The town of Mt. Crested Butte is holding a special election to recall councilor Roman Kolodziej from the town council. The election takes place until Tuesday, February 13 and all registered voters in Mt. CB should have received their ballots in the mail by now. 

There will be two questions on the ballot: the first asks whether to recall Kolodziej from the town council. If the majority votes are in favor of Kolodziej’s recall, then the second ballot question will ask for the selection of his replacement. Four candidates are running for the seat if Kolodziej is recalled. 

This is the final week of a question-and-answer series we are running to provide information to Mt. CB voters on the positions of Kolodziej and the four candidates. Here’s what they had to say:

Roman Kolodziej

What are your ideas for getting more affordable housing in Mt. CB? 

Here is an idea I’ve already promoted. 

Across Emmons Road from the soon-to-be-renamed “rasta lot” is a town-owned parcel of land at the northwest corner of the paid parking lot where snow is currently stored. Over a year ago, I proposed the idea of building affordable housing on it. Here’s how it might have, and still might, work. The town would donate the lot for development. The Downtown Development Authority (DDA), of which I sit on the board, could freely spend some of the millions of dollars it has on design, horizontal infrastructure and/or other project expenses. I approached other potential partners about them making cash or in-kind contributions to bring the project to reality.

Here are the issues the project ran into. 

The town’s main sewer line not only runs under the development site, but drops 50 feet or so from Emmons Road to the site itself. Moving the line wouldn’t be cheap, but it is possible. 

Access. The project could be accessed from Gothic Road directly, though a more effective access point would be through an adjacent parcel owned by the Muellers. 

Perhaps the most significant issue is the fact that the town’s parcel, and every parcel from there to the Grand Lodge, are all tied to one Planned Unit Development (PUD). Our project most likely needs to be a PUD as well to accomplish certain things (altering setbacks, height restrictions, etc.) but you can’t have two PUDs on top of one another. This would require “decoupling” the existing PUD, which is cumbersome but not impossible. 

Fun stuff, right?! Due to the challenges this idea posed, town staff felt time and energy would be best spent on other parcels. I still hold out hope for the project. 

What would be your approach to balancing goals that might conflict — such as promoting tourism and limiting environmental impacts, or balancing STRs with housing opportunities for locals?

One thing I’ve been asking for from the Tourism and Prosperity Partnership (TAPP) is their explanation of marketing “doneness.” In other words, what is the success metric they use for marketing that indicates they should turn it off or tone it down? They are very good at taking the “more = good” perspective, but being able to understand when to temper marketing efforts might help us better gauge tourism capacity in our valley.

How can the town help bring back more vibrancy to the Base Area?

Helping the three largest base area property owners decouple the PUD that restricts individual property development there. It would allow us and them to approach individual projects as we do elsewhere in Mt. CB.

If you are not chosen, would you run in the next regularly scheduled council election?

I’m not sure. During my time on town council, I’ve dedicated myself to thoughtfully fulfilling my role while advocating for my community and have contributed to some positive and impactful decisions. If enough voters believe, or are led to believe, otherwise and vote me out of public service, it will force me to reconsider where I choose to put my energy.

One person, dead or alive, you would choose to ride up with on the Silver Queen, and why?

I’d like to ride up the Queen with Winnie the Pooh. 

Chair lift rides offer me opportunities to be contemplative and reflective and I’ve found it satisfying to lean into both while riding to the top. Pooh demonstrates an idyllic approach to life that is kind and simple and sometimes when I get off the lift, I am able to see myself navigating life in a similar way, albeit for a brief moment. 

It would be great to talk with Pooh about his perspective and understand how I might carry those brief moments of clarity with me once I leave the lift. 

You wouldn’t expect a boring answer from me about the founding fathers or something, would you?

Bobbie Sferra

What are your ideas for getting more affordable housing in Mt. CB? 

Affordable housing is not only a huge challenge for Mt. CB, but this issue has been front center since I have been coming to Crested Butte over 15 years ago. I have just begun to educate myself on how new projects are financed using grant monies, low interest loans and tax credits. New developments require a number of units designed for affordable housing. The cost of building continues to rise and the north valley cost is one of the highest in the nation at $750–$1000 per square foot. Even a small house or duplex is close to a million dollars or higher to build. How is this affordable for towns, developers and qualified buyers? The question really becomes who is responsible for providing housing for employees. Mt. CB has done a wonderful job of providing affordable housing to town employees; however, I don’t believe that the town of Mt. CB should be using tax dollars to provide housing for the business communities. So the question becomes, how do we continue to have a vibrant workforce for the many businesses, and partner with these businesses to begin to solve these issues. The town should encourage developers to consider building rental units that may better meet the needs of low income and seasonal employees. In addition, the town should encourage the hotels and businesses that rely on seasonal employees to repurpose hotel rooms for affordable housing, as well as provide incentives to private individuals to rent to local workers. 

What would be your approach to balancing goals that might conflict — such as promoting tourism and limiting environmental impacts, or balancing STRs with housing opportunities for locals? 

Before any decision is made on a controversial issue, the community needs to be informed and have an opportunity for input. It is the responsibility of each town council member to be thoroughly knowledgeable about alternatives, be informed of pros and cons, and based on the data, make the best decision for the town. 

