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  1. Structure fire at top of Willow Creek Way – Worst fire in 11 years - March, 2011

    by M. Diane Bairstow

    The call came in at 5:45pm Tuesday, March 15 during the regularly scheduled meeting of the Baca Grande Fire Dept. (BGFD). As all the firefighters were present, the response time was immediate. When the BGFD arrived on the scene, smoke and flames were issuing from the roof, and bystanders told responders that the house was full of smoke. The homeowner’s, David Lindsey’s, truck was in the driveway, and bystanders were concerned that he was in the house so they had broken in windows and called to him.

    Captain Ben Brack, as the first fire department member on the scene, took over the position of Incident Commander. He immediately called for aid from the Northern Saguache County Fire Protection District (NSCFPD). Then Brack transferred command to Lieutenant Treat Suomi to initiate an emergency search of the building. Brack and another responder suited up in SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) gear and entered the building looking for the resident. They went through the house once and opened another door to release smoke, and then returned for a second time as life/safety issues were involved. No one was found in the house. Throughout the night, Brack and Suomi handed the position of Incident Commander back and forth between them as seemed appropriate.

    Charred remains of deck; side of house and a view of the interior destruction.

    By the time they had depleted their first air packs—about 45 minutes—”the cavalry,” as Brack put it, had arrived. Villa Grove, Saguache, Moffat and Crestone Fire Departments were on the scene as well as the Sagauche County Sheriff’s Dept. and the Baca ambulance. Throughout the evening, the combined fire departments went through every available air pack in an effort to put out the fire. The ceiling was filled with cellulose insulation, which has some fire retardant qualities but is basically recycled paper and is almost impossible to put out without exposing it and getting it wet. Thus the ceilings in the house had to be knocked down in an effort to contain the fire. “Every time we thought we had it under control,” Brack said, “it would flare up again.” By 3am, they had finally put it out, and cleanup at the scene continued until 6:30am.

    The fire was due to an electrical fault in the wall to the left of the front door.

    In Brack’s eleven-year tenure on the BGFD, he has never before seen a fire of this magnitude. Between the BGFD and the mutual aid from the other area fire departments, they had “just enough” responders and equipment. “It was eye-opening and humbling,” he said.

    Since the incident at least 100 hours have been put in to restock and restore the equipment for post-incident readiness in case another call should come in. Once again, our responders are to be commended for their service and dedication to our community.

    Volunteers from the Baca Grande Fire Department as well as from Villa Grove, Moffat, Saguache and Crestone Fire Departments worked though the night to contain the blaze.

    Lieutenant Suomi and Captain Brack wants to thank all the fire departments that responded as well as the community members who helped in the effort, especially Keith Davies, Maia Dercum, Anne Silver and John Grotenhuis who brought food and beverages throughout the night to the fire fighters, and especially Tshering Dorji from the Desert Sage who donated food and drinks. Also thanks to Laurie Lang who gave invaluable support with check-in and logistics. During the post-incident cleanup efforts, the POA donated pizzas and Joy and Elizabeth Hill brought food for the volunteers.

    David Lindsey is alive and well, and he said in an email updating the Eagle about the fire “grateful for all the care and love I’m receiving from all my friends and this lovely community,” He has insurance, and the insurance investigator determined that the cause of the fire was due to an electrical fault in the wall to the left of the front door, most probably from gnawing mice (not from something on the deck as it first appeared to the fire department and which was erroneously reported in this article posted on the Eagle website). A spark then ignited the cellulose insulation in the ceiling. The fire retardant in this type of insulation, the investigator said, wears off after a year or so leaving the homeowner with, basically, flammable paper in walls and ceiling. David says he plans to rebuild and wants to give a special thanks to the Baca Volunteer Fire Department, the Crestone Fire Department and the Northern Saguache Fire Protection District.

  2. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex - March, 2011

    Open Houses Will Be Held In March to Gather Public Input

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a series of public open houses at various locations in Colorado to solicit public input for the development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex.  The Refuge Complex includes Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. The Service encourages everyone with an interest in these significant public resources to participate in this process and help create the vision for future management of the refuges.

    Meeting dates, times, and locations are:

    *    March 29, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Alamosa County Building, 8900 Independence Way, Room 108, Alamosa, Colorado
    *    March 30, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Monte Vista COOP Community Room, 1901 E. Highway 160, Monte Vista, Colorado
    *    March 31, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Moffat School District Cafeteria 501 Garfield Avenue, Moffat, Colorado

    The Service prepares comprehensive conservation plans (CCP) for national wildlife refuges to help fulfill the mission of the Refuge System and manage for the purposes of each refuge.  These plans address conservation of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats, and describe opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation that are compatible with refuge purposes. In addition, each plan has detailed objectives and strategies that the Service will carry out to achieve the goals.

