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>. . . .. QjjnZ8 ~~=. ~ " r " E'NERGY.DEVELOPMENT FORECASTS ~:Land-Use PrQbl.ems Foca( >, , . '-(",:" _,..t, --..... --Point for Club 20 Session I , , , 52 . , "r HE 0 E N V E R: ~ O'S T S,m., Se~t. /9, 1~1' -::'.~' By STEVE wn.1\OOP :: . DeUVf'f Post Staff Writer :OUR.4..'\IGO. Colo.-The COflSequent'E'.!I ainf impact or changes in land use were ~t into sharp' hcus as; Club 20 met here Saturday to discuss energy-de\'eJop- ri:tnt (orecast.\i: Cor southwest Colorado. : At rommittee meetings Saturday morn. 4tk, more than 1.50 persons discussed ii$ues oC resource USe, transportation, tburism and economic development. . More than 50 persons huddled around foUr small tablps at the- Ramada Inn to di~'US..<I: rt'SOUrce jssues at a session . cbaired by fanner U.S. Rep. Wayne Aipin.all. ; former Gov. John Vanderhoof. pr~ Jdent of the 2tkounty western Colorado promotiona{ group. said attendance is ~oDg the best tl:Je club has experienced. -, >. - -.. , .4.T ,~ RESoLllCES committee mE'eting the threat to agricultural land from land development and urbanization Wa! a key topic. along with conct'rns about wild and scenic.river designations in western CoIl). rado. A delegation from Archuleta, Hinsale and Mineral Counties told Aspinall tlodt wild and sceniC-river studies and other planning effort.!! in the San Juan ::'-labonal Forest have impaired the ability :l( timLer Companies to' line up additional lands for harvest. . Pointing out that 23 per ('('nt of the employment in A~huleta County is pro\.ided by the timber industry, they askPd Club 20 to J;) M record in .support of .. bill in Congre...~ tD reduce the atlUlunt of land tied up by the' Piedra River wild and scenic-river study. , THE ACT ~lflCH MA.VD.U&1) study of the river also requires studies of a11 tribu_ taries. The group said the Provision for studying tributaries expanded the study area from about 12,00(1 to 2'14,000 acres. The Forest Service isn't selling any timber in the area, pending outcome of !.be study, The committee passed a resolution ask_ ing Congress to rescind its dirl'Cti-:1n to go\,'ernment a~encies to study 22 rivers in Colorado lor suitability lor wild or scenic_ river designation. Alter the motion was Passed, a river guide askt'd the 'committee to reconsider its action, saYing that widely' designated and proteded wild and scenic rivers would be an asset to tourism in western Colorado. The committl"e declined to re- .COllsider, h .; '.' ._'. " . .- THE CO.\fMTITEE ALSO heard from Dr. Jack Butterbach. a Routt Cotmt)' 'rommissioner, who discussed the ron. tro\'ersial Lake Catamoc-'lt land devela~ . ment planned in his county. Dr, Butterbach. the only anI' of three commissiOllers t.d oppo..~ the de\'elo~ . rnent said it "threatens agricultural land beca~ it wou.!d inundate 500 acres of prime land with a lake, and 2.700 more acres would be developed as a resort community. HI! asked Club 23 to gf\'f' ::;erious C'Oflsid. l"r!ltion to balancing the ~ for de~l'lo~ ment ~ith protection of thl' extStmg economy, ..., The roncems'fl'nl'Cte>:l a change of, UJ- rection for fhtIo western Colorado orgarnla- tio::!. Club W has been histOrically a f/l"omotional J:roup aimed at atlractJ.ng tourists to western Colorado. and improv. ins: roads and other facili!ies for them. W11'1l AN IMPE.\"D['iG energy boom the emphasis began to .shilt Large energy and mining comparnes hav,e become major rontributors to tht orgarn_ :r.ation. alOllg with ski areas, resorts and county govemmHlts. Asked if .tuUrism and energy dl"\"elop- ment can coexist, Vanderti;Or- ~id a re- porter, "I would sure say ~:" _ . _ He cited the example of Steamboat Springs ~'here skiers can see strip mines and trains busily CafT)'ing coal. as thPy look 00....11 [rom the top of :.it. Wemf-r. "The way they handle it any more," I1e said of the energy companies, "it doesn't ha\'e to desecrate the land." . , s' ~-..........__.