How can the town help bring back more vibrancy to the Base Area? 

The base area is the main hub of Mt. Crested Butte. By providing more restaurants, shops and entertainment, visitors would be encouraged to stay on the mountain. The town and resort should work in partnership to ensure essential businesses exist in the base area year-round and provide more opportunities for activities beyond skiing.

If you are not chosen, would you run in the next regularly scheduled council election?

Absolutely! I am retired and would like the opportunity to serve in the community where I live.

One person, dead or alive, you would choose to ride up with on the Silver Queen, and why?

I would choose my friend, Doctor Pete Harrelson. Pete is a long-time friend in Telluride who was the first person in 2024 to be killed in an avalanche a week ago. Pete was fun and lived life to the fullest. His death was a reminder on how fragile life is and the importance of friendship and staying in touch with those we love.

TOM ROLLECZEK

What are your ideas for getting more affordable housing in Mt. CB? 

Currently, there are provisions in place for new developments that allocate units to affordable housing as part of the building requirements. I suggest we work with each developer’s unique situation and always provide agreement for units, even if they are existing. The alternative is a monetary sum and inadequate to build in our high price environment. The goal should be guiding policy for beds locally, even if they are older units. I also believe there are many existing opportunities in the commercial sector of Mt. CB that are underutilized. Negotiating incentives with landowners for undeveloped lots, could offer viable options for future housing.

What would be your approach to balancing goals that might conflict — such as promoting tourism and limiting environmental impacts, or balancing STRs with housing opportunities for locals?

In any good negotiation, both parties walk away with less than they expected. If this is not the case, the resulting deal will fail as a result of the inequities. As the great Mick Jagger put it, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well, you just might find. You get what you need.” In respect to the two examples you provided, or many others, it’s beneficial to approach with an open mind that is ready to accept compromise.  

How can the town help bring back more vibrancy to the Base Area?

As mentioned, an intentional meeting between the base area stakeholders, landowners and town is overdue; let’s outline potential opportunities and set timelines for projects. Financial investment is a crucial part of a successful outcome and should be prioritized in these negotiations. Any resulting actions should encourage investment from local businesses such as retail, food and beverage, hotels and guest services. By focusing on economic vibrancy, we will create a landscape of locally owned businesses, exciting community recreation projects and a thriving base area resort.  

If you are not chosen, would you run in the next regularly scheduled council election?

Indeed, my original intention was to run in the general election 2024. I would likely re-apply.  

One person, dead or alive, you would choose to ride up with on the Silver Queen, and why?

Chuck Norris; I would like to see the North Face tremble under his skis.  

PETER ESSELSTYN

What are your ideas for getting more affordable housing in Mt. CB? 

In my five years in Mt. CB, I have heard countless “opinions” on how to solve affordable housing but none of them include quantifying the problem. In my experience, you are unlikely to solve a problem if you don’t characterize it first. To that end, I believe the town (including Crested Butte and Gunnison County) needs to determine what the current and future affordable housing needs are and set a road map with quantifiable goals and schedule to meet these needs. What are the types of housing needed? Dormitory style? Miniature housing style? Family style housing? If this type of analysis has been done, I have yet to hear about it. 

This affordable housing issue has been a long running problem. This past year, the Crested Butte News ran a story about the need for affordable housing in the “20 Years Ago Today” section. I felt I was reading an article that was written today! Perhaps with forward thinking planning and a clear roadmap, we won’t still be talking about this issue 20 years from now. 

Of course, this is not solely a Mt. CB issue. The town of Crested Butte and Gunnison County also are stakeholders in this quandary. Other resort towns that I have visited offer incentives to property owners to house locals. They may include property tax incentives, resort/business incentives for housing local employees, etc. I also question what the town’s responsibility is versus what the private employer’s responsibility is. I don’t believe the town(s) have the sole responsibility to solve this, but can provide a variety of incentives to support the needs of the local businesses.

What would be your approach to balancing goals that might conflict — such as promoting tourism and limiting environmental impacts, or balancing STRs with housing opportunities for locals?

At first glance, I would say that each of these items need to be weighed on their own merits and I don’t think there is necessarily a balance between each of these topics exclusively. We are largely a tourist-based economy in the north valley and to that end, if tourism takes a downturn, then many of the businesses and investments in the area will also drop. I certainly support limiting environmental impacts when done in a measurable and practical approach that makes a real impact. The environment and natural beauty here in the north valley are one of the biggest reasons we have a tourism-based economy.   

I don’t claim to have all the answers regarding STRs vs. housing opportunities for locals, but I struggle to connect STRs with solving local housing issues. The way I see it, there are many STRs currently available, but are market priced, making them out of financial reach for many of the seasonal and/or local workers. Also, STRs by definition are limited to 30 days making long-term living situations unrealistic. I am curious to know how Mt. CB allocates STR fees they collect to address opportunities for local’s living concerns and is this allocation sufficient.

How can the town help bring back more vibrancy to the Base Area?

