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  1. 5 fires in one day thought to be deliberately set: Quick response prevented a disaster - June, 2011

    by M.Diane Bairstow

    Firefighter dousing the flames at the Twin View Overlook fire. Sheriff Norris inclined his head toward the fire and said; "This was not caused by lightning."

    On June 16, the day after the Sheriff enacted a Level 1 Fire Ban, 3 fires of suspicious origin were started in the Crestone area approximately 30 minutes apart. An hour later, another fire erupted east of Saguache, and 1 1/2 hours later, another west of Saguache was started. These fires are under investigation by the Saguache County Sheriff’s Depart and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as all but one fire was started on public lands.
    The first fire was called in at 3:32pm at S. Crestone Campground and .2 acre burned. At 4:04pm another call came in at N. Crestone Campground, and .1acre burned. Then at 4:25 a third call sent firefighters to Twin View Overlook in the Baca, and .1 acre burned. Then at 5:21 another call came in east of Saguache on BLM road 5300, and it burned 5 to 7 acres; at 6:50pm at Ute Springs on Co. Rd. AA just west of Saguache another fire was reported that burned .3 acre.
    All fires were started near roadways, and none involved structures. On June 17, Lieutenant Mark Wertz said that Sheriff Mike Norris had been on the road all day looking for evidence and would continue following up this investigation. The BLM is also investigating, as all but one of these fires were started on public lands, making it a Federal offense.  The Sheriff’s department will be stepping up patrols in our area and will be on the lookout for behavior of this sort.
    The quick, professional and well-trained response of our volunteer fire departments prevented what could have been a tragedy of enormous proportions. The Twin View Overlook fire, out on the edge of the Baca and right below the Stupa road, could easily have taken off up the mountain and there would have been no stopping it. Or if the wind shifted, it could have spread to nearby homes. With the mutual aid and combined efforts of the Baca, Crestone, Villa Grove, Saguache, Center, Moffat and U.S. Forest Service working in concert, the Crestone/Baca area and areas near Saguache were saved from a potential disaster.  Once again, this community is indebted to the selfless efforts of those of our fire departments who volunteer many hours training to avert disaster.
    Special thanks also to Martin Macaulay, Steve Smilack and Eddy Bieg.  Martin was walking his dog in Casita Park when he saw smoke. He stopped at the first house and asked them to call the Sheriff, then followed the smoke up to Twin View Overlook. He knocked on Steve’s door where Eddy was visiting. The three of them took shovels and contained the blaze in the original location and also at another site where the fire had jumped.  They continued their efforts until the fire department arrived and took over.
    Be extra vigilant, and if you see smoke, be sure to report it immediately, and if you see any suspicious activity, call the Sheriff’s Department at 655-2525, or Crime Stoppers at 589-4111 where you can remain anonymous and possibly receive a reward.

    Saguache County has issued Level 1 Fire Restrictions
    The following actions are prohibited:
    1.    Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or any type of charcoal-fueled broiler or barbeque grill, burning ditches, fencerows and trash, including household trash.
    2.    Using explosive material, i.e. fireworks, blasting caps and incendiary device which may result in ignition of flammable material.
    3.    Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building.
    4.    Welding or operating an acetylene or similar torch with an open flame.
    The following actions are permitted:
    1.    Fires including stoves within enclosed buildings or recreational vehicles and chainsaws, which are equipped with adequate spark arresting screens, which prevent the escape of sparks.
    2.    Mechanical stoves and appliances fueled by bottled or liquid gas, which allow the operator to turn the flame on and off, are permitted.
    As provided by Colorado Statute, any person responsible for starting a fire while the ban is in effect will be held accountable for damages caused as well as fire suppression costs incurred.

    Fire Restrictions on the Rio Grande
    National Forest
    The San Luis Valley Public Lands Center initiated Stage 1 fire restrictions, starting June 20, on the Rio Grande National Forest.  Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are already in place on BLM-managed lands in the San Luis Valley and the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
    “We have been continually monitoring the fire danger on the Rio Grande National Forest and although there is still snow in the high country, very little green-up has occurred and conditions on most of the forest are very dry,” said Paul Duarte, fire operations specialist for the SLV Public Lands Center.
    Stage 1 Fire Restrictions prohibit:
    1.    All open fires, campfires, or stove fires unless in an established fire grate in a developed campground.   Petroleum-fueled stoves, such as propane grills and white gas camping stoves are allowed.
    2.    Operating an internal combustion engine, such as a chainsaw, without a spark arresting device properly installed and effectively working.
    3.    Welding or operating an acetylene torch or other torch with an open flame.
    4.    Smoking, unless within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
    As always, the use of explosives and incendiary devices, including fireworks, are prohibited on federal lands.
    For more information, contact the San Luis Valley Public Lands Center at 719-852-5941 or any other federal land management office in the San Luis Valley.

