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<br />GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES, GUNNISON, COLORADO <br />SEPTEMBER 20, 1976 <br /> <br />PRIMARY IMP ACTS on mule deer wo~ld oe related to "" <br />significant loss of habitat in ncwly irrigated lands in the ,I,\J '" <br />Fruitland Mesa area, an interference with movements, and' · l <br />by a potentially serious contlict with the agricultural in- - <br />dustry, the DES says. <br />Pheasants, Gambel's quail. coltontail rabbits, and, <br />mourning doves would benefit from the increased acreage <br />of irrigated cropland that the project would provide. The ~" <br />Fish a!ld Wildlife Service estimated that man-days of ~, <br />upland game hunting would double from 200 to 400 with "'4' <br />the project. \\ ~, <br />,. <br />The Fruitland Mesa Project would inundate 85 acres of <br />the West Elk New Study Area and would change the <br />character of the acres from open sagebrush park to flat <br />, water. <br />"There are no plans for construction ()f rOll.ds, <br />, recreational facilities, or other structures in the New Study <br />Area outside thewithdra wn area," however. <br />The DES also notes that the improved road up Soap <br />Creek would provide better access to the West Elk Wilder- <br />ness, but the hike still required to reach the wilderness <br />would prObably discourage a great increase in total annual <br />visits. <br />Ted Tomasi of the Colorado Open Space Council, a <br />strong advocate of wilderness areas, said he is not overly <br />concerned with the loss of the 85 acres, but is concerned <br />with the probable secondary Impacts of the project. <br />Specifically, loss of the elk calving grounds, loss of deer <br />winter range in the Fruitland Mesa area and the improved <br />road to Soap Park and the proposed recreational facilities, (' <br />which will lead to more people in the area. <br />l. Tomasi said he does not see the benefits reaped from <br />more irrigation and the resulting increased crop produc- <br />. lion as' oveiridinr the losses from the project, because <br />"C . there is already ar. excess in crop production on a nation- <br />. wide scale. <br />. Tomasi contends, that in the past, the Bureau of <br />Reclamation served a function in regard to. reclamation <br />projects, but has since darned up rivers and streams <br />needlesslv. <br />. <br />". see it (Fruitland Mesa Project) as another pork barrel <br />.' project." ' <br /> <br />,~ <br />f!!:\, <br /> <br />I: \ <br />'; I <br />"'~ <br /> <br />SHEET 3 of 3 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />,.., <br /> <br />~ <br />\..' <br />'?' <br /> <br />t, <br />j" <br /> <br />..., <br />~:.~ <br />"" -~~~ <br />\. '8:-~~ <br /> <br />/"'" , <br />,; ~ '. <br />~<. <br /> <br />.o.i. <br /> <br />,- <br /> <br />_1.~"~:.2\~; . <br />~> <br />~-h, ' <br />''''f' ;--~~ <br /> <br />~"" ~,,,,.;,.,,. <br />,.""""" ..~,',:."""~ <br />~, '~ <;, ~-<. <br /> <br />..., \ ">'-:;:\~'~ .""-, ''i~' t _._,_ <br /> <br />", "".;.aJ..,,/' f"-,r, " <br />'~",,:,4' "->:,,; <br /> <br />',," <br />,.;,\". , <br />'^t4{ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />'~"("""" . ',', , "","," , <br />"~:.' <br />, """, \1-. <br />~~l ~\~"-,~ <br />. \~,",'~ ,'\ <br />. ,--,~~'~ <br />\; "\'" , <br />,Ii...,.,,' ,:1 <br />V"", ~' 1. <br />~ '1., <br />I \, <br /> <br />"- <br />""" <br /> <br />".. <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />'. <br />traP ..;. <br />.\ <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Elk will be affected-but to what utent is unknown <br />