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Zephyr's worked hard to avoid any environmental impact assessments,and has done exploration in the Grape <br /> Creek area which has"two protective federal designations,the Grape Creek Area of Critical Environmental <br /> Concern(ACEC),identified in the BLM's 1996 Royal Gorge Field Office Resource Management Plan(RMP), <br /> and the Lower Grape Creek Wilderness Study Area(WSA)."Clearly they are avoiding thorough evaluation of <br /> their operations. <br /> The location of the proposed mine is approximately: <br /> •4 miles southwest of downtown Canon City <br /> • 1.5 miles from Canon City Limits <br /> • 1.3 miles from Grape Creek <br /> Economic Harm: <br /> As a tourism professional who makes a living guiding visitors through the Royal Gorge Region,and across <br /> Colorado,and as a dedicated volunteer who has helped lead destination marketing&management efforts for <br /> the region and state, I can say without equivocation that mineral extraction(gold mining)such as what <br /> applicants are seeking authorization for would greatly damage the positive economic impacts tourism brings to <br /> Canon City,the Royal Gorge Region, Fremont County and beyond. It is completely antithetical to tourism. <br /> Mining operations would repel, rather than attract visitors just by existing here. Possible negative impacts to the <br /> Arkansas River and other outdoor recreation activities the region relies on—and that employs thousands—are <br /> impossible to calculate, but imperiling them is too risky. <br /> Simply put, NO ONE who visits, has visited,or plans to visit this region of Colorado would cite the existence of <br /> a mining operation such as what is proposed in this application(or existing in the future,of the legacy is likely <br /> will leave)as their reason for doing so. People don't visit surface mines,or subterranean mines,or rock <br /> quarries for their scenic beauty,and they will never stand before a gold mine in Fremont County and stare in <br /> awe at the natural beauty of the place. <br /> Aside from tourism,other economic and business development prospects will be lost if gold mining is allowed to <br /> proceed as applicants desire. Planners and investors of other more sustainable,and more desirable projects <br /> will never approach economic development managers or planning officials for the City of Canon City,or <br /> Fremont County just because there is a gold mine on the edge of town. In a way,we may never be able to <br /> estimate the value of total lost opportunity. <br /> Growth: <br /> Zephyr has expanded their holdings,changed the minerals being investigated,and changed their proposed <br /> mining techniques since being formed.While change is typical, no one knows what the next revision will be. <br /> And no one local is being involved or educated.Change just happens regardless of how the community sees <br /> the growth. For example,on February 21,2020 Zephyr announced:"Zephyr Minerals Ltd.continues to advance <br /> its 100%owned high grade Dawson-Green Mountain Project in Colorado, USA.After expanding its land <br /> package to 1,385 hectares(3,430 acres)the Company plans to explore the entire 12.2 km(7.5 mi)mineralized <br /> trend using the Broken Hill Type deposit as an exploration model."Change is likely to occur again.Will it be in <br /> favor of Zephyr or will the community and area be a primary concern? <br /> Water risks are one of my main concerns.Cotter, Rocky Flats and defunct mines in southwestern Colorado all <br /> provide ample evidence of how BAD DECISIONS made in the past have impacted water safety,quality and <br /> availability in Colorado. Let's learn from history,and not repeat mistakes of the past.Cotter's legacy continues <br /> to haunt Canon City,and will for the foreseeable future. <br /> The mine site at 6,500 feet elevation is 1,000 feet higher elevation than Grape Creek and the Arkansas River. It <br /> is upstream from the water plant intake for Canon City and Fremont County.Any discharge from mining <br /> operations will find its way to the aquifers underground and/or the water flows.The mining operation would use <br /> approximately 65,000,000 gallons of water per year and an unspecified amount of chemicals.With the site just <br /> 1,000 feet above the Grape Creek and Arkansas River area,this creates the potential for pollution of the water <br /> for present and future generations. <br /> The demand on underground aquifers has been estimated in the permit as"insignificant"but there is no <br /> monitoring or measures to be sure that the demand is having an"insignificant"impact. <br /> Zephyr claims:"Not a single forest fire in the USA has been traced back to or been attributed to a modern <br />