  2. The Mysterious Crestone Crater: A real meteor crater or not? - June, 2011

    by Keno

    Aerial view of the Crestone Crater looking eastward from an altitude of about 500 feet. photo by H. H. Nininger (1941)

    Is the hole in the ground south of Crestone a meteor crater or not, and if not, what is it? Well it sure looks like one, and many geologists believe it is, but a few others say they aren’t sure. It’s a Crestone mystery that’s not completely solved.
    Known as the “Crestone Crater” to most, this striking feature lies inside of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, one mile from the Liberty Gate entrance in the Baca, and 6 miles from downtown Crestone. This crater measures 355 feet by 246 feet with a mean depth of 23 feet.
    The crater was first discovered by Crestone resident V.M. King in 1934. He and many others around the San Luis Valley had witnessed a fireball crash in the same area back in 1892. It was first studied in 1941 by Denver geologist Dr. H.H. Nininger, an expert in this line of research. His initial study suggested that it could be a true meteor crater, or perhaps an impact from a comet.

    Standing at rim of crater, looking in. Zach is walking in the low part of the crater's depression.

    Two scientists who studied the crater in 1963, Ursula Marvin and T. C Marvin, claimed otherwise, in part since they only found traces of nickel-iron spherules, with no rock flour, impact glass or other telltale signs of a meteorite at the site.  Therefore they concluded that it was likely not created by a meteoric impact. They felt it more likely was of aeolian origin, or in layman’s words, they felt it was formed by the wind. However, they did not use any kind of geophysical methods to validate their hypothesis, and geologists who have studied the crater since have challenged this.
    Richard Madole, who studied the crater in 2004, doesn’t believe wind played a role in its creation, as he notes: “The raised rim and circular form make that seem less likely because it would be difficult to form such a circular rim so close to the mountain front”. The newest study made at the crater, which was conducted from this past February through May, agrees with this line of thought. It states: “The Crestone crater has a unique geophysical signature that cannot be explained from an aeolian process and can mostly be explained through impact events.
    Conducted by students from the Colorado School of Mines, this new study found no evidence that rules out impact origins, but it also found no hard evidence that completely confirmed it’s from a meteor, either. What all geologists who have studied the crater agree on is that more studies are needed. But the problem today lies in funding such studies.

    Taken outside of the Rim: as seen approaching crater from the east, looking west (Zach Bartley is in photo)

    Of the 178 confirmed meteor craters on Earth, most have been around for millions of years, and there are few as small as the Crestone Crater, with even fewer located in sand, as most are found in rock. The facts that this crater is both small in size, and located in sand, are the main reasons it’s hard to determine its origin. The fact it is also a relativity new find is the other reason why nothing official has been declared one way or the other. But the 1963 study claims the crater should have been deeper if it was impacted by a meteor. Its diameter was found to be disproportionately large compared to the shallowness of the crater, especially when compared to other meteor craters of comparable diameter. But the fact this is located in sand changes everything. Anya Reitz, a student working on her masters in geophysicists, and who took part in the latest study, points out that windblown sand could have made the crater’s depth shallower than it once was. Reitz also points out that sand makes for more erosion on what might be left of the meteorite today, than had it crashed into rock. She also pointed out, along with Madole, that the 1963 study, or any of the studies conducted so far, have not gone down deep enough to find any possible meteorite.
    So could this crater have been formed by a comet? Yes, but according to a few geologists that’s not likely. Impacts from comets on Earth are very rare. However, the materials left behind on impact by a comet would be more in line with what has been found to date at the Crestone Crater, that being, comet impacts leave little behind because of their icy makeup.
    But if the Crestone Crater wasn’t formed by wind, or a meteor, how did it get there? Scientists have noted it likely was formed by one of those two things. But states Reitz, “The anomalies we found down below make me think this is a meteor crater”. The students’ faculty advisor for the study, Dr. Jeff Andrews-Hanna, didn’t feel the crater was formed by a meteor before the study was conducted; however, since, he has officially changed his mind and has gone down today as saying he isn’t sure anymore.
    Then the question that keeps coming up is what exactly did locals all over the San Luis Valley see in the sky crashing to the ground in that same area back in 1892? Reitz points out that witnesses noted the fireball came from the east, and the shape of the crater indicates that if something indeed crash-landed there, it had to have come in from an easterly direction.
    In time it will be up to the Park Service to declare if this is a true meteor crater or not. The heads over at the Great Sand Dunes National Park all feel that this crater is from a meteor, but they still don’t have enough proof it is yet, and without more research and studies, finding that proof could still be years off. But because of its small size, if the Crestone Crater is found to be an impact crater, this will be important news, and it should lead to future research and better understanding of smaller craters around the globe, and that alone excites scientists.
    Looking for something interesting to do while visiting Crestone?  Take a hike out to the crater and see for yourself our mysterious Crestone crater.

