WSP04274 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

VItTe: f::;$r, Iq 7(; Area support given Fruitland Mesa Proiect but concern raised about game habitat By PAT OWENS Sentinel correspondent eRA WFORD - Wildlife, the destruc- tion of or the benefit to was the primary question dealt with by both those in fa- vor and those opposed to (l. draft envi. ronmental statement on the proposed I<'ruitland Mesa Project reviewed at a public hearing here Thursday. The meeting was presided over by Ro- land Robison, a solicitor for the Bureau of Reclamation, with David Crandall, of Salt Lake City, regional Reclamation director, present to hear testimony. Statements favor project 'fhe statements made and letters rcad into the record in favor of the proj- cd numbel'cd 13, while those opposed number six. Dr. John Tarl' of GUllnison, a member of the Sierra Club, had a number of questions concerning the costs of the pt'Ojcct and the justification for those costs. T,lrr said the projected cost of the project does not include the loss of between $3,000 and $5,000 generated by the harvest of each elk if the habitat is destroyed. The l<~rllillalld Mesa Project includes reservoir proposed about 10 miles south of here lhat would inundate approx- imately 584 acres of mountain valley and fout. and a half miles of Soap Creek and other area streams. Opposition to the project came frOt,' propel'ty owner~ and groups such ,!:IS the Colorado Open Space Council and Trout Unlimited and individuals like Dr. BI'tlce BartelSOll, professor of geology at Western State CQlIege, who ques- tioned the geological feasibility of the project. The Colorado Division of Wildlife which pl;ms -to purchase an additional 13,000 acres of privately owned land to provide habitat for wildlife, received strong cl'itidsm from ,Jerry Goldsmith of Club 20. Goldsmith, a Ccdaredge resident, said, "Club 20 is unequivocably behind the project" and attributed the delays to organizations sllch as the Sierra Club. GoldsmiUl urged the Bureau of Reclamation to complete its work so COllstruetioll tn1lY begill. Wide support Support of the project came from many other sources, Including elected officials from Montrose, Delta and Gun. nison countles as well as pl'Operty OWIl- en; and conct'l'lled citizens. Carton Meek, president of the Fruit- land Mesa Water Conservancy District, said "Water is badly needed to incfease production of foodstuffs. Game wjJl be better off in irrigated areas" Meeker al- so stressed the economic benefits of the project to the area. Montrose County Commissioner John Kramer read a statement from the Mon- trose.' Board of County Commissioners questioning the maintenance of Crystal Creek Road, part of which is in Mon- trose County. A resolution from the county commissioners was read stating that the county will not be responsible for the maintenance and snow removal of roads irt'fh'e project area. With these reservations, the commissioners ex- pressed support of the project. A letter from Felix L. Sparks, direc- tor of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, to Harris Sherman, director of the Department of Natural Resources, was read calling the demand by the Di- vision of Wildlife for the purchase of the 13,000 acres of privately owned land for wildlife "prepoiiiterous." He stated in the Jetter that the plan will be resisted by the board of the water district. Bob Roper, president of the Gunnison County Farm Bureau, said "The dam- age to wildlife is being greatly over- estimated and the Division of Wildlife is being unreasonable in its demands." A letter from Craig Goodwin, hus- band of Millie K. Goodwin for whom the reservoir is to be named, was read stat- ing that in his experiences over the past 78 years he had never seen Illrge num- bers of elk in the Big Soap Creek Park area. Area residents comment Statements from a number of area ranchers, property owners and water company officials were entered into the record, iilcluding the comment made by Charles Klaseen, 1:1. rancher on Fruit. land Mesa supporting the project. "The farmers and ranchers who have actual control of and contact with the land form the largest group of environmen- talists in the nation." Each rancher who spoke stated that large numbers of deer may be observed year-round feeding in irrigated fields. An alternative plan, called a "mitiga- tion plan" by bureau officials, was ex- plained by Dick Steckel, vice president of the Fruitland Mesa water board. Ste- ckel said "The Division of Wildlife takes the position that even though the majority of the land is now privately owned, it is deer range and irrigated land is not suitable for deer range. We disagree. "Together with the Bureau of Recl- amation, we have proposed a mitiga- tion plan that calls for giving the Divi- sion of Wildlife a farm unit of approximately 400 acres, 200 of these to be irrigated with project water, located at the upper edge of Upper Fruitland Mesa to be used as a buffer zone, to raise feed or whatever purpose they choose. Deer range considered "We have also agreed that the entire remaining BLM area of about 14,000 acres be managed for the primary goal of deer range. In addition, at present there is a grazing permit for 1,200 sheep three months total per year. One option is to remove the sheep entirely. It is our understanding that sheep can be fig. ured on a one-to-one basis with deer, (one sheep will eat as much as one deer.) Since water will be available in this now dry area the sheep permit on the Black Ridge will be converted to cattle thus making more winter feed available fo!" deer." All of the statements entered into che record at the hearing as well as all writ- ten statements received by the regional office of the Bureau of Reclamation in Salt Lake City by Oct. 18 wiJJ be studied and a final environmental statement is- sued, Robison said.