Hermosa Creek Workgroup Drafting Committee Consensus Recommendations and Issues for Continued Work

Home Browse Search

Hermosa Creek Working Group -- Drafting Committee Consensus Recommendations & Issues for Continued Work Members: Steve Fearn Meghan Maloney Chuck Wanner Bruce Whitehead Mely Whiting Jeff Widen Ed Zink and Facilitator Marsha Porter - Norton 1. The Drafting Committee met three times. 2. In the first meeting, the group agreed to a framework from which to operate in these discussions. 3. There was agreement that while some in the group believe that there are threats of water development in the Hermosa Creek Watershed, the more immediate priority is to address threats to the watershed caused by impacts from human uses of all kinds. 4. In the second meeting, the group focused on the land in the Hermosa Creek Watershed and came to the following consensus recommendations: - The recommendations from the Drafting Committee should address the Hermosa Creek Watershed as a whole to the USFS boundary Move forward and develop "Hermosa Creek Legislation." This legislation could be targeted to the Federal and /or State level. This legislation will include language that protects the values in the Hermosa Creek Watershed and the watershed itself; and includes goals to maintain Hermosa Creek's State of Colorado Outstanding Water Quality designation. The legislation would encompass the watershed boundaries possibly excluding Bear Creek, and would rely primarily on land protection measures ( * * *). The legislation will also address multiple use issues and will work to protect uses /users so they are not compromised /harmed (mining, timber, grazing, water development, and recreational users). Further discussions will clarify historic and future uses. The Drafting Committee is proposing to continue meeting to work out the details and the specifics.