09/23/2024
Our deep gratitude to all of the Chaffee County community members and leaders, Homeowner’s Associations, and non-profit organizations who supported our No Mining on Methodist endeavor over the last four years.
We appreciated your involvement in the process, your expertise and analysis, and your hundreds of responses submitted to BLM during the E-Planning process.
The decision to allow Hard Rock to expand onto Methodist Mountain BLM land for 30 years on another 42 acres is very disappointing. We’re thankful that the Salida Mountain Trail Solstice Trail was preserved. However, the environmental assessment was not forthcoming in addressing the environmental impacts, mitigation, accountability, and safety concerns along the narrow CR 107/108.
We see little consideration of the recent June 12, 2024 BLM Public Lands Rule: “The rule establishes new regulations for the use of conservation to ensure ecosystem resilience and prevent permanent impairment, unnecessary degradation, or undue degradation of public lands, and it revises existing regulations on designation of areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs).”
Only one concern about the decline in pinyon jay population and their loss of habitat was addressed in their decision.
A big thank you to each of you, the Boot Hill HOA, the Methodist Mt. HOA, Cherokee & Choctaw Heights HOA, Salida Mountain Trails, the Quiet Use Coalition, Sierra Club, and the Colorado Mountain Club for your ongoing support.
Overall, I felt a huge lack of BLM’s accountability to the Environmental Assessment process, the new Public Lands Rule, the concerns of many residents of our community, and the unique place we call home.
Let’s continue to do all we can to protect our public lands.
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