    The San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex is composed of three national wildlife refuges: Monte Vista, Alamosa, and Baca. These refuges are located in the San Luis Valley, a high mountain basin located in Rio Grande, Alamosa, and Saguache Counties, Colorado.
    Totaling about 106,000 acres, a wide variety of habitats are found across the three refuges, including wet meadows, playa wetlands, riparian areas within the flood plain of the Rio Grande, desert shrublands and grasslands, and croplands.

    The refuges are an important stopover for numerous migratory birds. The refuges provide important habitat for  nesting, migrating, and wintering birds, including grebes, herons, ibis, ducks, geese, hawks, eagles, falcons, shorebirds, owls, songbirds, and others. Nearly 20,000 sandhill cranes spend several weeks in the San Luis Valley during the spring and fall migrations, feeding and resting to replace critical fat reserves. Additionally many species of mammals also use the refuges, including elk, deer, coyote, porcupine, and other small mammals.

    The National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System) Improvement Act of 1997 requires that all refuges be managed in accordance with an approved CCP which, when implemented, will achieve refuge purposes; help fulfill the Refuge System mission; maintain and, where appropriate, restore the ecological integrity of each refuge and the Refuge System; help achieve the goals of the Wilderness Preservation System; and meet other mandates. The CCP will guide management decisions and set forth goals, objectives, and strategies to accomplish these tasks. The Service hopes to finalize the plan by 2014.

    The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service is both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for its scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on the Service’s work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

  3. Attorney General investigating Saguache County November 2010 election - March, 2011

    by Jen Bell

    The aftermath of accusations against the Saguache County Clerk for the handling of the 2010 election has many people wondering what happened. Now the Colorado State Attorney General has gotten involved to sort it out.

    In an attempt to understand what happened in the Saguache County 2010 election, the Secretary of State (S.O.S.) sent Division of Election representatives to investigate in November. Election laws and regulations are lengthy and can be confusing, so the Division of Elections was created in the S.O.S. office to provide experts for the election process. After issuing a report in December that summarized their take on the Saguache 2010 election, the S.O.S. has remained publicly silent.

    Complaints that were filed by individuals with the District Attorney, were, due to a possible conflict of interest, bumped up to the next level, to the Attorney General’s office. The Attorney General has initiated an ongoing investigation into the claims.

    Michael Jones with the Attorney General’s office, came to Saguache County to investigate on February 24th & 25, meeting with Myers and staff and other involved parties to collect evidence.

    Allegations that incumbent County Clerk Melinda Myers falsely certified the election, and that election laws and regulations were violated, were brought to the Secretary of State’s attention back in November. The S.O.S. sent staff members from the Elections Division to Saguache on November 15 “to assist the Saguache County Clerk and Recorder’s Office with conducting a physical count of the total number of ballots cast during the 2010 General Election.” In response to the Canvass Board’s second report to the S.O.S., the Election Division reps concluded with, “As the Division worked with the Saguache County Clerk and Recorder’s Office to complete a report addressing the complaints from the Primary Election, Division staff observed a number of County processes and procedures that were not in compliance with election rules and state statutes. However, the issues identified during the 2010 General Election cycle can be addressed and corrected through election worker training.” Since this report, the Secretary of State has not responded with any public statements.

    Unsatisfied, six citizens filed complaints in early January with the District Attorney David Mahonee. Matt Hildner, with the Pueblo Chieftain, reported that Mahonee felt there would be a conflict of interest if he investigated the claims, because a candidate in the Clerk’s race, Carla Gomez, is an employee in his office. Mahonee forwarded the complaints to the State Attorney General. Mike Saccone, Attorney General spokesman, confirmed last month that they were investigating the complaints. In a recent email, Saccone states, “The investigation is ongoing. It would be premature to speculate as to the final conclusions or end result of the investigation.”

    Myers acknowledges that there were oversights and glitches in the election, but stands firmly stating, “We did a really good job. We had some technical problems that we worked through, but we had experts that figured out what happened. The S.O.S. came down and they concluded the numbers of the November 5 re-tabulation to be true and accurate.” In response to the Canvass Board’s letter of decertification the S.O.S. stated on November 23, “[…] we at the Division of Elections are confident that no more ballots were counted than were voted.”

    According to Myers, the Clerk’s office is ready to implement a number of positive changes in election proceedings to ensure that voter integrity is upheld. Clerk Myers states on the Saguache County website, “We have already taken steps to correct any oversights in this election, and will be ready to implement these for the 2011 election.” “Specific examples of improvements include the formation of a Citizen Elections Advisory Committee and a thorough testing of our new ballot scanning machine.” She also plans to expand the pool of volunteers involved in the election process, to foster a more thorough knowledge of the election process.

