Duckett Fire Scorches 4,440 Acres
WESTCLIFFE – A large fire in Custer County that began on June 12 was mostly contained by June 22 but not until burning nearly 4,440 acres and spreading into nearby Fremont County.
Nearly 650 firefighters fought the blaze, dubbed the Duckett Fire, on pubic and private lands at the base of the Sangre De Cristo mountains and was estimated to have cost $5.2 million to contain.
The fire forced the evacuation of area residents including residents of the Eagle Peak Subdivision and Maytag Ranch as well as the Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp. At its peak, crews fighting the blaze included four helicopters, one airplane, 36 engines and six bulldozers. The fire, which began on U.S. Forest Service land southwest of the Rainbow Camp, is suspected to have been caused by human activity, possibly an unattended campfire, according to The Wet Mountain Tribune.
No structures were damaged or destroyed by the fire and only one injury was reported, that of a firefighter who was treated and released.
Ski Monarch Seeks Expansion
SALIDA – Representatives of Monarch Mountain ski area have submitted a draft Master Development Plan (MDP) to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) which includes plans to expand lift service, adding 62 acres of new trails and 58 acres of gladed skiing as well as a new 750-square-foot warming hut at the bottom of a new lift.
The plan would expand skiing into the west side of the Continental Divide into Gunnison County for the first time. Also included in the MDP are plans for a 5,000-square-foot building with overflow restaurant seating and office and administration space adjacent to the day lodge and an 8,000-square-foot ski school/children’s center adjacent to the existing structure in the base area.
If the MDP is approved by the USFS it would increase the area’s carrying capacity from 2,870 to 3,490 skiers. The draft of the MDP can be found on Ski Monarch’s website at www.skimonarch.com
Parks and Wildlife Division Created
DENVER – A merger between the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado State Parks was signed into law on June 6 by Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Senate Bill 208 creates a new entity, Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife which will become effective on July 1. A new director for the division was named in mid-June. Rick Cables, a Pueblo native will oversee the new division and its 880 employees.
Cables is currently the regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region and a former forest supervisor for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron National Grasslands in Colorado and Kansas.
Evidence of Global Warming?
LEADVILLE – An ice-fisherman on Turquoise Lake near Leadville had to be rescued when he became stranded on an iceberg about 100 feet from the bank.
The unidentified man was pulled back to shore by rescuers with a rope provided by firefighter who swam out to the iceberg in a cold-water rescue suit, according to The Leadville Herald Democrat.
Notable Quotes:
“I was just in the right place at the right time. I’m thankful for my Boy Scout training – it taught me to always be prepared.” – 21 year old Scott Larson of Vail who helped save the life of an Alpine man who was pinned underneath an all-terrain vehicle in an icy creek. Larson had just summited Mount Antero and was returning when he heard cries for help. – The Mountain Mail, June 23, 2011.
“In the whole world, we are the only viable place where the bird has a chance of survival.” – Gunnison County Commissioner Paula Swenson speaking of the Gunnison Basin in regards to an Endangered Species listing for the Gunnison Sage Grouse. – The Gunnison Country Times, June 2, 2011.