  3. Saguache County elections attract State Grand Jury scrutiny - June, 2011

    by Matie Belle Lakish
    Although Saguache County’s November elections are months behind us, the repercussions of 197 initial “missing” ballots from the Crestone/Baca area continue to plague the County Clerk’s office and generate state-wide media coverage. An initial vote count on election night indicated the winner of the Commissioner’s race to be Republican Stephen Carlson, and the County Clerk’s race by Republican Carla Gomez. After the totals were posted, a discrepancy between the number of total ballots voted and the total of votes attributed to candidates was noted by election staff. The Secretary of State was notified, and a “re-tabulation” was ordered by the Secretary. The outcome of the re-tabulation,
    which is similar to a recount, changed the outcome of the election, giving the Commissioner’s seat to incumbent Linda Joseph and the Clerk’s race to Melinda Myers.  Republicans asked for an investigation into the election, suggesting that something illegal may have taken place, and members of the Canvass Board, whose job is to certify the election, echoed the request. The issue became so contentious that a Colorado state-wide Grand Jury investigation ensued.
    After months of work, the Grand Jury has returned a verdict. In a statement dated June 6, the 2010-2011 Colorado Statewide Grand Jury found nothing worthy of legal prosecution in regards to the election. The Grand Jury’s findings, which can be accessed via the Saguache County website at www.saguachecounty.net (look in the right-hand column for the link) go into great detail in an easy-to-read format about the details of the election and the issues connected with it.
    The Grand Jury found some fault with the way certain aspects of Saguache County’s election was handled by the clerk’s office, and it also found some issues with the Secretary of State’s interactions with the clerk’s office, and some issues with the new electronic vote-counting software and the training that went with it. Additionally, the jury found that the Canvass Board “exceeded its authority in certain issues”. In sum, however, it found no intention of criminal activity, and nothing that would have changed the final vote count. A summary statement of the Grand Jury is as follows:
    “The results of the 2010 general election were a product of the votes of the citizens of Saguache County, and were not affected by individual violations of the procedural rules by the Clerk and others. Clerk Myers and her staff committed the violations outlined in this report. The Grand Jury found, however, that the election “substantially complied” with the provisions of the election code. For the reasons explained in this report, the Grand Jury finds that the actions complained of do not rise to the level of criminal conduct requiring that charges be pursued. The decision against criminal charges was based on a thorough review of the evidence and testimony, including the mitigating factors described above, as well as common election practice throughout the State of Colorado.”
    It appears that what happened regarding the vote tallies was truly a computer error, which may have been an operator error, since it was a new system for the clerk’s office. The software has a feature that separates the voted ballots into types, such as voters that voted at the polling places as opposed to those who sent in mail-in ballots. Instead of adding the votes at the polls (527) to the votes by mail (724) both numbers were initially recorded as 527 for each category. That meant that the total was 197 votes short. It was not until a review of the votes the following day, when numbers were discovered to be out of line with the totals, that an investigation ensued that revealed the error and changed the outcome of the election.
    The votes were re-tabulated once under guidance from the Secretary of State’s office. During the re-tabulation, the error was discovered and corrected totals issued. This reversed the election results in the clerk’s and commissioner’s races. Ultimately the votes were re-counted three times. They were always recounted with the same machine and software, however, rather than a hand count as requested by the objectors and the Canvass Board. This decision, according to Myers, was not hers, as regulations, policies, and procedures at the State level dictated that the same methods be used in the recounts. All subsequent recounts had the same results, with the winners for the two races continuing to be Myers and Joseph.
    The report also contains a two-page comment by Stephen Carlson that expresses his disagreement with the report’s finding. It appears that he feels that Myers should have been prosecuted for her errors. The Grand Jury, on the other hand, did not find intentional wrong-doing, and therefore, did not advocate that charges be brought in the case. Those who are interested in further information should read the report, as it is quite detailed.
    In another, separate challenge to the election, District Judge Martin Gonzales is reviewing a case brought by the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, and is expected to make a decision in the next few weeks. On May 31, Judge Gonzales presided over a hearing about whether the Secretary of State has a right to view the voted ballots of Saguache County voters and share the viewing of the ballots with concerned citizens. Clerk Myers has refused to allow the unsealing of the ballots without guidance from the Court, as she does not believe doing so would preserve the secrecy of the ballots that she is sworn to uphold.
    Although there is some precedent for the Secretary unsealing and counting the ballots, there is no definitive legal opinion on the subject. One issue in this case is whether ballot secrecy can be fully maintained in a sparsely populated county such as Saguache, when citizens are allowed to see the ballots. Objectors included Hispanic citizens from Center who recalled the efforts made in the 1970s to guarantee secrecy that put agricultural workers at ease about their votes not being known to their employers. This case could be precedent-setting, and perhaps for that reason, Judge Gonzales has not yet issued a decision.

