Well sometimes I surprise myself. A drop deadline also has a wonderful way of focusing the mind. Might as well share it a bit, cause this ain’t over it’s until over.
The flier has a long side and a short side, and I kinda of like what I finished with, which is quite far from where I started and ideas I’d been playing with this past week. It’ll be interesting how it stands up to time.
Oh and what kind of reception it receives tomorrow.
Yeah, I’ll be pushing two issues.
NO - Village at Wolf Creek, in the hydrological heart of the Rio Grande National Forest
The epic battle to save Alberta Park in the hydrological heart of the Rio Grande National Forest, the Wolf Creek watershed, and tributary to the Rio Grande river, continues unabated.
A recap of the latest: Friends of Wolf Creek successfully challenged a RGNF approval and in October 2022 a federal judge invalidated the Forest Service’s approval of the access road. But the Forest Service appealed the decision in April 2023, and an oral hearing was held in January, 2024. A ruling is expected sometime this year.
When the decision comes out, the smoldering will reignite and it’ll be time for friends of Wolf Creek to remember NO-Village at Wolf Creek, and to step up, reacquaint ourselves with the facts and start demanding that USDA-RGFS stop its decidedly pro-development approach towards Leavell McCombs Joint Venture’s destructive pipe dream.
What can we the people do? Perhaps if we started a letter writing campaign to put pressure on appropriate Colorado Representatives and Agencies and demand that they start putting pressure on the USDA-RGFS to, A) acknowledge the irreplaceable importance of Alberta Park, B) help resolve this existential threat to the health of this wetlands, ancient fens resource, and wildlife habitat and key migration corridor.
It should be made clear to all, once and for all, that Alberta Park should never be developed in any way. Leave the underground hydrological networks and biological habitats in place doing what they have always done. Leave it alone! Period.
Mr. McCombs and LMJV have been playing a billionaire’s hustle on the USDA-RGFS that needs to be exposed, discussed, and officially rejected. They attained Alberta Park through trickery and back channel power brokers such as the disgraced Tom DeLay.
We The People have a right to reassert our claim upon this land, that was underhandedly ripped from the Rio Grande National Forest in 1986, it belongs back within our National Forest and our American legacy to be protected for future generations.
LMJV refuses to acknowledge the host of costly logistical details that a town of eight thousand require, especially isolated at ten thousand feet elevation. This should be exposed. There are absolutely no preexisting municipal resources anywhere near this parcel. What do these flatlanders know about towns at ten thousand feet elevation? Selling us a start up for a couple thousand and build-out at 8000 residents. Seriously? Does anyone actually believe that?
Pagosa Springs (7110’) has < 3000, Telluride (8750’) has < 3000, Ouray (7800’) has < 1000, Silverton (9318’) has < 800, Creede (8800’), the sponsoring town, < 300 souls, and is 42 mountain miles away. But, what do they care, so long as they get some extra tax revenue, thanks to lazy lines on a map? Sort of like believing a drop of blood could be tested for everything. A dream too good not to believe in.
Village at Wolf Creek is little different, big promises by bad-faith salespeople and blind-faith investors, both have no clue and little interest in learning about the details. Why else would they steadfastly refuse a new impartial Environmental Impact Study? It’s a travesty that the Rio Grande Nat’l Forest continues to rely on an EIS that Red McCombs practically dictated, as court records established.
Why should we allow Alberta Park to become a rich man’s sandbox to tear up, then abandon, when bored or broke? Why not push Colorado officials to help move this impasse towards a positive resolution, before the bulldozers irreparable destruction begins?
The Short side:
Remember our demand, No Village at Wolf Creek.
I bring this issue to your attention simply because I want to remind people that the threat of Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture bulldozing Alberta Park, in the hydrological heart of Wolf Creek and the Rio Grande National Forest, remains very real.
Currently the latest court decision is expected in a few months, or at least before the end of the year. When that happens I believe we friends of Alberta Park & Wolf Creek need to be ready with a letter writing campaign to push Colorado officials to engage this bureaucratic quagmire and to encourage the USDA-RGNF to reverse it’s pro-development stance and start working toward returning Alberta Park back to the protective bosom of the Rio Grande National Forest from whence it was torn in 1986.
My long shot Colorado 2024 Democratic Platform proposal reads:
“We request Governor Polis and the Biden Administration to take a proactive interest in helping to resolve the long standing Leavell McCombs Joint Venture speculative development threat to the health and well being of Alberta Park, the hydrological heart of the Rio Grande National Forest, headwaters of Wolf Creek and tributary to the Rio Grande River.”
A short list of resources:
SanJuanCitizens.org/village-at-wolf-creek
(San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council) - SLVEC.org/wolf-creek-pass-developments
RockyMountainWild.org
Rocky Mountain Wild updates by Chris Talbot-Heindl
Court Again Rejects Village at Wolf Creek Development Proposal - October 21, 2022
Court rejects the Village at Wolf Creek development proposal yet again! - October 21, 2022
Conservation Groups Challenge Forest Service Again Over Approval of VWC - May 28, 2019
Conservation Groups Cheer Latest Court Decision Rejecting VWC Land Exchange
Advocates Promise Continued Scrutiny of VWC, Vow to Challenge Latest Attempt to Avoid Public Review - July 21, 2018 by Chris Talbot-Heindl
Developers attempt another end run around public on VWC - June 7, 2018
Court Again Denies Red McCombs’ Plea to Approve VWC - September 15, 2017
The “Village” at Wolf Creek Pass – a disaster for the Endangered Species Act listed Canada lynx - February 9, 2017
Response Brief filed to protect Wolf Creek Pass - August 1, 2023 by Matt Sandler
Rio Grande Nat’l Forest Again Sides with Developer in VWC Access Issue - Feb 28, 2019
Also at NO-Village At Wolf Creek.blogspot.com, I’m starting a series of posts to dig deeper into the various aspects of this LMJC disaster we’re trying to avert.
I Want to be ready to run with this when that court decision comes down.
As a distraction, I was also remind about something about Sapolsky’s take on no freewill, basically my first impression is that his bottom line is that because everything has a preceding cause that proves that Free Will is impossible.
And I wonder why? What’s the logical train of thought behind that assertion?
Especially considering how much of our behavior is reactions - occasionally to very novel events.
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the debrief 
Well as expected my Platform Submission was rejected before reaching the floor for discussion.
Problem being, it was specific, the platform is all written in generalities, mine was a specific single issue matter.
But the county Democratic Party understood the matter worth bringing up. And I’d been in communication with the director, she was sympathetic and I was pleasant and flexible. I make my case and they sympathized that revisiting the No-VWC was important considering where the courts are. I showed her my two paragraph statement, mentioned I’d timed it to 45 sec. - and they liked it.
After the platform package was discussed and passed, and before adjourning, they introduced me and gave me the podium and gave me a minute to say my piece.
Ahead of time I passed out 80 packets, the above sheet, and the In Defense of Women postcard, with a 1/2 sheet pitch, outlining my effort and asking for help via GoFundMe.
I was gratified that after the event was over, I walked through the chairs to retrieve packets left behind, only 20 of the 80 I set out. I thought that was good. Of course, it’s sort of like the library, most everyone believes in women’s rights, and stopping that monstrosity at Alberta Park before it happens, it just takes some one to step up…
With a couple decades of participation, it also nice seeing acquaintances from the past, watching each other growing old, we used to party, now we’re part of the parents dead, or dying, and grandkids arriving, phase of life. What a ride it’s been.
Excuse the reminiscing, I figure why not ,something close to home. 
