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Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National Park

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:00 am
by responsiblelines
Hi all,

If you like climbing, hiking, and skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park or around Estes Park, your visit may be altered forever if the US Department of Energy's proposed re-route of an industrial-scale power line is approved. To oppose the re-route up scenic Highway 36 entering the Estes Valley, visit:

http://responsiblelines.org/takeaction

A division of the DOE, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), is planning to rebuild aging power lines, but instead of routing them through the Forest Service's designated Utility Corridor, they are planning to re-route them (creating *another* massive clear-cut with 110' steel towers and a web of lines) up Highway 36 where most Americans get their first views of the majestic peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The comment period ends in just four short days: JANUARY 31st, 2012

Learn more at http://responsiblelines.org, a website put together by local residents of Estes Park that realized that WAPA planned the re-route to accommodate a single influential land-owner who currently owns most of the east end of Estes Park below Mount Olympus. They plan to re-route the original 1938 line out of the exclusively private valley, and instead right into the middle of the public's view.

There's a Take Action page where you can easily send a pre-drafted letter to all the relevant decision-makers, or even better, you can draft your own.

http://responsiblelines.org/takeaction


Thanks very much for your help. The views in Estes Park are worth defending. We hope you can visit without transmission towers blocking your view.

Cheers,
Chris Jones

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:41 am
by CSUMarmot
LOL at being altered forever by some powerlines.

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:57 pm
by MikeHolmes
Thank you for bringing this up. I worked in Estes Park (and lived down the road in Allenspark) some years back. Rocky Mountain NP is a jewel, and the views are obviously an integral part of that. Powerlines, development, etc may be unavoidable things, but some areas should be sacred...especially when an existing power easement exists nearby.

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:03 am
by Bill Reed
Spoke with a WAPA guy yesterday and mentioned the "influential land owner" aspect of this issue. He said that wasn't far from the truth.

I say F the influential land owner,..........and the horse he rode in on

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:31 am
by CSUMarmot
Bill Reed wrote:Spoke with a WAPA guy yesterday and mentioned the "influential land owner" aspect of this issue. He said that wasn't far from the truth.

I say F the influential land owner,..........and the horse he rode in on

Probably Crocker Ranch, which has been around for a long time

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:39 am
by lcarreau
CSUMarmot wrote:Probably Crocker Ranch, which has been around for a long time


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucAwUVkYppI[/youtube]

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:52 am
by CSUMarmot
Speaking of which, if this 'responsiblelines' BS wants to send this proposed powerline through Crocker Ranch with the others, we can kiss the prospect of gaining public access to Mt Pisgah and Mt Olympus goodbye.

I dont really care where the lines go, but the way this is getting hyped is ridiculous. If Estes Park citizens are so worried about the environmental impact and 'public detriment' of these powerlines they might also want to consider the environmental impact of their city that requires so much energy in the first place. If you havent noticed, a growing city fueled by tourist money requires infrastructure to sustain it. Whats the next crisis going to be, traffic jams like I70 afternoons in ski season, smog? The population growth isn't going to magically stop.

If you want to juggle the impact of a 6000 person city with 'views' and 'scenery', a stretch of powerlines is the least of your worries, oh concerned Estes Park citizens.

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:57 am
by responsiblelines
Just to clarify, this project is to bring power from the Estes Park hydro-power plant, out of Estes Park to growing Front Range communities like Loveland (that is, where CSUMarmot lives). That being said, residents here, ourselves included, have shown great support for sending reliable power from Estes Park to places that need it, but we are opposing what promises to be a damaging re-route which will be at the tax-payer's expense and a great detriment to the landscape.

Check out the map below. The red line on the map is the utility corridor designated by the USFS. The current, pre-existing Estes-Flatiron Transmission Line follows this USFS Designated Utility Corridor out of Estes Park, CO. Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) has a current proposal on the table to re-build the transmission line between Estes Park and Flatiron (see map). However, after what appears to be undue influence, they have changed their plans from a rebuild, and instead they now plan to re-route the original transmission line away from a single influential land-owner and into highly scenic public travel corridors, overlooks, residential areas, and trail head, campgrounds. 

 



USFS Utility Corridor - Use It.png
USFS Utility Corridor 2012 - WAPA proposes 110' steel towers, lines, and clear cuts through new ground at tax-payer expense, when they already have a direct, clear-cut transmission to re-build. already co-located with major gas, water, and power right now via the USFS Utility Corridor.
USFS Utility Corridor - Use It.png (889 KiB) Viewed 8200 times

see a large map here: http://www.responsiblelines.org/wp-cont ... -1.3MB.png

We are trying to get as many people as possible to write in and say, "WAPA, Use the route you have. Re-build the line, Don't re-route it up scenic highway 36 or through highly scenic trailheads and campgrounds in the National Forest where no utility corridor exists." 



There's a comment page on the website, where you can send the comment there or delete it and write your own. Let's tell WAPA to use the route they have along the Designated Utility Corridor, get CSUMarmot some reliable power, and stay away from our scenic public areas, for the good of everyone.