  4. Five fires thought to be caused by arson - June, 2011

    Be on the alert for any suspicious activity

    photo by Diane Bairstow

    by M.Diane Bairstow
    On June 16, the day after the Sheriff enacted a Level 1 Fire Ban, 3 fires of suspicious origin were started in the Crestone area approximately 30 minutes apart. An hour later, another fire erupted east of Saguache, and 1&1/2 hours later, another west of Saguache was started. These fires are under investigation by the Saguache County Sheriffs Depart and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as all but one fire was started on public lands.
    The first fire was called in at 3:32pm at S. Crestone Campground and .2 acre was burned. At 4:04pm another call came in at N. Crestone Campground, and .1acre was burned. Then at 4:25 a third call sent firefighters to Twin View Overlook in the Baca, and .1 acre was burned. Then at 5:21 another call came in E. of Saguache on BLM road 5300, and it burned 5 to 7 acres, and at 6:50 pm at Ute Springs on Co. Rd AA just west of Saguache another fire was reported that burned .3 acre.
    All fires were started near roadways, and none involved structures. On June 17, Lieutenant Mark Wertz said that Sheriff Mike Norris had been on the road all day looking for evidence and would continue following up this investigation. The BLM are also investigating as all but one of these fires were started on Public Lands, making it a Federal Offense.  The Sheriff’s department will be stepping up patrols in our area and will be on the lookout for behavior of this sort.
    The quick, professional and well-trained response of our volunteer fire departments prevented what could have been a tragedy of enormous proportions. The Twin View Overlook fire, out on the edge of the Baca and right below the Stupa road could easily have taken off up the mountain and there would have been no stopping it. With the mutual aid and combined efforts of the Baca, Crestone, Villa Grove, Saguache, Center, Moffat and U.S. Forest Service working in concert, the Crestone/Baca area and areas near Saguache were saved from a potential disaster.  Once again, this community is indebted to the selfless efforts of those of our fire departments who volunteer many hours training to advert disaster.
    Special thanks also to Martin Macaulay, Steve Smilack and Eddy Bieg. Martin was walking his dog in Casita Park when he saw smoke. He stopped at the first house and asked them to call the Sheriff, then he followed the smoke up to Twin View Overlook. He knocked on Steve’s door where Eddy was visiting. The three of them took shovels and contained the blaze in the original location and also at another site where the fire jumped to.  They continued their efforts until the fire department arrived and took over.
    Be extra vigilant, and if you see smoke, be sure to report it immediately, and if you see any suspicious activity, call the Sheriff’s Department at 655-2525, or Crime Stoppers at 589-4111 where you can remain anonymous and possibly receive a reward.

    Fire Ban Saguache County has issued Level 1 Fire Restrictions, which prohibits:
    1.  Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or any type of charcoal-fueled broiler or bar-b-que grill, burning ditches, fence rows and trash, including household trash.
    2.      Using explosive material; i.e. fireworks, blasting caps or and incendiary device which may result in ignition of flammable material.
    3.  Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building.
    4.       Welding or operating an acetylene or similar torch with an open flame.

    The following actions are permitted:
    1.    Fires including stoves within enclosed buildings or recreational vehicles and chainsaws which are equipped with adequate spark arresting screens, which prevent the escape of sparks.
    2. Mechanical stoves and appliances fueled by bottled or liquid gas which allows the operator to turn the flame on and off are permitted.


