Colorado: Hermosa Creek conservation bill gets a bipartisan introduction in Congress

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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The Hermosa Creek drainage near Durango is geting some bipartisan love in Congress.

Local stakeholder consensus may provide momentum for managment plan that includes modest amount of new wilderness

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Colorado lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are reaching across party lines to try and protect more than 100,000 acres of the Hermosa Creek watershed north of Durango.

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rep. Scott Tipton(R-CO) are introducing companion bills that would establish management for the Hermosa Creek Watershed based on recommendations from the Hermosa Creek River Protection Workgroup. The panel includes local water officials, conservationists, sportsmen, mountain bikers, off-road-vehicle users, outfitters, property owners, grazing permit holders and other interested citizens.

“We are lucky in Colorado to be able to enjoy many of the country’s most beautiful landscapes in our backyards. The Hermosa Creek Watershed represents some of the best Colorado has to offer,” Bennet said. “This bill will protect this land for our outdoor recreation economy and for future generations of Coloradans and Americans to enjoy. It is the result of a local effort that took into account the varied interests of the community, and that cooperation helped us put together a strong bill with the community’s input.” (more…)

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Colorado: Four Corners residents will get their Broncos fix

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Four Corners residents won't have to watch the Cowboys instead of the Broncos this season.

Sen. Mark Udall brokers deal with New Mexico TV station to show Broncos games — and not the Cowboys

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Along with watch-dogging federal intelligence agencies, creating economic opportunities for Colorado ski areas and finding funding for the pine beetle fight, Sen. Mark Udall is also standing up for Broncos fans in the Four Corners area, around Durango and Cortez.

Udall said this week he has negotiated a deal with a CBS affiliate in Albuquerque, N.M., to ensure that Four Corners residents will be able to watch Denver Broncos games on TV. (more…)

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Bear shot after biting transient camper in Durango

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Black bears in Colorado often pay the ultimate price when they search for human food.

Human food sources once again lead to trouble for bruins

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Colorado Division of Wildlife officers shot and killed a bear early Saturday morning after it bit a man near the Animas River in Durango.

The man was sleeping outside when the bear bit him through his blanket at about 2:30 a.m. He only suffered minor injuries and was able to escape the bear by entering into a nearby building.

Division of Wildlife officials and Forest Service rangers tracked the male bear with dogs and found it a few blocks away. Several witnesses identified the bear as the one that bit the man.

“A bear that bites a person, or loses its fear of people may be a serious threat to public safety,” said Patt Dorsey, area wildlife manager for the DOW in Durango. “In the interest of public safety, we chose to remove this animal as quickly as possible.” (more…)

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Mountain News roundup: ‘Caddyshack’ in Telluride?

Posted on July 5, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Town officials in Telluride are battling a prairie dog colony that's expanding out from its native territory in the Valley Floor open space parcel.

New visitor center planned at Mesa Verde, wolf woes in Wyoming and more

Caddyshack in Telluride?
Prairie dogs are the talk of the town in Telluride, as a colony living in the town’s prized 570-acre Valley Floor open space parcel has outgrown its habitat and is spreading out. But town officials said they don’t want the critters expanding into new habitat, so they’ve hired a wildlife expert to live-trap the animals and bring them back to their home stomping grounds, according to the Telluride Daily Planet.

The town’s management plan for the parcel calls for the mammals to be restricted to their original 23-acre colony. The fate of the prairie dogs apparently was a controversial topic as the plan for the open space parcel was being put together last year. And based on the number of comments on the Daily Planet story, it still is, as many residents weighed in with their thoughts on the subject.

Town officials, meanwhile, must be aware that they’re taking on a Sisyphean task. What they’re hoping for long-term is that some predators move into the neighborhood to keep the population in check. Read the story and the comments here.

More the roundup after the break … (more…)

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Durango man fined for baiting bighorn sheep

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Colorado bighorn sheep

Colorado's iconic bighorn sheep are under pressure, and illegal baiting doesn't help. PHOTO COURTESY THE COLORADO DIVISIION OF WILDLIFE.

Illegal salt licks cause big problems for big game

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A La Plata County man was fined $156 and lost his hunting privileges for a year after pleading guilty to to baiting wildlife near Vallecito Reservoir, east of Durango.

Dave Hall, 52, admitted to spreading more than 1,000 pounds of salt during the last two years in at least four areas. He told Colorado Division of Wildlife officers that he placed salt blocks and spread granular salt in numerous areas because he believed the bighorns needed extra nutrition.