    According to the Clerk’s office and their dealings with the Attorney General, the AG’s plan is to “assemble all the testimony and documents, and bring it before the State Grand Jury, a sitting jury that meets every Thursday. It will be their job to examine the evidence and do one of three things: 1. Determine that something is in violation of state laws and issue an indictment [or] 2. Determine that nothing is there and drop it [or] 3. Issue a report that explains what happened to set the record straight.” On April 28 the Clerk’s office will go to Denver and answer any questions the jury may have. If the jury chooses to issue a report, it will probably be in May.

    The Saguache 2010 election has reached from a rural community to the higher government of Colorado. Many people wait anxiously for the results of the Attorney General’s investigation. Others can not wait, and push for further action on the part of a grand jury.  The final report of the AG’s office will have a far-reaching effect on the integrity of future elections in Saguache and in Colorado.

  4. Tessera public hearing cancelled - March, 2011

    by Matie Belle Lakish

    The deadline of February 25, set by Saguache County Commissioners for Tessera Solar to replenish their escrow account, has passed with no additional funds being provided. As a result, the second phase of the Public Hearing for their large controversial SunCatcher project, which had been set for March 10, has been postponed. However, the plug has not been pulled on the project. In a conversation with Commissioner Sam Pace on February 24, the County Commissioner representing the Crestone/Baca area said that he had received a call from Peter Lynch, who appeared to be representing NTR, the Irish parent company of Tessera Solar North America. That firm, NTR plc (public limited company), does not list Lynch as a member of their staff or governing board. Instead, Lynch appears to be a private consultant for solar investors. (See www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/peterlynch for his bio). In his conversation with Sam Pace he said that he would be doing some research on the project and planned to meet with Commissioners sometime in March. As a result, the Continuation of the Public Hearing will not take place in March, as anticipated, but may be continued in April.

    The first portion of the Public Hearing was held on December 6, and had to be continued because many people who had signed up to make comments did not have time to do so. Tessera has not yet replenished the escrow account, which was to be used to pay for expenses related to evaluating Tessera’s SunCatcher proposal, but according to Lynch, the company plans to do so. Tessera owes the County $15,141.96 for past expenses, including fees to Russell Engineering for their work on the earlier portion of the Public Hearing, as well as other reports and studies that Russell Engineering did for the County. In addition, the County is asking $2000 to fund the Continuation of the Public Hearing.

    As of the Commissioners’ meeting on February 15, Tessera Solar North America’s representative, Randy Ethridge had indicated in an email conversation with Commissioner Pace that Tessera is still interested in building the SunCatcher project in Saguache County, and Commissioners had given the firm until February 25 to replenish the escrow account. The last conversation with Ethridge suggested that Tessera was considering a project that would generate 117 megawatts of power, and would submit a new sound study to demonstrate that that project size would keep sound levels at legal limits at the property line.

    However, in another conversation with Mestre Greve’s researcher, Saguache County’s chosen sound expert, Matt Jones suggested that a project size of 27 megawatts would be about the maximum that would keep sound levels  below legal levels at the border. There is a serious discrepancy between the two estimates, and that would have to be resolved, probably with new information or adjustments in technology, before the application could be approved.

    Next steps in the process are not known at this time. If Tessera decides to move to a new technology, they will have to submit a new application. If they come back to the Commissioners with a reduced proposal and money for the escrow account, the Commissioners will set a new date for the Public Hearing, probably in April. Updates to this information will be posted on the Eagle’s website, www.crestoneeagle.com.

  5. SLV Water discussion with Ken Beck about the Closed Basin Project - March, 2011

    San Luis Valley Water
    sponsored by The Northern San Luis Valley Conservation Roundtable

    Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 pm
    at the Moffat School (lunchroom)

    Ken Beck, Manager of the Alamosa Field Division of the Upper
    Colorado Region of the Bureau of Reclamation will describe the history and operations of the Closed Basin Project and its significance. The Bureau manages this Project.
    Q&A will follow. Refreshments will be served.
    Plan to attend to learn more about this ongoing Federal WATER project in the Valley and pass the word!
    For more information contact Barb at 719.256.5436, 719.221.8434,
    barb@olt.org.

  6. The Old Spanish Trail – Tracking Down a Trail: Part 1 - March, 2011

    by Lorrie Crawford & Angie Krall,

    SLV Public Lands Center

    Native Americans in the San Luis Valley pioneered an extensive network of routes and trails for the purpose of hunting, trade and travel.  Spanish, and later other Euroamericans, traveling through the Valley likely utilized, modified and expanded Native American trails in efforts to locate water, grazing areas, smoother terrain, and shorter distances between newly created point locations.  It is a combination of these existing Native American trails and newly created Spanish/Euroamerican trails that ultimately came to be known as the Old Spanish Trail (OST).