When my wife and I purchased land in Mt. CB in 2016, we heard the rumors that Vail may purchase CBMR. We were excited for that possibility as historically Vail has invested heavily in their resorts and the base area at CBMR certainly was ripe for an injection of vibrancy. However, the property owners at the base area are diverse and not limited to a single property owner. I am of the belief that the town needs to provide a pathway for investment in the base area in terms of removing approval roadblocks and providing incentives. Vibrancy at the base area would be good for all involved. For right or wrong, when people think of Mt. Crested Butte, the first thought is the resort and base area. We already have excellent choices in lodging and transportation, and several very well-run restaurants at the base area, but after the lifts stop running in the late afternoon, the base area attendance quickly drops. An inviting and walkable base area is what people desire when they come to a ski resort complete with a variety of shops, day and night restaurants, bars that are open in the evening, perhaps a brewery, and attractions common in more developed ski towns, are all vital to the base area. Expanding on the existing great venues will attract more people to spend their off-slopes time in Mt. CB.

If you are not chosen, would you run in the next regularly scheduled council election?

Yes. I see that Mt. CB is at somewhat of a crossroads. We have not had a choice in town council members for many, many years! Suddenly we have four very qualified people vying for one potential seat. This tells me that the residents of Mt. CB are looking for a change in town leadership and are willing to step up to the challenge. I know a couple of the other people who are running in this election, and I believe Mt. CB will benefit from the contributions of any of these candidates. I and the current slate of candidates jumped into this race for a variety of reasons. I would continue with the same intentions I have now for the fall. I voted against Mt. CB’s last fall’s ballot question on term limits, as extending term limits doesn’t address the issue of why residents have not been running for town council. It is positive to see that this concern is past us given the number of contenders in this town council election.

One person, dead or alive, you would choose to ride up with on the Silver Queen, and why?

Hmmm, the Queen ride isn’t much time to talk with historical inventers or scientists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla or Albert Einstein, but since we’d be on a chairlift for only 7 minutes, I’d like to talk with James Curran. James was a railroad engineer from Omaha, Nebraska and he invented the ski chairlift in 1936. I would be interested to know if he considered the fact that one of the best ways to cool an object (a person) is to hang it from a wire and blow cold air at it… !!!

BRUCE NATION

What are your ideas for getting more affordable housing in Mt. CB? 

There is currently a bill in the state legislature that is looking to tax STRs as commercial property if they are rented for more that 90 days a year. While I don’t think that bill is perfect, if enacted it would provide a lot of additional funds for affordable housing and reduce housing being bought up by speculators while still allowing for locals to rent their property for some extra income when they desire.

I would also want to promote more density where it makes sense. I think the Pitchfork development is a great model. It has a good mix of affordable housing and unrestricted housing, all in a relatively small footprint.  

What would be your approach to balancing goals that might conflict — such as promoting tourism and limiting environmental impacts, or balancing STRs with housing opportunities for locals?

I have two philosophies on balancing goals like these. The first is we need to make the easy way, the right way. The easier we make it for everyone to use public transport or walk or stay in a hotel the better. The second is to use tax policy to encourage the results we want to see rather than simply banning something we may not like. For instance, using STR taxes to pay for or incentivize affordable housing.

How can the town help bring back more vibrancy to the Base Area?

I would talk to the local business owners in the base area to try and find what support they need to stay open later. Many of the restaurants and shops are closing at 5 p.m. and not leaving much for people to do while there. I’m very encouraged by A Bar Above being open late seven nights a week with live music. How can we replicate their success with the rest of the mountain?

I’d also like to see some kind of food truck\cart access at the base area. We used to have a waffle cart, what happened to it?

If you are not chosen, would you run in the next regularly scheduled council election?

Absolutely. My original plan was always to run in November.

One person, dead or alive, you would choose to ride up with on the Silver Queen, and why?

Jesus. I’m not a religious man, but I still have a lot of questions. If he can walk on water, he probably shreds on snow.

It all began with the ski area and an elevator…

By Kendra Walker

The new year marks a momentous milestone for the town of Mt. Crested Butte: its 50th anniversary of incorporation. From its humble beginnings as an unknown ski resort surrounded by nothing but ranchland and national forest, this town at 9,375 feet has evolved and grown over the past five decades. Even so, Mt. Crested Butte continues to draw a tight-knit community with the same spirit and resilience that first shaped its beginnings at the base of Crested Butte Mountain. 

This year, the town of Mt. Crested Butte will host several anniversary celebrations to commemorate 50 years as a town, including a series of history talks at the Elevation Hotel. The next anniversary talk takes place this Monday, January 8.

History of incorporation

Just 89 residents lived within the proposed boundary of Mt. Crested Butte in 1973 before incorporation. The ski area was established back in 1961 when Dick Eflin and Fred Rice purchased 600 acres on Crested Butte Mountain and obtained forest service permits for ski trails. Over the next 12 years, the ski area added lodges, ski lifts, condos and homes.

“The ski area opened the same year I was born. We were both born the summer of ’61,” says Andy Eflin. “My dad used to show the original photos of the base area and tell people, ‘Here’s the valley before I screwed it all up.’” 

Jokes aside, Andy feels the ski area opened the doors for people who probably wouldn’t have found this place otherwise. “Crested Butte was not really on the map back in those days. There wasn’t a whole lot going on in Crested Butte and there wasn’t a very viable means to support yourself, so I feel the resort brought an industry to the valley that was a little more sustainable and certainly a fun industry that gets people outdoors.”