    As provided by Colorado Statute, any person responsible for starting a fire while the ban is in effect will be held accountable for damages caused as well as fire suppression costs incurred.

  5. A fireban was issued by Saguache County as of June 15. It states: - June, 2011

    RESOLUTION NO: 15

    DECLARING A FIRE HAZARD EMERGENCY IN SAGUACHE COUNTY

    WHEREAS the Board of County Commissioners of Saguache County has authority under the provisions of C.R.S. 30-11-107 (county Powers) and pursuant to the provisions of C.R.S. 30-15-401 to do and make all acts and to make all regulations which may be necessary or expedient for the promotion of health and welfare of its citizens of Saguache County and to ban open fires to a degree and in a manner that the Board of County Commissioners deems necessary to reduce the danger of wildfires within those portions of unincorporated areas of the county where danger of forest or grass fires is found to be high; and

    WHEREAS the Sheriff of Saguache County is empowered under the provisions of C.R.S. 30-10-513 to assume charge and assist governmental authority in an emergency for controlling and extinguishing forest or prairie fires; and

    WHEREAS the Board of County Commissioners of Saguache County deems the weather conditions and lack of snow or rainfall to have created a threat of fire in forests and prairies of Saguache County and the current state of emergency exists with respect of fire danger; and

    WHEREAS the Board of County Commissioners of Saguache County finds that based upon competent evidence the danger of wildfires within Saguache County is high.  The Saguache County Board of Commissioners declares Saguache County under Level 1 Fire Restrictions, which prohibits:

    1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or any type of charcoal-fueled broiler or bar-b-que grill, burning ditches, fence rows and trash, including household trash.
    2. Using explosive material; i.e. fireworks, blasting caps or and incendiary device which may result in ignition of flammable material.
    3. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building.
    4. Welding or operating an acetylene or similar torch with an open flame.

    The following actions are permitted:

    1. Fires including stoves within enclosed buildings or recreational vehicles and chainsaws which are equipped with adequate spark arresting screens, which prevent the escape of sparks.
    2. Mechanical stoves and appliances fueled by bottled or liquid gas which allows the operator to turn the flame on and off are permitted.

    As provided by Colorado Statute, any person responsible for starting a fire while the ban is in effect will be held accountable for damages caused as well as fire suppression costs incurred.

    Anyone who will be engaged in any permitted activity is encouraged to take extra precautions, make sure the fire is monitored at all times, and make sure the fire is completely extinguished.

    The restrictions apply to all unincorporated areas in Saguache County East of the Continental Divide. At such time that the Gunnison National Forest and the BLM Public Lands go in to fire restrictions, then the restrictions will be revised to include unincorporated Saguache County west of the Continental Divide.

    NOW THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED that the Board of County Commissioners of Saguache County declares a fire danger emergency to exist within Saguache County and forthwith bans all open fires within Saguache County east of the Continental Divide on June 15, 2011 at 08:00 a.m., until such time as this resolution and order is rescinded or revised. The Sheriff of Saguache County is hereby directed to assume his statutory duties under the provisions of C.R.S. 30-15-516 and all other authority granted to the Sheriff.

    BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

    OF SAGUACHE COUNTY

    By __________________________________

    Sam Pace, Chairman of the Board     Date

  6. Wildfire in the Sangres - June, 2011

    There is currently a 2400 acre wildfire on the east side of the Sangre de Cristos, just over the mountains from Villa Grove. See fire incident report at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2306

  7. San Luis Lake won’t get water this summer - June, 2011

    MONTE VISTA, Colo. — The lake at San Luis State Park will not fill with water this spring because of low snowpack in the Sangre De Cristo mountain range. The decision to not fill the lake was made jointly by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, Colorado Division of Water Resources, Colorado State Parks and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

    The campground at San Luis State Park is open this summer. However, boating and water skiing won’t be available. Some fishing from the shoreline will be possible early in the season.

    The lake, which is within the state park, is located in Alamosa County just west of Great Sand Dunes National Park.

    The Sangre de Cristo mountains only received about 60 percent of the average snowfall last winter. Run-off from the stream that feeds the lake will probably be less than half of normal, and far below the amount needed to allow boating and water skiing.

    If water was allowed to go into the lake, it is likely that all of it would be wasted through rapid evaporation, agency officials said. Instead, officials decided that the available runoff should be directed to Head Lake and the extensive wetland areas in the adjoining San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area immediately to the north. Waterfowl and assorted bird species will benefit from the additional water.