Take action here: http://www.responsiblelines.org/takeaction

The private property owner (APC Crocker Ranch LLC owned by the Pew family heirs) currently blocks access to Mount Olympus, Mount Pisgah, most of the public access to Roosevelt National Forest adjacent to the East end of Estes Park, and the once public "Loveland Road" that dates back to 1877. They apparently want the DOE's pre-existing line out of their private valley too. So far, they’re succeeding. However, if enough of us speak up, the DOE might just listen....



P.S. On the Mountain Project forum, someone back in 2004 is quoted as saying, "The whole south face of Olympus is Crocker Ranch property and is off limits to climbers, period...unless you want an ass full of buckshot, don't even think about it." 

See: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/mt-olympus/105745786

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:30 am
by responsiblelines
CSUMarmot wrote:
Bill Reed wrote:Spoke with a WAPA guy yesterday and mentioned the "influential land owner" aspect of this issue. He said that wasn't far from the truth.

I say F the influential land owner,..........and the horse he rode in on

Probably Crocker Ranch, which has been around for a long time


Background: Early 20th Century – Frank Crocker Blasts the Loveland Road to Keep the Public Out

This road would most certainly be in use today as the most direct public road between the Front Range (that is Loveland) and Estes Park, but the west end of the road just east of Estes Park fell into private hands. Although previous settlers lived here and allowed the public to pass through, the “gateway to Estes Valley” was subsequently blocked to public access by Frank Crocker later on.

According to Jim Pickering, author of Estes Park Then and Now,

Frank Crocker had the upper portion blasted to ensure privacy. The Crocker ranch remains today in private hands…"

Much of the eastern end of Estes Park is now held by the private of APC Crocker Ranch Limited Liability Corporation, held by the Pew family heirs (Pew Crocker Ranch). This is one of the largest private in-holdings in the close-in Estes Valley, blocking public access to Mount Pisgah, Mount Olympus, and much of the publicly owned Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest boundary to the east of Estes Park.

Help us tell WAPA "Don't kowtow to private interests at the public's expense":

Take Action here: http://www.responsiblelines.org/takeaction

see more background here: http://www.responsiblelines.org/estes-p ... 77-to-2012

Pew Crocker Ranch annotated on the map here: http://www.responsiblelines.org/wp-cont ... -1.3MB.png

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:35 pm
by Bill Reed
Thanks for the detail Mr/Ms responsiblelines. And thanks for the heads up and for providing the TakeAction link.

I took action and would urge any others that don't like being pushed around by Mr Big to do the same.

While Mr Crocker has the right to privacy and to blow up anything he wants on his property, he should not be able to dictate to WAPA or any other government agency on public matters.

That said, I stand by my original statement.

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:47 pm
by responsiblelines
Hi all. Thanks for everyone who sent comments this weekend. You're awesome! The site was down all day yesterday, not sure why. It's back up and running.

Whether you don't want your tax dollars being wasted on a re-route, or you just don't want to see our scenic public lands littered with clear cuts and ten story steel towers, I think we can all agree that re-building the power lines through our public lands confined along areas already designated for this purpose by the USFS makes sense.
Google-Earth-Estes-Valley.001.jpg
Help us protect the Estes Valley in front of Rocky Mountain National Park. The utility corridor we're trying to get Western Area Power to use for the re-build already consolidates Power, Gas, and Water Lines, and it steers clear of the scenic byways, trailheads, and back country for the good of everyone.
Google-Earth-Estes-Valley.001.jpg (272.94 KiB) Viewed 8088 times

Western Area Power plans to unnecessarily re-route this industrial scale project up US Highway 36, past scenic overlooks, and across Roosevelt National Forest trails and campgrounds where no utility corridor exists.

We have 24 hours left in the comment period to convince them otherwise. Here's how you can help.

Take Action here: http://http://www.responsiblelines.org/takeaction

110' tower.jpg
110' Towers that will dwarf any tree in Estes Park, CO.
110' tower.jpg (859.27 KiB) Viewed 8088 times

Take Action here: http://www.responsiblelines.org/takeaction

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:30 am
by MoapaPk
Out here, if we have big towers planned in an area that could be developed for houses, well Harry Reid just sticks a hidden rider in a senate billto put the power lines through wilderness areas. That is, if the developer has employed his 4 sons. Shoot, that's the way stuff should work in the Wild West. After all, Harry Reid is on the correct side when it comes to environmental factors, isn't he?

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:55 am
by Enkidu
I do not expect they let Canadians comment - but if they did you would have my support. Good Luck. Our family has visited the park many times and it is a favourite destination.

Re: Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:04 am
by responsiblelines
whitetail wrote:I do not expect they let Canadians comment - but if they did you would have my support. Good Luck. Our family has visited the park many times and it is a favourite destination.


If you travel from Canada, where the landscape is already so spectacular, to see Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, or Roosevelt National Forest, it's worth saying so
1 RMNP Sunset from ARNF 1MB.jpg
Looking from one side of the Estes Valley along the Roosevelt National Forest Boundary, just above the Pole Hill Trail Head, across to Rocky Mountain National Park. This is where Western Area Power seeks to re-route this project where no utility corridor exists.
1 RMNP Sunset from ARNF 1MB.jpg (997.02 KiB) Viewed 8035 times

Anyone and everyone who has a stake in making sure that there are a few open landscapes left for the public to enjoy, write in!

There's just under 24 hours left - January 31st, 2012 @ midnight

Take Action here: http://www.responsiblelines.org/takeaction