Andy remembers the early years of the ski area—the original warming house building, the T-bar lift and rope tow, the old Italian gondola, the skating pond and his grandmother’s gift shop at the base area. 

Then in 1970, Howard “Bo” Callaway and his brother-in-law Ralph Walton acquired the ski area. “I was 6 years old when my father and uncle bought the ski area and we moved here,” says Scout Walton, who remembers living in the Whetstone building and getting let out of school early on Fridays to go ski. “My life was ski racing and climbing mountains and doing those things with friends.”

To continue building out the base area, Ralph and Callaway formed the Crested Butte Development Company. “You couldn’t really bring a lot of people here because there weren’t a lot of places to stay,” says Scout. 

“One of the first keys was real estate sales,” says Scout. We had to earn our capital every year, which is why real estate has always been important. There were a lot of people working together with that shared interest. Back then it was all swashbuckling entrepreneurs, and it was very collegial amongst everybody. The ski area was so important to the community.”

Crested Butte Development Company brought new development projects that included the Whetstone, Axtel, Emmons and Gothic buildings, named after the peaks they face.

The seed for town incorporation was first planted with a proposed elevator for the three-story Gothic building. “People found that every time they wanted to build, they had to go all the way to Gunnison for permits and permissions,” explains Sandra Cortner, who started the Crested Butte Pilot newspaper and covered the town’s journey to incorporation in 1973 and 1974. “You had to drive to Gunnison for everything: laundry, grocery, doctor, bank, clothing. And law enforcement was tough because the police were 30 miles away.”

The proposed Gothic elevator would be the first in the area and the Gunnison County commissioners had never been asked to consider a building with an elevator before. “There was all this hullabaloo about the elevator and getting it approved,” says Cortner. ​​“Walton and the ski area general manager Gus Larkin knew there must be a better way to get their building plans approved. And so the ski area began petitioning for incorporation and getting people behind the idea. Walton was the one who suggested Mt. Crested Butte for the name.”

The majority of the residents saw the benefits of incorporation. It would help people living and building there to have control over zoning decisions and have a say in how the community was governed. It would also ensure that tax revenue from the ski area was collected strictly for town use instead of being dispersed throughout the county. “They wanted to control their own destiny,” says Cortner.

Although residents considered annexation into the town of Crested Butte, state law required that an annexed area be contiguous with the town annexing it. Two miles of privately owned land separates Crested Butte and the ski area, so annexation was not an option.

In September 1973, 40 qualified electors signed the petition proposing town incorporation. The petition was presented to the District Court judge, who then nominated five commissioners to set up an election regarding town incorporation. 

Then on November 6, 1973, electors voted 50 to 12 to incorporate. “Mt. CB was the first municipal incorporation in the state since 1920 and one of the first ski resorts to incorporate,” says Cortner. Other ski areas like Snowmass and Vail have since followed Mt. Crested Butte’s lead. Just last spring, Keystone became Colorado’s newest town when residents voted for incorporation.

The beginning of 1974 marked Mt. Crested Butte’s official incorporation when “they had to figure out how to be a fully functioning town,” says Cortner. “They had to do all these things you don’t think about: elect a council and a mayor and then hire a marshal, figure out how to tax people, set a budget, figure out snowplowing and road maintenance, name streets, set zoning and building inspections, create ordinances and codes. The people who owned the lodges and businesses really worked together after incorporation to try to make it go smoothly.”

On January 8, 1974, citizens established the first town council and elected Gus Larkin as the first Mt. Crested Butte mayor. The council approved a 4% sales tax in April 1974, passed the town’s first budget of $17,800 in August and hired town manager Jim Dean in 1975. The town held its first town picnic in the summer of 1975.

Celebrating 50 years

Today, the town’s original population of 89 residents has grown to nearly 1,000 people. People visit Mt. Crested Butte year-round to ski, mountain bike, hike, search for wildflowers, peep at the changing aspen colors and enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.

“I think it’s really amazing that this town and the ski resort were formed by just a few individuals with an idea. It was their passion to make sure this town was able to grow,” says Mt. Crested Butte events coordinator Rebecca Gagne. “And it’s only been 50 years, it wasn’t that long ago. It’s cool to know these things are still happening.”

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the town is hosting a history talk on January 8 at 6 p.m. at the Elevation Hotel to commemorate the original date of the first mayor and council election. Andy will present a slideshow of historic photos compiled by his father and ski resort founder Dick Eflin. Additionally, Scout will discuss the movement of Mt. Crested Butte’s incorporation and his father’s involvement, and Ethan Mueller will share the Mueller family’s movement to purchase Crested Butte Mountain Resort in 2004. The Crested Butte Museum will also host a pop-up museum featuring pre-1974 Mt. Crested Butte artifacts and photos.

A final history talk will take place on February 12 at the Elevation, featuring a panel of current and former mayors, council members and managers of Mt. Crested Butte. Gagne said the town is working on finalizing additional anniversary celebrations for the rest of the year.

