February 2002
Red Mountain Pass
Concern over losing prime skiing terrain near Red Mountain Pass prompted this article.
Citizens and government officials are working towards purchasing almost 11,000 acres of private mining claims in the central San Juan mountains. To date, Congress has approved just under 10 million dollars towards the purchase of some of the lands and negotiations are under way with several of the owners. The process of preservation began approximately three years ago, when the Ouray and San Juan county historical societies realized that numerous historical mining sites were sliding into oblivion.
"There were many less of the original mining structures left and they were going fast," said Ouray county commissioner Alan Staehle. "They said 'Hey, we've got to do something about this or we won't have anything left to see of our (mining) history." But when they explored stabilizing the historic mining structures, they found that almost all the buildings were not on National Forest as they had assumed, but on patented mining claims.
The area has a long-standing history in mining, since the late 1800s. According to Staehle, the 1872 Mining Law allowed properties to be converted to private ownership for a mere five dollars an acre. Preservation efforts were given an added urgency when a real estate agent began an aggressive marketing campaign to sell some of the lands in question for development. That got the attention of local citizens and governments.
People from all over the world come to Ouray and San Juan counties for their famous scenic lands and vistas. Development would not only put an added financial burden on the counties - with the corresponding need for fire protection and road maintenance - but also put the area's tourist-based economy at risk. "Scenic beauty is important not just from an historical standpoint but also economically," Staehle said.
The Ft. Lewis College office of community service was the real catalyst in the work towards preservation. In the words of Staehle, "they brought the big guns into play" when they contacted the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national organization working for land preservation.
With TPL's expertise and funds, as well as the support of Colorado's congressional delegation and Governor Bill Owens, the Red Mountain Project soon became the U.S. Forest Service's priority purchase.
Last year, Congress approved $5 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund towards the first phase of land acquisition. That money is available now, and Staehle said they just signed a contract for the purchase of approximately 3000 acres, which will become USFS land.
Another 122.5 acres near the historic town of Ironton is under contract. Because the funds for this purchase are from state money, the land will become county parks, Staehle said.
According to Staehle, Congress recently approved 4.5 million towards the second phase.
It will likely take a third appropriation of monies to purchase the hoped for 10,500 acres, assuming the landowners are willing to sell, Staehle said.
Some of the owners have been very cooperative with the project, as they wish to leave a historical value and scenic beauty. Others may choose to sell to developers. If the people of the Red Mountain Project get their wish, Colorado will have almost 11,000 additional acres of National Forest in the next several years. This includes lands between Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride - the playgrounds of thousand of backcountry enthusiasts.
For more information about, or to donate time or monies to the Red Mountain Project.