    The Old Spanish Trail was pioneered by trader Antonio Armijo and was used from 1829-1848 as a trade route from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California. Woolen textiles, woven in Northern New Mexico, were traded for strong Californian mules and horses. The Old Spanish Trail was designated a National Historic Trail by Congress in 2002.

    Bunker Site artifacts clockwise: Belt keeper, knife fragment, possible awl, possible coscojo, metal fragment, unfired musket ball and another metal fragment.

    The Old Spanish Trail had three branches (Map 1). A portion of the North Branch passed through the San Luis Valley and includes two forks, the East Fork and the West Fork on either side of the San Luis Valley. The East Fork of the North Branch trail variant travels from New Mexico into the San Luis Valley of Colorado and generally follows the west flanks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains through Ft. Garland, CO, north past the Great Sand Dunes and the town of Crestone. Soon thereafter, the trail appears to have turned abruptly west to the present day town of Saguache, CO. It then winds its way over Cochetopa Pass into the Gunnison Valley and on west to Los Angeles, CA. The West Fork, still being evaluated for National Historic Trail designation, ran from the Antonito and Conejos area, crossed the Rio Grande east of Del Norte, ran north to La Garita and then on towards Saguache where both forks likely met.

    Textiles traded on the Old Spanish Trail were made from the wool of Churro Sheep. The wool was desirable because of its water resistance, warmth and multiple colors. Churro wool allowed weavers to create beautiful blankets, shawls and rugs with mixtures of black, white, grey, tan, rust, cinnamon, and brown.

    Mules were not only a trade item but were also the primary mode of transportation used during the Old Spanish Trail period. Carrying up to 400 pounds of merchandise, mules traveled the approximately 2,400-mile trail (round trip), in caravans of 50-200 animals. Traveling 12-15 miles per day, a round trip would take from 180-225 days, assuming that nothing went wrong along the way.

    The journey on the trail was difficult. Travelers had to deal with water issues—both the lack of it for drinking and the over-abundance of it for river crossings. Food for the journey had to be dried and gathered along the way. While jerky, piñon nuts, berries, and posole are enjoyable treats for many of us today, eating these foods day after day for months would not be desirable. Another concern was hostile people. Understandably, not everyone was happy to have these travelers passing through. The journey along the Old Spanish Trail was long, dangerous, tiring and very challenging. The primary trade period of the Old Spanish Trail ended when the Southwest became part of the United States, as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.

    Finding traces from the Old Spanish Trail period today is difficult. Mule caravans and returning herds of horses and mules did not follow the type of trail that we are familiar with—a trail only a few feet wide. Instead, they likely wandered along wide corridors, leaving only scattered hoof prints that have since been blown or washed away. However, there are high potential segments within the San Luis Valley that have the benefit of few land developments relative to other places and constraining features such as mountains, sands and marshes that likely relegated the trail to discreet areas. Part II of Tracking Down a Trail will discuss these topographical constraints that have focused archaeologists toward long-used campsites with some exciting results.

    Archaeologist Robert Wunderlich metal-detecting possible trail trace north of Crestone. photo courtesy RMC Consultants, Inc.

    In 2009, the San Luis Valley Public Lands Center applied for state Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding to inventory sections of BLM lands surrounding the East Fork of the North Branch of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail corridor north of Crestone.  RMC Consultants, Inc. was contracted by the BLM to complete an intensive cultural resource inventory of possible OST segments between Crestone and Wild Cherry Creek in Saguache County (Map 2). The Bunker family of Moffat, Colorado, alerted researchers to a site that they had found back when they ran cows on “The Baca”.  Now known as “The Bunker Site”, it is quite potentially the best potential “type site” for the Old Spanish Trail in the nation. The site has yielded artifact data that includes musket balls, metal points, trade beads, metal tinklers, metal knife handles, a fragment of a possible scrolled Spanish bit and a possible coscojo that would have adorned a bridle. All of these artifacts date nicely within the OST era of significance (1829-1848). However, it is important to note that tribal people may have been traveling the trail separately, camping in the same location, and carrying similar items with them during this period. Metal detecting on other potential segments also yielded what appear to be very old metal fragments. We will discuss more about this site in Part II of this series.

    Archaeologist Robert Wunderlich metal detecting possible trail trace north of Crestone. photo courtesy RMC Consultants, Inc.

    The San Luis Valley Public Lands Center works in partnership with the La Vereda del Norte Chapter of the Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) that sponsors events and activities around the history of the Trail. For more information or to become a member visit the OSTA website: www.oldspanishtrail.org. For more information about membership and activities sponsored by the La Vereda del Norte Chapter, you can also contact Ken Frye at 719-852-6233.

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