Baiting big game wildlife in Colorado is illegal and can cause long-term problems for animal herds. Animals find natural salt licks and don’t need artificial supplements, DOW officials said. (more…)

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Mountain news: Bookings up, crime down in Telluride

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Sunrise over Tenderfoot Mountain, Summit County, Colorado

Sunrise over Tenderfoot Mountain. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.

Fireworks fracas in Crested Butte, guilty verdict in Wyoming grizzly shooting and real estate news from Steamboat

Telluride: Bookings up, crime down
Projected occupancy rates for hotels and other rentals in Telluride took a big jump for August, thanks in part to a couple of scheduled Phish concerts, and overall, occupancy rates for the summer are projected to increase 14 percent over last year, according to the Telluride Daily Planet.

Even though the numbers for May are down 31 percent from last year, town tourism officials are optimistic this summer will be much better than last. Get the details here.

Much more after the break … (more…)

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Mountain news roundup: San Miguel goes solar

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Mountain news from around the world each week at Summit Voice.

Steamboat sales tax revenue down, Durango impact fees delayed and late-season skiing in France and Scotland

Less Taser action in Wyoming

Our weekly spin around the mountains this week begins in Wyoming, where the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that local law enforcement agencies have modified their Taser policies to disallow their use to force compliance by people who do not pose an immediate threat.

The change comes after an April 7 incident in which a Jackson police officer attempted to arrest a man and then used the Taser to stun him when he resisted. The News & Guide reports that Jackson Police Chief Todd Smith said that use of Tasers  will no longer be allowed if suspects are not physically aggressive toward officers. Read the rest of the story here.

Richest county?
The News & Guide is also reporting that Teton County is the “richest” county in the country, with the highest adjusted gross income — $142,048 — per tax return for 2008, the latest year available, according to the IRS. The U.S. average was $55,361. Wyoming’s average was $62,077. The next wealthiest county after Teton is Fairfield County, Conn., location of the town of Danbury. Adjusted income per return in that location was $118,286 for 2008. Lowest in the U.S. was Douglas County, Mo., at $18,262.

Steamboat sales tax revenue down
Steamboat Springs is seeing some ups and downs in sales tax revenue, according to the Steamboat Pilot, which reported that, after an encouraging February, March sales tax figures dropped by about 8 percent — the lowest level since 2004. The year-to-date total for the first quarter of 2010 is lagging about 5.5 percent behind an-already dismal 2009, but within the city’s budgeted 10 percent projected decline for 2010. The Pilot reported that the area’s lodging industry continued to struggle, with March revenue dropping 10.8 percent after an 11.5 decline in February. The decline in tax revenues has lasted for 19 months in Steamboat, dating back to August 2008, the last time monthly revenues showed an increase from the previous year. Read the story here. (more…)

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Mountain news: Tax leakage in Telluride?

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Wildflowers bloom in a proposed wilderness area near Loveland Pass, in Summit County, Colorado.

The Aspen Daily News reports on a poll showing widespread support for more wilderness in Summit County. Read that story and others in the weekly mountain news roundup. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.

More bear trouble in Aspen, tax leakage in Telluride and video from Chamonix in the mountain news roundup

Water in new Durango reservoir up for grabs

Discussions are under way to determine who will buy and own the water in the Animas-La Plata Reservoir, near Durango. The Durango Herald reports that the federal government is willing to sell water in the Animas-La Plata Project to the state for $35 million. The water could also be given to Native American tribes in Colorado for free.

A state legislative committee was scheduled examine the options at a hearing this week. Both the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes get 33,050 acre-feet, enough to turn the tribes into two of the biggest water owners in the Four Corners. Smaller amounts go to the Navajo Nation and water districts in Colorado and New Mexico. The state of Colorado has an option to buy 10,460 acre-feet, half of which could be consumed in any year, the Herald reports. Read the full story here.

Two bears killed in Roaring Fork Valley
Collisions with cars have resulted in two early season bear deaths in the Aspen area, according to the Aspen Daily News. A sow was killed on Midland Avenue in Glenwood Springs on April 4, leaving a very young cub orphaned, and less than a week later a vehicle struck a 540-pound male bear crossing Highway 82 near the Pitkin County Landfill. The early bear sightings should be a wake-up call to everyone, according to officials.The Colorado Division of Wildlife is studying whether a changing climate is luring bears out of hibernation earlier. Mid-May was once the usual time for the animals to emerge, but there have been more numerous sightings in April in recent years. Read the Aspen Daily News story here.

(more…)

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