“I’m hoping these celebrations bring a new awareness that we are our town,” says Gagne. “There’s often a misconception that we’re one town with Crested Butte down the hill, and Mt. Crested Butte is not defined as its own town well enough. This is an exciting way to get out to the community itself and also the general public that visits.”

Back in November, the town held a kick-off anniversary talk to commemorate the vote for town incorporation, and Gagne says she was impressed with the community turnout. “I polled the audience how long they’ve lived here. I asked them to raise their hands if they’d lived in the town 10+ years, then 20 or more, then 30 or more,” says Gagne. “When I hit 50, there were still eight hands in the air. People find this is their home and stay. And they were so proud.”

Current mayor, Nicholas Kempin, has lived in Mt. Crested Butte for 23 years.

He says there are so many things that make this place special, “but something I’m in touch with every day is the natural beauty of this place. It is the common thread for our community and a primary reason for being here,” he says. “The place, the people, and the Mt. CB lifestyle have had a profound positive effect on me. It is an honor and pleasure to work on behalf of a place I love.”

Scout acknowledges that a lot has changed in Mt. Crested Butte over the years, but “I like to focus on the things that are not different. I see all the things that drew my mom and dad here to saddle up on a new venture. That’s why my family has moved back to the valley, and it’s hard to imagine anything different.”

“Although we have seen a lot of growth and development here, we still can get away from it all really quickly,” reflects Andy. “This is a desired place because it’s so beautiful. It’s a wonderful way of life.”

Kempin too hopes the celebrations this year help residents and visitors learn the value of the community and gain the motivation to keep it going. As for what he hopes for Mt. CB in another 50 years? “Frequent powder days.”

Special thanks to Sandra Cortner for sharing her knowledge of the town of Mt. Crested Butte’s incorporation. The historical facts gathered for this article came from Cortner’s copyright writings in the Crested Butte Pilot, Crested Butte Magazine, Crested Butte…Love at First Sight and Crested Butte Stories…Through My Lens.

By Kendra Walker

The following briefs are from Mt. Crested Butte town council meetings that took place over the past several months.

Thompson Divide withdrawal support

The Mt. Crested Butte town council approved a letter of ​​support for the Thompson Divide Withdrawal Proposal, which includes the protection of the area surrounding Mt. Emmons. 

“We specifically support the proposal to withdrawal- subject to valid existing rights- approximately 224,713 acres of land in this area from all forms of (1) entry, appropriation and disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry and patent under mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials and geothermal leasing laws. We agree with the USFS Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and are encouraged that this project will protect our tourism-based economy, water resources, and way of life,” the letter states. 

“The Town of Mt. Crested Butte supports the 20-year protection of this area through this proposed mineral withdrawal,” it concludes. 

Proposition 123

The Mt. Crested Butte town council agreed to opt into Proposition 123, which was approved by Colorado voters in 2022 and dedicates roughly $300 million per year in state income tax revenue to fund state housing projects. 

The funding becomes available to local governments if they opt in to a commitment to increase affordable housing in their jurisdiction by 3% each year through 2026. For Mt. CB, this would be an increase of nine affordable housing units by 2026.

Noxious weeds

The town council approved a weed management service contract with Native Landscapes for 2024. Native Landscapes, owned and operated by Bradley Wigginton, has managed noxious weeds on town property, rights-of-way and open spaces for the last two seasons. 

Wigginton told the council that for the 2023 growing season, he treated 7.12 acres for weeds. He said the top species targeted included White top, Canada Thistle, Cheatgrass, Common Tansy, Dames Rocket, Field Bind Weed, Houndstongue, Musk Thistle, Oxeye Daisy, Scentless Chamomile, Western Salsify, Yellow Sweet Clover and Yellow Toadflax.

Decision expected in March

By Katherine Nettles

Two key Gunnison Valley governing bodies involved in a major effort to protect, among other things, Mt. Emmons, have formally weighed in regarding a U.S. Forest Service proposal and impact assessment to withdrawal mineral extraction rights to the Thompson Divide for the next two decades. On January 2, Gunnison County commissioners approved a comment letter to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) supporting the draft environmental assessment (EA) finding of “no significant impact” for the Thompson Divide Withdrawal Project, with one minor recommendation asking for more extensive socioeconomic analysis. That same evening the Crested Butte town council also approved a comment letter in support of the proposal and EA.

The USFS and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have worked with the U.S. Department of the Interior to propose administratively withdrawing 224,713 acres of federal lands within the Thompson Divide from new mining or extraction leases or from sale or exchange for a period of up to 20 years. The idea is to preserve cultural, agricultural, ranching, wildlife, recreation, air quality, ecological and scenic values within the area which includes Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest, White River National Forest and BLM field offices in Gunnison, Pitkin and Garfield Counties. 

The National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to determine if their proposed actions will have significant environmental effects, and the USFS released its draft assessment finding of “no significant impact” on December 8 which allows a more streamlined process. The 30-day public comment period ends January 8.

County commissioner chair Jonathan Houck worked with county attorney Matthew Hoyt to review the large EA document and prepared a comment letter for the county. 

“This is our opportunity to again weigh back in. It’s worth noting that this county has long been committed to some of the outcomes that are looking like real, strong possibilities with the Thompson Divide Withdrawal,” said Houck.

