMMIT COUNTY CITIZENS VOICE
Polis To Introduce Continental Divide Wilderness Bill
May 21, 2015 10:05 AM http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/05/21/polis-to-introduce-continental-divide-wilderness-bill/
DENVER (AP) – Conservation groups hope their latest attempt to designate 90 square miles in the heart of Colorado ski country as wilderness will have better luck now that Rep. Jared Polis has a seat on the House Natural Resources Committee.
The Colorado Democrat introduced the Continental Divide Wilderness Area and Recreation bill Thursday, and Polis’ new committee will have a key role in the decision.
The bill would expand some existing wilderness areas and create new ones on land bordering the Continental Divide in Summit and eastern Eagle counties.
Polis said the measure has the backing of businesses in the Summit and Eagle counties, including ski resorts.
“They want to make sure some of the special spaces along the Continental Divide … are protected,” Polis said Thursday.
He said the designation also has the backing of the Climax molybdenum mine near Leadville, which owns some mineral rights near the area.
The proposal would create new wilderness areas in the Williams Fork Mountains, Tenmile Range and Hoosier Ridge, as well as expand the existing Holy Cross, Eagles Nest and Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Areas.
A hearing on the designation has not been scheduled.
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Congressmen laud local support for bill
Scott N. Miller [email protected] May 7, 2015 http://www.vaildaily.com/news/16240828-113/
This story has been corrected. The Eagle River Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors has not endorsed the Polis wilderness bill. The board has not taken an official position on the proposed legislation.
VAIL — An effort to expand local wilderness areas has been bubbling for years. A new bill, with relatively modest goals, will be introduced this year. That bill apparently now has a powerful ally in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Jared Polis, a Boulder Democrat whose district includes roughly the eastern third of the Vail Valley, hosted a look-around at some of the areas proposed for protection on Thursday. The bill in Eagle County would add roughly 40,000 acres to the Eagles Nest and Holy Cross wilderness areas. It would also set aside roughly 10,000 acres for special management, meaning uses would be restricted.
In addition to a familiar cadre of state and local advocates, Thursday’s tour also included Rep.Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. Grijalva is the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. In Congress-speak, “ranking member” means Grijalva is the most senior Democrat on the committee. Republicans currently hold a majority in the House of Representatives, which means members of that party hold all committee chairmanships.
Still, Grijalva has some influence in the Capitol. And, after a tour that started at the Loveland ski area and ended in a meeting room in Vail, Grijalva said he was impressed with what he’d seen and heard.
Local Participation
Polis’ bill “meets the template for a bipartisan bill,” Grijalva said. A big part of that template is the level of local participation in drafting the bill.
The latest version of the Polis bill has support from the groups and individuals you’d expect — The Wilderness Society, Conservation Colorado and photographer John Fielder, among others.
Fielder and representatives from those groups praised the idea of
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The bill has also earned support the town of Vail, Eagle County and other local governments. But the Vail Valley Mountain Bike Association also supports the proposal.
“We appreciated working with your staff,” said Diane Johnson, the communications and public affairs officer for the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District. While the district board has not yet taken an official position on the bill, the district during the past couple of years has asked for, and received, several boundary changes in the bill. District officials said those changes were needed to help ensure they were able to properly maintain and improve facilities that bring water out of the forests surrounding the Vail area.
Polis’ staff was also praised for working to ensure Colorado Springs Utilities would also be able to maintain the facilities it has in Eagle County — that city uses much of the water from Homestake Reservoir.
‘Spectrum of Recreation’
Vail Resorts also supports the bill.
Rick Cables, vice president of natural resources and conservation at Vail Resorts Management Co., acknowledged that the resort company uses public lands in a very different way from wilderness preservation.
But nearby wilderness offers guests a “spectrum of recreation,” Cables said.
Scott Braden of Conservation Colorado said working with cyclists, water districts and others resulted in “dozens of changes” to the boundaries of the proposed wilderness expansion areas.
Supporters said they’re also happy with the work done on the bill, and encouraged action in Congress.
Garrett Reppenhagen is the Rocky Mountain director of the Vet Voice Foundation, a nonprofit veterans’ advocacy group.
Reppenhagen told the group about a time in Afghanistan when a group of soldiers and others gathered for a movie. The national anthem played before the main feature, and Reppenhagen said the images were all of the country’s natural areas.
‘Place of Healing’
“That’s what spurred our pride,” Reppenhagen said, adding that wilderness can be a “place of healing” for veterans.
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After about an hour of listening, Grijalva said he believes the proper elements are in place to bring a bill forward and get it passed. He said he and Polis would start putting together support for the bill when they return to the Capitol.
“We want a priority on this,” he said.
Making the bill a priority could mean that more committee members come for a visit.
“Once you see it, the commitment is a little stronger,” Grijalva said. “This is a tiny, well-done piece of legislation. We’ll strategize on where it needs to go next.”
Polis told the group he hoped the bill can be passed this year. But, he added, he’ll keep working to get it passed.
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