Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine
N-O to $$$
The Alamosa County Commissioners effectively said “no” to $500,000. The half-mil was offered by the INS to expand the county jail, and the commission was about to let the offer’s deadline slide by. Public input and an offer by the city of Alamosa to make the hoosegow a joint project are keeping the idea alive — for now.
Flow Study Done
The Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project is complete.
The study of a 91-mile section of the big river is over, say its sponsors. The research shows that redirecting the river costs a lot of water to local users, and makes the valley more vulnerable to flooding. Recommendations are for structural improvements and flood protection plans.
The study was funded by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Permit Sought
Eastside Energy Corp., proponents of a controversial biomass energy facility, have applied for a land use permit near Blanca. The company says it has signed a long-term lease on land there, and has initiated the process to build.
The plant, as proposed by Eastside, would include power generating and chemical manufacturing facilities, a sawmill, and a fish farm. The biomass plant would thin area forests and use the dead trees and plants to generate energy. Opponents say there isn’t enough biomass in the valley to generate electricity for long, and that the impact of such an operation would do more harm than good.
RiGHT Rakes In
The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust received $32,000 from GOCO to chart land use and conservation in the state’s Rio Grande Basin. RiGHT facilitates — and sometimes purchases — conservation easements in the San Luis Valley.
Another GOCO grant, this for $129,000, enabled the Manitou Institute Crestone/Baca Land Trust to add 65 acres of wetlands to its Cottonwood Creek conservation area.
In other land news, the BLM is seeking ideas from regular folks for its long-term plan for 1500 acres of land along the Conejos River. The agency hopes to create a multi-use plan for 15 to 20 years for the acreage, which is adjacent to Pike’s Stockade.
Wind Drags
Alamosa is being asked to develop a “natural events action plan” to alert residents to conditions, i.e., high wind, that may cause health problems. The city’s air has contained unacceptably high levels of particulates on four occasions in the last two years. Suggestions include limiting plowing and tilling, driving on unpaved roads, operating leaf blowers, and restricting wood fires on windy days. This could be difficult, as spring is one long blow in the Valley.
Brief Briefs
Gov. Bill Owens chose the Great Sand Dunes to announce his candidacy for re-election. The guv said he has supported the purchase of the Baca Ranch to expand the monument into a park.
The Dept. of Wildlife wants to release more lynx into the area. Ninety-six of the cats have been released locally since 1999, but trackers have seen no kittens yet, leading biologists to believe the animals are too spread out to reproduce.
Creede go-getter Kim Eggert is putting together a triathlon, slated for June at San Luis Lakes State Park. The event will feature a swim, a 12-mile bike ride, and a 3-mile run. Interested athletes, sponsors, and volunteers can contact her at (719) 658-2100 or golddust@amigo.net.