Hoyt added that this is an opportunity to comment both as members of the public and as a designated cooperating agency.

“As you can tell from the draft, we are generally supportive of the alternative selected. Our only comment that I’m proposing to the board is with regard to the economic analysis contained in the EA.” Hoyt said economic analyses are critical to mineral withdrawals because they must assess what would be the socioeconomic impacts of this withdrawal on a range of potential development in the forest, and this could be more robust. 

“We made that comment here, but of course we think they generally are on the right track,” continued Hoyt. “We are otherwise friendly to the decision proposed by the Forest Service and supportive of it.”

Commissioners Laura Puckett Daniels and Liz Smith had no changes to the draft, although Puckett Daniels commented that she felt the significance of Mt. Emmons’s inclusion in the protections could be highlighted more. 

“I was struck by how small the potential for oil and gas development is in the entire Thompson Divide area,” she added. Commissioners unanimously approved the comment letter for submission to the USFS.  

The Crested Butte town council has also been a cooperating agency and partner to the process and approved a comment letter on Tuesday. The letter was drafted by mayor Ian Billick, who wrote, “Throughout the EA, it is repeatedly shown that the benefits of implementing the Thompson Divide Withdrawal far outweigh the economic gain that could potentially be realized by issuing new oil and gas leases in the area. With the West Elk Mine significantly contributing to economic diversity in Gunnison County, the Thompson Divide proposal continues to work toward a balanced economy that drives so many to live and recreate here.”

Billick also noted that 72% of the withdrawal area lands proposed were found to show low or no potential for oil and gas development. 

The town council unanimously approved the draft as part of the consent agenda.

The next step is for the federal agencies involved to consider comments and then release a NEPA or Forest Plan Amendment decision, which the USFS has said it expects to have in March 2024. More information about the proposal and process, as well as comments can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63679.

The shortest day of the year in Crested Butte is next week. I always remind people that while winter is dark and cold at 9,000 feet, the days will start getting longer after the winter solstice on December 21. So understandably, while the darkness isn’t always full of happiness and joy, there are some great “good news” stories happening around here right now to keep in mind.

I can’t repeat enough the story of the local named Orion (see page 1) who last week found himself buried in the snow beneath the Paradise ski lift and literally came to the edge of death — his heart had stopped beating — until half a dozen locals came to the rescue and saved his life. Orion has been in the ski business for decades and is totally certified with first aid credentials. He knew the peril he was in and figured he had a slim chance to see Christmas this year when he basically couldn’t dig out of a freak snow hole he dove into head first after clipping a punji tree top. But the Universe works and in this case the Universe placed the right people in the right place at the right time. Six passionate people who know CPR and Wilderness First Responder protocols happened to be in the exact spot on the lift they needed to be to save a life. Had they loaded the chair 30 seconds later, or 30 seconds earlier, the outcome might have been very different. Crazy stuff. As it happened, they realized the gravity of the situation and put their learned skills to work — and it worked – which they will be the first to say, is not always the case. Anyway, the fact that six locals saved the life of a seventh on a slow Tuesday afternoon on the mountain is a very good news story indeed.

By the way, longtime local Billy Rankin has been teaching CPR and Wilderness First Aid courses here for decades and has a CPR and Standard First Aid class scheduled for Thursday evening, January 4 in CB. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified, touch base with Billy at Intuition Consulting (intuitionconsulting.org).

In a similar vein, Gunnison Valley Health is sharing the story which we plan to run next week about another local that was doing a home improvement project and accidentally shot a nail from a nail gun into his chest. It was as bad as it sounds. Through the efforts of a lot of local people, he survived and that too is a good news story you can read about more in-depth in next week’s CB News.

It appears the relentless fight to protect Red Lady is in the final chapter…and that story appears headed for a happy ending. That is incredibly good news after decades of fighting to protect the iconic mountain overlooking Elk Avenue. On December 8, the Forest Service released a draft Environmental Assessment (see page 1) and finding of no significant impact for the Thompson Divide Mineral Withdrawal Project. That EA document includes a mineral withdrawal for the area around Red Lady. Every indication is that the USFS is following the recommendation of the White House and proposing an administrative mineral withdrawal on all mining on Mt. Emmons that is good for 20 years. The next effort will be to turn that into a congressional mineral withdrawal that is permanent. U.S. Senator Michael Bennet has been key in pushing for Red Lady protections for more than a decade and has been instrumental in this action. He has also introduced the CORE Act in Congress that would provide permanent protections. He is doing the good work for his constituents in this valley. 

Gunnison has for years thrown down and kicked butt when it comes to the holiday lighting standard in the valley. Their giant tree and festive block party during its unveiling rocks and the North Valley is a mere shadow in that regard to the county seat. But the town of Crested Butte is getting pounded this year on social media for its lack of festive lighting and I can’t defend it. While the main “Light Up the Night” event has been held for a few years now in Mountaineer Square by the ski area, CB would usually throw some light on the trees at the south entrance to town and on the big tree by the Post Office. This year they appear to have thrown in the towel. It sure seems dark coming into town and without that landmark tree lit up, Elk Avenue feels a bit dreary for the holidays. It’s not just about being a “tourist town” and providing light to visitors here for the Christmas postcard we know we can be — but as a resident, most of us need and want the light too. Seeing light in the dark days surrounding the solstice brings a little hope to the soul at the start of long, cold winter.

