Boulder County, Eldora Mountain Resort, Sierra Club, and Middle Boulder Creek Coalition reach agreement in principle on Eldora Mountain Ski Resort expansion
(Boulder County, Colo.) -- At a public meeting set for 3:30 p.m. on Monday,
Dec. 18, the four parties who have worked collaboratively for the past two
years to address the proposed expansion of Eldora Mountain (Ski) Resort will
come together to formalize a Statement of Principles that
will guide future development and land preservation in and around Eldora
Mountain Resort.
Based
on direction given by the U.S. Forest Service in 2015, the Statement of Principles was developed
in partnership by Boulder County, Eldora Mountain Resort (EMR), the Middle Boulder Creek Coalition, and the Sierra
Club Indian Peaks Group (collectively referred to as the "Parties") working together to come to agreement on
how best to offer additional recreational opportunities at the ski resort while
protecting critical land and animal habitat in the Eldora/Indian Peaks region.
-
What: Public Meeting: Review
of a Statement of Principles between Boulder County, the Middle Boulder Creek
Coalition, Sierra Club Indian Peaks Group and Eldora Mountain Resort regarding
future development and land preservation in and around Eldora Mountain Resort.
-
When: Monday, Dec. 18,
3:30 p.m.
-
Where: Commissioners’
Hearing Room, Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder (map and
directions)
The Board of County Commissioners praised the
efforts of all parties involved and expressed their appreciation for the
“win-win” proposal that evolved over an extensive two-year negotiation process and
which serves to balance the significant environmental and recreational considerations
of the ski resort’s expansion.
“This collaborative agreement is a huge accomplishment for all parties
involved and the community at large. The spirit behind this major undertaking proves
that diverse groups can come together to develop a plan of action that helps
protect our sensitive and vulnerable wilderness areas while also providing additional
recreational opportunities at our popular local ski resort. We are proud of the
partners who collaborated in this effort and we want to express our gratitude for
the cooperation and leadership from Powdr Corp., the new owner of Eldora
Mountain Resort. Their willingness to work with Boulder County and the region’s
land and wildlife conservation organizations to find common ground on this important
matter truly helped make this agreement possible.” – Boulder County Board of
Commissioners
Mike Chiropolos, attorney for Middle Boulder Creek Coalition, added, “We appreciate the agreement's recognition of the ecological importance of Boulder's namesake watershed, vital wildlife habitat in our National Forest, and the gateway to Indian Peaks Wilderness. Thanks to POWDR for listening, and to Boulder County for standing tall to protect our environment.”
Background
The parties involved in the development of
the Statement of Principles have long recognized a history of land conservation in the
upper Middle and South Boulder Creek watersheds, exemplified by actions such as
the designation of the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness Areas, protection
of the Arapaho and Tolland ranches through conservation easements, and the
extensive acquisition of private lands to be managed for conservation by
cooperating entities including the U.S. Forest Service, Boulder County, and the
Eldora Civic Association.
Specifically, the Statement
of Principles recognizes the importance of Middle Boulder Creek
for providing wildlife corridor and habitat, wetland and riparian resources,
recreational opportunities, and other irreplaceable attributes, and it commits
to ensure that Middle Boulder Creek remains a resource available to future
generations.
The Statement also will help guide the final
configuration the "Jolly Jug" chairlift, terrain, and associated
facilities identified in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of
Decision (ROD) issued by U.S. Forest Service Arapaho and Roosevelt National
Forests and Pawnee National Grassland in October 2015.
This
Statement of Principles identifies key objectives shared by the signatory
Parties, including:
A. The Parties will
seek to work collaboratively and constructively on issues relating to EMR that
are of interest to the Parties.
B. The Parties agree
that EMR is an important amenity to the local communities and Boulder County,
and that EMR views regular updating, renovation and improvement of
infrastructure and facilities as necessary to compete and endure in the
recreation industry.
C. The Parties agree
that the overall health of public and private lands and natural resources are
important to the local communities and Boulder County.
D. The Parties agree
that proposals for improvements will be guided by: (1) sustainability considerations,
and (2) avoidance, minimization, and mitigation principles.
E. The Parties agree
that Middle Boulder Creek is a significant natural resource area within Boulder
County, providing wildlife corridor and habitat, wetland and riparian
resources, recreational opportunities for the public, among other irreplaceable
attributes, and that the signatory parties are committed to ensure that Middle
Boulder Creek remains a resource available to future generations.
F. The Parties
understand that Boulder County’s participation and ongoing interest as a
stakeholder in recent proceedings before the ARP relating to projects proposed
by EMR is outside the scope of any future Boulder County land use review
process that EMR will be required to undergo. EMR currently does not have any
applications pending with Boulder County.
G. The Parties
acknowledge that this Statement of Principles does not bind or encumber the
Parties, or preclude any exercise of rights, but rather embodies agreed-upon
principles and establishes a framework for stakeholder cooperation.
Representatives
from all four parties are expected to attend the public meeting on Dec. 18.
A map depicted below is provided as conceptual only. As noted in the Section IV.A.2 of the Statement of Principles, EMR has proposed a new route as depicted on the conceptual map. Ultimately, Nordic access will be subject to review by a working group that includes representatives of stakeholders, including Boulder County.
|
