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\lrbe llueblo ClCbieftain INSIDE: A fiEBI REPAID Survivor of Normandy invasion finally receives medal. 58 . Ion b:~~~~~~l!!L?;t?i.it~5~j~~~~~:;iS?.11~0~~?-~~ ONLINE www.cruefrain.com I] WEDNESDAY January 12, 2000 Method proposed to smooth loss or Dunes taxes Ctl.iet\$\fllaphoto San Luis Valley officials are worred about loss of tax revenues at the Great Sand Dunes. l3y ERIN SMITH The PlIeblQ Chieftain revenue if some of the ranch's wet. lands were given to the Fish. and Wildlife Service instead of being incorporated! imo lh~ proposed park. ., Chaney s.ud that refuge and fed~ eral Payment in Lieu of Taxes funds are tW6 different funds, and although Saguache Counry is at the limit to receive PILT dollars, it could receiv~:refuge dollars. Chaney and orners have noted (hat a number of land swaps Wilh govemrnenr ~gencies such as me Bureau of Reclamation. u.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Man~ agement wo~d have to be made to shore up the'. park boundaries and create a park:' that includes a flum. ber of ecosystems, biological com- munities, vegetation and terrain. The Baca ~anch also offers big- horn sheep o/1d Kit Carson Peak r ALAMOSA - Local offi- cials concerned that tax dollars would be lost if the Great Sand Dunes National Monument becomes a narional park were told Tuesday that such a loss could be offset by_ giving some land to'the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If the federal government buys the Baca Ranch - which borders the Dunes - to include it in a national park, Saguache County would lose about $68,000 in annual property taXeS. 13ut Tuesday, Dunes Superinten- dent Steve Chaney told the San Luis Valley County Commi~sioners Association that under the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act. Saguache County could receive federal besides wetlands and a large sand s.beet. Chaney said that the many acres of wetlands. on tne ranch could, as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife property, be opened to "hunting and wildlife opportunities not now existing." It is imperative to a national park that the watershed and sUITollnding aquifer be included [0 protect the dunes from destruclion, something that could occur if water were to be pumped from benealh the proeec. live sand sheet that spreads out for miles to the noah, west and south of [he monument, Chaney indicated. Sand envirooments are "some of the most sensitive and fragile ... in the world," Chaney said. The watershed protects the "surge flows," an unusual pulsating flow. of Medano and Sand creeks that move the sand around in the monument. Please see Dunes, Page 28 2g~fi~~*~~~ ~~ ~gg id~E=~~~ Q.e '" E.::';;;> E ~E '" >.- uo._.. EO. .... E ;.s8~-s ~ '-""'~E""'''''' ~~;S -. uu'" Cl)....._ e :s jg g::: 8.'5 5 e.o a .... Q.. c .- -s E Cl):S 1:l..!! u ~ U "O.g E u -1 u.g.o;;: c2 '2 .~.":::; ~ E.g ~~ c ~.~ >= "O=c..oc -:c, ~Jfi 3:O~C~._-"O o~~~a.....~~~5 ~u ->E E~e""u-" ~ _.::..=....~e~ .~-Srl-g.Ec S.;i~~,s.~.~,~ _....0 ~ 0-0 .~ 'Ul....-E ...._....__;;>__ -~~'~~~~-"".~.u oE"'O"" .....,coc....u., :E ~ e 0= a.g ~ t5:..d c..o.e ='eh'~ Q..u:E E U C4-c 0::....0..._ =o<o::.ug uJ:::~O~u ~CE3:lUE~-g ""u~~~~EwEc -sca~",,~ ""~~8~.....d~ ~-5E~.2==e..;3:0::' "lj';':.....>>'- .~="'._~!!~_ lU '" lU C _ I.} 0 OJ c..d 'S: ~-::,,~":;;;. 9; E ~ 'C:lO~ 8 ~ U S"E 5 ~ a...:cOdd....-Eu -. ......-.. v- u...c '~E- ...c_cO~~....=_c uS~~~.~E~.~:~-"'~_g u=2.-= c::I3:5.a:l :I:lU~ug.:C'~uc::l5~.5;lc::i::5 ~~fio~~~o~~ C~ ....~9 ~...cd=~OO'" 0.0.........____...._ 00 0.......", c",o..C3eQ..=EE rJ:J Q) = = Q .. '" - a '" t:. E ~ "" o ~ -= ;; o U r'. \ . 0) '-._."",1 4:"""\ 't'J