I talked to some of the town peeps this week and they said the entrance trees have gotten so big their lift doesn’t extend high enough to do a good job. The ongoing renovation of the old Brick Oven by the PO resulted in the nearby outlet being removed, so no lights there. While the crew is small and certainly busy, I see those as problems easily solved and they promised they will look at it for next year.

But the “good news” is that a group of locals have come together to address the dearth of light in town during these dark days. What is being billed as a “grassroots event” will be held Saturday afternoon in the 300 block of Elk Avenue as a cadre of local businesspeople plan to light up the private tree on the south side of the block at about 6 p.m. One online post explained that, “It’s more than just lights. It’s about lighting our community in the darkest time of the year. Showing others that we are here for each other by showing up. Our community is amazing in so many ways and bringing the cheer of the Holiday season is the core of our town.” Cheers to that and thanks to those who jumped in to provide some good news, some literal light, in these darkest of seasonal days.

In a week, the sun will start sitting higher in the sky and the chance of experiencing apricity—the warmth of the winter sun on your face (thanks for the word, Anna Fenerty) — will expand. In the meantime, realize there is a lot of light in the stories taking place all around us — even during these shortest days of December. 

—Mark Reaman

Draft environmental assessment finds ‘No significant impact’

By Katherine Nettles

A draft environmental assessment finding among federal agencies of “no significant impact” for the proposed Thompson Divide Withdrawal could mean some very significant impacts to the environmental conservation of a large swath of land in Gunnison County, including Mt. Emmons. 

Last Friday, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), released a draft environmental assessment (EA) for the requested Thompson Divide Withdrawal in Gunnison, Garfield and Pitkin counties. The document’s release marked the beginning of a 30-day public comment period which will end on January 8, 2024.

 The Thompson Divide Withdrawal proposes to withdraw 224,713 acres of National Forest System and BLM-managed lands within the area west of Crested Butte extending to the south of Glenwood Springs from potential new mining claims for 20 years.

The Thompson Divide includes forests within the Gunnison Ranger District, Paonia Ranger District, West Zone/Aspen Ranger District and West Zone/Sopris Ranger District. This also includes Mt. Emmons, known locally as Red Lady, whose protection from mining has been sought for almost 50 years by local government and grassroots organizations in the Gunnison Valley. While the withdrawal would be limited to a period of 20 years, parallel efforts may ensure that Red Lady achieves permanent protection through a land conservation easement and land exchange between the USFS, town of Crested Butte and Mt. Emmons Mining Company. That deal is expected to reach fruition in 2024 as well. 

“The prioritization of this withdrawal by the Forest Service is a monumental step forward for the Gunnison Valley, which has been seeking to protect our headwaters from a large-scale molybdenum mine for 46 years,” said Julie Nania, water program director for High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA). “The withdrawal lands encompass a large portion of the headwaters of the Gunnison River, one of the largest tributaries to the Colorado River basin. They also include the area surrounding Mt. Emmons where our community has long-opposed the development of a molybdenum mine within Crested Butte’s drinking water supply. ”

“The administrative withdrawal is a significant step toward protecting our water resources in the Gunnison River basin and beyond,” concluded Nania.

“The proposed withdrawal encompasses the area surrounding Red Lady – also known as Mt. Emmons – a mountain dear to the heart of our community,” stated Sue Navy, board president and a founding member of HCCA.

Crested Butte mayor Ian Billick responded to the draft EA with a positive outlook as well.

“As mayor I am excited to see one more step taken towards withdrawing Mt. Emmons from mining. It is great to see the government making progress on this community priority. But we will need to stay diligent to ensure the USFS honors the commitments made by the president as we move towards permanent protections. Special kudos to senator Michael Bennet and his staff for staying on top of this issue!”

County Commisioner chair Jonathan Houck also expressed his appreciation. “As we work our way through the draft EA released last week, Gunnison County is initially pleased and supportive of the Forest Service’s and BLM’s findings. From the Thompson Divide down to Mt. Emmons we have continued to work with our partners including the Town of Crested Butte, HCCA and the unwavering support of individuals, businesses and organizations across Gunnison County to protect the ecological, agricultural, sporting and recreational values of these productive lands. We look forward to seeing the administrative withdrawal across the finish line and continue working toward the ultimate goal of permanent withdrawal.” 

The Thompson Divide Mineral Withdrawal draft EA describes that the 20-year block for mineral extraction is called for based on widespread conservation values, “to prevent sale or exchange of USFS and BLM administered lands in the withdrawal application area and protect these lands, and the natural resources therein, from the potential adverse effects that may arise from mineral exploration and development. The requested withdrawal would retain the contiguous landscape, resulting in more efficient and effective administration of USFS and BLM administered lands and to protect the agricultural, ranching, wildlife, air quality, recreation, ecological, and scenic values of the Thompson Divide Area for both intrinsic and economic value to local communities,” states the draft, which finds no significant impacts will occur based on the action.