    Allowing the lake to dry this season will also help to resolve other issues. Low-water levels will reduce the over-population of carp, allowing the Division of Wildlife to stock more sport fish next year if water levels return to normal. Also, over the years, salt has built up in and around the lake from sediment run-off. When the lakebed is exposed some of the salt will be blown out by the wind, improving water and soil quality.

    If snowfall is average next winter, water will be restored to the lake.

    For more information about San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area, please see:

    http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/StateWildlifeAreas

    To learn more about fishing opportunities in the San Luis Valley area, see: http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing.

    To learn more about San Luis Lakes State Park and other state parks, please see: http://www.parks.state.co.us/Parks/SanLuis/Pages/SanLuisLakes.aspx.

  8. Emergency Fire Restrictions at Great Sand Dunes - June, 2011

    Due to continued dry and windy conditions Superintendent Art Hutchinson announced today that all areas within Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve are under Stage 1 Fire restrictions effective June 3, 2011 and remain in effect until further notice. “Disappointing winter snowfall accumulations coupled with inadequate spring moisture totals and continuing windy conditions have resulted in dry vegetation that has not really greened up,” said Superintendent Hutchinson. “The resulting dry fuels, combined with higher temperatures, have created a high fire danger situation.” To prevent human caused wildfires, the following restrictions are now in place:

    • The entire area within Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is closed to the lighting and maintaining of any fire EXCEPT within the established fire grates within the Pinyon Flats Campground or charcoal fires within the grills at the Mosca Creek Picnic Area.

    • The use of petroleum fueled stoves, lanterns, or heating devices is permitted. This restriction does not include the use of gas stoves, lanterns, or heating devices or wood burning stoves within park residences.

    • Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire at backcountry campsites, including within fire grates in primitive campsites along the Medano Pass Primitive Road, is prohibited. The use of petroleum fueled stoves, lanterns, or heating devices is permitted.

    • The entire area within Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is closed to smoking except in enclosed vehicles, the Pinyon Flats Campground, the picnic area, or paved or graveled parking lots.

    Visitors are reminded of potential carelessness and are cautioned to properly extinguish all lighted smoking materials.

    For further information on fire conditions in the park, please contact (719) 378-6399.

  9. Crestone Emergency Services District Service Plan now available - June, 2011

    The Formation Committee is pleased to announce that the Service Plan for the proposed new Fire District has been finalized and is ready for public review. Statutory law requires that a Service Plan for a proposed new District contain the following information: a description of the proposed services; a financial plan showing how the services are to be financed; a map of the proposed district boundaries; a general description of the facilities and equipment the new district will utilize; estimated costs of district formation, and proposed agreements with political subdivisions for the performance of services between the Districts.

    The Service Plan was completed during many months of hard work by numerous volunteers and other interested parties, including the Baca Grande Property Owners Association Board of Directors, Manager, Fire and Ambulance Chiefs, Northern Saguache County Fire Protection District Board and Fire Chief, Northern Saguache County Ambulance District Board and EMS Operations Manager and Kundalini Fire Management Board and Chiefs. The Formation Committee is comprised of 24 volunteers from within the proposed new District boundaries, with 18 members from the Baca Grande Subdivision, 4 members from the Town of Crestone, and 2 members from unincorporated Saguache County. This has been an amazing collaborative effort, as each party sought to represent the needs of their own organizations while simultaneously retaining the broader vision for the new District.

    For those who wish to review the Service Plan, copies are available at The Baca Grande POA office, Baca Grande Library or Crestone Town Hall. It is also available on-line at crestoneemergencyservices.org (go to CrESD Formation) and bacapoa.org (go to Documents Center).

    The Service Plan has been submitted to the Saguache Board of County Commissioners and a Public Hearing has been scheduled for July 12, 2011 at 1pm.

  10. San Luis Valley faces drought - June, 2011

    by Keno

    It was all or nothing as far as the past winter snows went for the state of Colorado, and as a result today some locations see a record run off while other places see drought conditions. The San Luis Valley and Sangre de Cristo Mountains sadly were on the short side for snowfall, so that means drought conditions for our area this coming summer, unless a big precipitation event changes the conditions fast.

    La Niña conditions have continued to influence the state’s weather for months now, with above-average moisture in most of Colorado, but the southeastern plains of Colorado continue to deal with deteriorating drought conditions, with the Rio Grande basin and the Southwestern corner of the state also experiencing below average precipitation.

