Spring 2024 Newsletter

The SLV Ecosystem Council encourages you to comment on over snow motor vehicle usage and its impact on sensitive habitat.

The Forest Service has recently launched the Rio Grande National Forest (RGNF) Over Snow Travel Management Project to plan and regulate winter activities like snowmobiling and skiing within the RGNF. The plan will set parameters that will guide over-snow travel on forest roads, trails and cross-country use for the next 15-20 years across the 1.8-million-acre Rio Grande National Forest. The San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) will be providing comments and we encourage you to do the same. We need to encourage ecologically responsible winter recreation within the plan. See talking points (below).

Also, attend one of the public meetings scheduled by the Forest Service below. Mark your calendars!

PUBLIC written COMMENTS ARE DUE: Friday, June 14, 2024.

Timeline for other important dates regarding this planning process:

• The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Winter Travel Management Plan is expected in the fall of 2025

• The final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected in the fall of 2026.

Wolf Creek is one step closer to being threatened by large scale development

In January of this year, the Village at Wolf Creek developers (Leavell McCombs Joint Partnership-LMJP) and the Forest Service requested, and were granted, an oral argument hearing before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in Denver. They had appealed Judge Arguello’s decision, who had basically invalidated their (LMJP) road access approval.

In April, the 10th Circuit Court rendered a decision, basically vacating 20 years of previous Colorado Judge’s rulings, and granted access to the developers. This decision follows a contentious legal

battle over the fate of the area, which holds significant environmental importance, especially for the reintroduced Canadian Lynx. Despite opposition from SLV Ecosystem Council and partners, Friends of Wolf Creek (FWC), who highlighted arguments regarding the impact on wildlife and natural habitats, and had concerns regarding the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process itself, the Judges recent decision sided with the developers, paving the way for construction to proceed. The ruling marks a significant turning point in the ongoing debate over land use and preservation in the region, sparking further discussions about balancing economic development with environmental conservation.

Friends of Wolf Creek are reviewing our legal options. In the meantime, please sign our petition, voicing support for maintaining the wild nature at Wolf Creek pass, and speaking out against the development.

Use water filters to protect against harmful metals found in SLV drinking water

Through our partnership with the University of Colorado and the School of Public Health, spearheaded by Dr. Kathy James, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) coordinated a community wide household well water sampling effort as part of the 5-year study evaluating the impacts of drought on water quality and quantity. The well water sampling efforts successfully recruited 862 households and have currently analyzed 736 samples from all six

SLV counties. Initial results have found elevated levels of several heavy metals that naturally occur in groundwater systems in the SLV including arsenic (10% wells), uranium (7%), manganese (7%), tungsten (3%), lead (2%), and copper (4%).

To protect agains hard metals in your well water in the SLV, the study recommends:

1. Consider municipal water as an alternative to well water

2. Use an ion exchange filter connected under your sink to remove contaminants

3. Use a reverse osmosis filter

4. Use a distilled water device

Employee Spotlight, SLVEC Project Manager: Anna Lee Vargas

Anna Lee Vargas is a sixth generation San Luis Valley (SLV) native, born and raised in Manassa. She attended Adams State University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Welfare and Spanish, Liberal Arts. Anna Lee describes herself as a natural born advocate and community leader who is passionate about protecting the land, water, and people of the San Luis Valley. 

"Our history is a testament to the fact that the San Luis Valley has always been a place of diversity and strength. With the passing of time and the influx of new SLV residents, preserving the unique language of the SLV is perhaps more important than ever"(Vargas, 2024).

Read Anna's full article called SLV language: Rare 16th-century Spanish dialect spoken:

Biden-Harris Administration Protects Thompson Divide for the next 20 years from Oil and Gas Development

Public lands in Colorado withdrawn from future mineral development to protect wildlife habitat, clean air and water, and outdoor recreation opportunities  

The Biden-Harris administration took action on 4/3/24 to finalize protections for the Thompson Divide area in central Colorado, one of the state’s most cherished landscapes, known for its ranching heritage and grazing lands, important wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and clean water. The announcement delivers on President Biden’s commitment to protect the Thompson Divide when he signed a proclamation establishing the Camp Hale – Continental Divide National Monument. Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, hunters and anglers have worked to protect the area’s streams, aspen groves, and ecosystems for generations. 

In response to broad interest in retaining the Thompson Divide’s contiguous landscape and protecting the area from potential impacts of mineral development, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signed Public Land Order 7939, withdrawing approximately 221,898 acres of USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land from disposition under the public land laws and operation of the United States mining, mineral and geothermal leasing laws for a 20-year period, subject to valid existing rights.

National Conservation Area Meeting Updates

There was a public meeting April 16 at the Parish Hall in Conejos, with 60 people attending, to hear expertise from panelists about water rights, and management of the Rio Grande corridor, the Rio Grande Natural Area, and how that might work in tandem with the possibility of having a National Conservation Area (NCA) designation on adjacent Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.

“This designation could provide economic opportunities for Conejos County, protect traditional uses, and expand cultural awareness and education that future generations can explore and benefit from. This is an extraordinary area that has a living history which goes back 13,000 years to present day life.” - Anna Vargas

Resource Management Plan Comments Due by May 23rd

The Rio Grande del Norte (RGDN) was designated as a National Monument over 10 years ago, however it has not had it’s own Resource Management Plan (RMP). Instead, it has been managed under the broader Taos Resource Management Plan, which covers all BLM lands managed by the Taos Field Office.  

After reviewing the scoping comments from the public, the BLM has made a first draft of the RMP. 

There is a 30 day period to comment on the draft plan which ends May 23rd. 

Wins in Conservation this Spring

Newsletter content and design by:

Isabel Lisle (Communications Manager, SLVEC)