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LATEST SUBMISSIONS

Development on Battle Mountain

Monday, March 12 at 12:00 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By Gregory Douglass Leadville, CO.

I am writing to you with the hopes of soliciting all your help in fighting the proposed development of what is currently open space, here in this beautiful state of Colorado in which I live. Open space that is currently habitat for not only 100’s of Elk, but also the Endangered Canadian Lynx, and the Peregrine Falcon (endg. in CO.). Not forgetting about the hundreds of other species of plants/animals that are there as well.

We will start our journey on I-70, at the Minturn/Leadville Exit (Holy Cross Ranger District Office), going south on old US Hwy 24- Telegraph Rd. to some, towards the historic town of Minturn. When you leave Minturn, who has been promised big things by Mr. Ginn, watch for a little sign telling you that the summit of Battle Mountain is a few miles away. This is what the local High School is named after, and a man by the name of Bobby Ginn, of Ginn Resorts and Development wants to develop, though you will never see the name Battle Mountain on any of his development plans.

First right turn after seeing the Battle Mountain summit sign will be the Tigiwon Trail (FSR707), driving in and seeing the old Sluice Pipe/Trestle, and the reclaimed Tailings Ponds you are now looking at proposed Base Mountain Lodge development areas, including a Gondola, to travel over the river, highway, and up to the main proposed ski run/housing/resort development area.

Now they know that this gondola will travel over the nesting areas of the Endangered Falcon, and the proposed lodges will cut off Elk migration corridors, but their response was "we know the animals are currently here, but they will go somewhere else, we are not sure where, they have always done so in the past." They are probably referring to "Alligator Alley" in Florida, where they built thousands of homes on what had previously been wetlands/marsh habitat.

Many people have traveled up this Tigiwon Trail to summit the mountain it winds up the side of, namely Notch Mt. @13,237’. At Notch’s Summit you can see one of Colorado’s 14’ers that is notable for more than just a few people, Mt. of the Holy Cross @14,005’.

Tigiwon is also a great access point for those wanting to summit a 14’er, though not the easiest to summit for a first timer to accomplish. Tigiwon is said to mean Friendship in the Ute language, and 14’ers are the tallest peaks in the Contiguous 48 states. Colorado has 54- 14,000-foot peaks Now turn around, looking to the North, you can see a birds eye view of Vail resorts Back Bowls on Battle Mountain, as well as the Gore Range’s 13,000’ saw toothed peaks cutting the near horizon, and you might understand why in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps built the Tigiwon Lodge, so that even if the only way you had to 10,000’ was by 4 wheel drive, you could see what they did, and even have as a wedding venue if 75.00 a day use fee was not too much. That is today’s fee, back then it was probably free. Campgrounds on the surrounding mountainside make for great picnic, or weekend getaways, or even a Family reunion with the Lodge as a daily meeting/dining/activity spot.

The evergreen, Aspen, and meadow covered hillside on the facing, and south sides of Battle Mountain, directly across the glacial valley from you, is what Mr. Ginn, and a handful of locals he has bought are wanting to put 700+ homes/Hotels/Runs/Lifts/Golf Course up on, which he reassuringly says that you will never see anything but a rooftop from the Highway. What about across the valley at the Tigiwon lodge, or standing on top of Notch Mountain, or Mt. of the Holy Cross Mr. Ginn, what will you be able to see then? You say seeing a rooftop, or 100 rooftops are not seeing a house? Do you build houses without a roof?

I have talked with people who have dealt with Mr. Ginn, or the aftermath of his development(?) practices. Some say that years down the road they are still waiting/wanting for completion of his promised facilities, or they are now dealing with these animals that have been forced out of their natural habitats, migration corridors becoming nuisances, or even deadly in some cases, regarding missing pets/animal involved- car accident fatalities statistically increasing.

Now I am sure that most of you know that Open Spaces do not grow, they have only been shrinking since their designations as such back in the 1940’s, due to the careless actions of just a few. All to often these problems are not heard about until it is too late, and the people who do care about this planet, and could do something about changing them are kept in the dark. I believe FDR, LBJ, and the CCC would be rolling over in their respected places of rest about now! Thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope that some of you will take a minute to do what you can to help fight this ugliness, the few of us who have been voicing our seemingly unpopular opinions at the public hearings are not stopping this action. I believe it will take big money to fight big money, and there are people in these mountains who know how this is done, I have yet to see a Friends of Battle Mountain.org yet, but I truly hope that when this word gets out, there will be some knowledgeable folks volunteering either their time, or knowledge to this cause. Keep the GreedHeads out of Colorado! or at least east of Denver.

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