    New snow water equivalent records have been reported at 46 measuring sites within the central and northern mountains. Statewide, reservoir storage is near or above average, with many northern and central Colorado locations seeing flooding during this runoff season. That isn’t the case in this neck of the woods.

    As of May’s report, statewide, snowpack is at 147% of average, with six of eight basins above 100% of average. The Yampa/ White basin has the highest percent snowpack at 179% of average; the Colorado, Gunnison, Arkansas, North Platte and South Platte sit at 165%, 145%, 116%, 172%, and 153% of average, respectively. The basins in the southwest corner of the state: the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas, and San Juan, are near normal at 94% of average. However, for the Rio Grande basin, which includes our area, this basin remains below normal at 85% of average.

    According to US drought monitors, The San Luis Valley is mainly split into two levels of drought conditions, D1 and D2.  The eastern half of the valley, along with most of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the greater Crestone area, has now deteriorated to D2, which means severe drought conditions are taking place. If these conditions continue, the threat of local wells running dry and of out-of-control forest fires is a major concern for our area.

    Still, with a little bit of luck, things could change, as was the case in mid-May for the northern Front Range of Colorado, which in a matter of days pulled out of their drought with heavy rains.  Let’s hope that will be the case for the Rio Grande basin before the dead (and dry) of summer hits.  Although our area saw some snow in mid-May that slowed down the snowmelt some, it left little up high in the mountains where our area gets its drinking water.

  11. World on the Edge How to Prevent Environmental & Economic Collapse—by Lester R. Brown - June, 2011

    review by Paul Shippee

    Refugee camps, migrating populations and failing states are becoming stressors in many areas of the world.

    Is our world falling apart? Is anyone paying attention? You can learn the compelling on-the-ground facts by reading this new book by Lester Brown, founder of Earth Policy Institute (www.earth-policy.org). Who is Lester Brown? He is one of the pioneers and heroes of global environmentalism, according to the famous Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson. As president of Earth Policy Institute, a research organization based in Washington, DC, Brown has been honored worldwide with numerous prizes, including Japan’s Blue Planet Prize, the United Nation’s Environment Prize, as well as twenty-five honorary degrees.

    You may not notice that we are facing issues of near-overwhelming complexity and unprecedented urgency by looking around the San Luis Valley, or anywhere in Colorado for that matter. When visiting local supermarkets you see more food on display daily than most people in the world see in a year. So you might never ask yourself whether we are in a period of environmental decline, and you might not ever think that this nasty earth fact can push our human world into massive suffering and economic collapse. This is a wakeup call. For much of the world’s population, this time is already here—not off in some distant future.

    Book cover of Lester R. Browns "World on the Edge".

    Lester Brown, in this new book, asks one main big question, “Can we change direction before we go over the edge?” As the foremost reporter of environmental and social data on the planet, Lester Brown has, for decades now, been tracking the facts of environmental decline with a special emphasis on relating this to social conditions in all countries the world over. He’s been tracking factual conditions over a wide spectrum of areas such as world food supply and food security, resource depletion, human migrations, poverty levels, species extinction, population growth, meat consumption, women’s reproductive health, fossil fuel decline (peak oil), pollution, climate data, peak water, deforestation, melting icebergs, ocean acidity, renewable energy, rising CO2 levels, etc. Brown concludes that the world is in trouble; he sees that Plan A, or business as usual, is not working, period. Based on all this massive and continuing research, he began to publish, a few years ago, a series of annual updates that he called “Plan B”—to be implemented at wartime speed to avert multiple catastrophes that feed on each other as each one tips the next one over into a path of no return.

    Nearly three decades ago, in 1984, Brown began publishing the State of the World, annual reports on progress toward a Sustainable Society from the earlier research organization he founded called Worldwatch Institute. Brown’s keen sense of monitoring environmental and social conditions over the years gave rise to an escalating urgency that can be seen in his annual book titles as they morphed from State of the World, into Plan B, and now in 2011 World on the Edge.

    You will be astonished while learning his view of the details of the condition of planet Earth, the actual present condition of the majority of people who live here, and the sad trend that Plan A, business as usual, portends for the near future. Some liberal policy wonks project worsening conditions by 2030, close observers concede that 2020 is more accurate, while Brown says it could happen at any time due to interactive environmental dynamics and tipping points. As he ties together environmental decline with economic collapse, he sees a connection that politicians and the mainstream media shy away from due to its frightening and highly unpopular prospect.

    Brown recommends that Plan B address four areas, starting yesterday:

    —controlling/reducing climate chaos (and all associated with that, by 2020);

    —curbing population growth (by education and providing school lunches);

    —ending poverty;

    —restoring earth’s damaged and declining resource base.

    Traffic congestion is getting out of hand in many countries and contributes to major CO2 pollution.

    It is the downward trend in these four areas of human activity, and their interlinked ecological relationship, that are creating the pressure for environmental and economic collapse that Brown is warning us about,

    When Brown speaks of “wartime speed”, he is referring to the action taken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when in early 1942 he banned the production of automobiles and within 90 days turned the auto industry into an efficient and passionate manufacturing operation making tanks, ships and planes to fight WWII.

    One clear reason why this book is important is that, contrary to most environmental commentary, it is not Brown’s “opinion”, nor is it political; he lets the ecological facts he’s been tracking now for a few decades speak for themselves. This book is quite a sober look that should spawn awareness and discussion everywhere and in Crestone! We had been encouraged to “think globally and act locally” by radical economist Hazel Henderson, and it is difficult to know what we can do—besides talk in order to learn global awareness—except to learn more self-sufficiency by growing our own food and increasing our household and transportation efficiency. Voting and education via the Internet are also important actions that we can take in spite of the impulse to shut down and seal off our minds and hearts in the face of such challenging environmental and economic news. Perhaps this creeping shadow will all go away and some magic scientific angel will come along and save us the trouble. How many forms can denial take?

    However, here in the San Luis Valley, where food crops and cattle-raising depend on the underlying aquifer, our community social network has an admirable history of being ecologically proactive. Thanks to people like Christine Canaly, founder of the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council; Ceal Smith, tireless renewable energy policy advocate: Kim Smoyer, citizen organizer; and many others who rally in advance of catastrophe to protect our land, water, air space and noise pollution, our Valley culture has the integrity, concern and awareness that we can feel proud of and grateful for.

    On the worldwide scale, it seems that food security and supply are the leading indicators for problems that lie ahead for the global population. Already China, unable to feed itself for the first time in ages, is buying up and leasing land in Africa, basically stealing it out from under family farmers via secret deals with local governments, to assure itself of an adequate supply of grains in the present and future. These are called “land grabs”. Other distressed, overpopulated and food-challenged countries are moving into South America to attempt the same as food riots spread among the world’s failing states.

    Meanwhile, Brown’s sense is that the perfect storm or the ultimate recession will “likely be triggered by an unprecedented harvest shortfall, one caused by a combination of crop-withering heat waves and emerging water shortages as aquifers are depleted.” He notes that, “Such a grain shortfall could drive food prices off the top of the chart, leading exporting countries to restrict or ban exports [to countries in need]”. Food riots and desperate crop and/or cattle thefts have, according to Brown, already been reported in Thailand, Darfur, Pakistan, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mexico, the Philippines, Senegal and Haiti.

    To underline the logic of these urgencies, Brown cites three sources of growing demand for food: “population growth; rising affluence and the associated jump in meat, milk, and egg consumption; and the use of grain to produce fuel for cars.” Farmers are losing cropland to nonfarm uses the world over as “cars compete with people not only for the grain supply but also for the cropland itself.”

    A lot of environmental ground is covered in this book as Brown documents global trends such as “the ongoing liquidation of the earth’s natural assets, the growing number of hungry people, and the lengthening list of failing states.” He says that the most serious trends driving the world toward the edge are twofold: “destruction of the economy’s natural supports, and disruption of the climate system.” Naturally, something is not right and Plan A is not working.

    Lester Brown lists among the consequences of our present global situation of falling water tables, eroding soils, expanding deserts, rising temperatures, melting ice, and food security, several unexpected problematic consequences such as the coming political surprises in response to food scarcity, the rising tide of environmental refugees, and the mounting stressors of failing states.

    While watching the world clock, Brown wonders what we will need to do, and how fast, to build an energy-efficient global economy—harnessing wind, solar, and geothermal energy; restoring the economy’s natural support systems; and specific strategies to eradicate poverty, stabilize population, rescue failing states, and feed eight billion. These are big questions that are also emerging as very real. It seems there is a lot of suffering in store for a lot of people around the world. Given that political will moves at the speed of glacial majesty, it is by no means certain that big answers to these big questions will be adequate or timely to the task.

    Is the world falling apart? Is anybody paying attention? We can only hope that our president, our congressmen and senators, and the citizens will shift their priorities to saving our “world on the edge.”