On Oct. 12, 2022, the Biden-Harris administration first announced steps to conserve the Thompson Divide area. The withdrawal responds to “broad concerns about its important wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, grazing lands, and clean air and water,” according to a joint press release issued Friday by the USFS, Department of the Interior and BLM.

Preserving recreation, scenery and culture

The draft EA describes that “Other notable recreation destinations include Lake Irwin Campground and Lost Lake Campground. Both are popular camping spots in the withdrawal application area due to hiking and fishing opportunities and stunning views of the Ruby Mountain Range. The Oh Be Joyful Recreation Area encompasses 600 acres and provides hiking, picnicking, and camping opportunities in the Slate River valley. Many people come to Oh Be Joyful to view waterfalls on Oh Be Joyful Creek, which is a short hike west of the campground.”

The draft describes some of the significant  scenic attributes of the withdrawal application area between McClure Pass and Crested Butte with rolling landforms of rounded ridges and valleys transitioning to steep, high angle mountain side slopes and alpine ridges. 

“This area also includes the high alpine peaks and ridges of East Beckwith Mountain and West Beckwith Peak on the northern edge of the West Elk Wilderness and Ruby Peak and Mount Owen on the southern edge of the Raggeds Wilderness. The Ruby Range area, most often viewed from Kebler Pass Road, is covered with a highly mineralized rock formation characterized by varying shades of red. 

“Ruby Range is especially breathtaking when contrasted with golden aspen in the fall. Ruby Peak and Mount Owen provide a beautiful backdrop to Lake Irwin, a popular fishing and camping destination. This rugged area is important for its outstanding and diverse scenery, backcountry recreation opportunities, and remoteness as well as wildlife viewing opportunities. Recreation opportunities exist in all seasons,” according to the USFS in the original document.

The draft describes the area’s cultural importance as well. “[It is] one of the last strongholds of traditional ranching culture in western Colorado and provides summer range to some of the oldest ranching operations in the area. Livestock operations rely on federal grazing allotments, or designated areas that have an assigned livestock carrying capacity, in the Thompson Divide area, preserving thousands of acres of increasingly scarce winter range on private valley bottom lands for deer and elk as well.” Permitted grazing occurs on 36 active grazing allotments of the Thompson Divide withdrawal application area.

Comment period and virtual public meeting

The 30-day public comment period will be open through January 8, 2024. 

“This comment period offers the public an important opportunity to participate in the evaluation of this requested withdrawal,” said Rocky Mountain regional forester Frank Beum. “This requested withdrawal of the Thompson Divide area is in response to a strong interest from a diverse stakeholder group, including hunters, ranchers, conservation groups, and local governments.”

The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management will host a virtual public meeting from 6-7 p.m. MST on December 18. The meeting will include a short presentation explaining the requested withdrawal and draft environmental assessment, a question-and-answer session and information on how to submit public comments.

Register for the virtual public meeting at https://bit.ly/4878ZFV. For inquiries about accessibility, please contact Olivia Blake at 970-200-6195 or olivia.blake@usda.gov. 

More information about the requested withdrawal and how to submit comments is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63679.  

“We are continuing to work through the process of preparing the draft Environmental Assessment”

By Katherine Nettles

The White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have postponed releasing their much-anticipated draft environmental assessment for the requested Thompson Divide Withdrawal as the U.S. Forest Service works through some unexpected delays with final internal reviews. 

Originally the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced that it would be releasing the document on November 14, which relates to the proposed protection of nearly a quarter-million acres from national forests and BLM lands from being eligible for mining, oil and gas extraction for a period of 20 years. The plan’s release was to be accompanied by a public virtual information meeting that same week, but the meeting was cancelled when the draft was postponed by a few days. The later date came and went without a draft as well, and USFS representatives now say they do not know when the draft will be ready. 

“The timeline has been extended for some final internal reviews,” said Olivia Blake, acting public affairs officer for the USFS, in a media update on November 17. “We are continuing to work through the process of preparing the draft environmental assessment and do not currently have an estimated date for its release.”

The Department of Interior (DOI) proposed the 20-year protection for the Thompson Divide area just over a year ago in October 2022, citing, “broad concerns about protecting the Thompson Divide’s important wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, grazing lands and clean air and water.” The Thompson Divide area has not been available for oil and gas leasing for several years, and there is no current or planned oil exploration or production in the area, according to the DOI. 

The areas to be protected would include Paonia Ranger District, western Aspen Ranger District and western Sopris Ranger District, and within Gunnison County it would include Mt. Emmons, aka Red Lady, above the town of Crested Butte.

The 20-year withdrawal is still subject to valid existing rights, so pre-existing natural gas leases in the area would not be affected. The DOI has identified pre-existing leases as comprising less than 1% of the 3,000-plus active federal leases in Colorado.

The 2022 proposal was followed by a 90-day public comment period prior to the current intensive Environmental Assessment process. 

The 20-year limit on the protection is in place because permanent protections require an act of Congress. U.S. Senator Michael Bennet has made repeated efforts to pass such legislation since 2013 to no avail.

Blake confirmed again this week that the USFS is still working through some final internal reviews and does not have an updated release date.

The proposal process documents can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=6367 and a map of the proposed area for protection can be found at https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2022-10/Thompson%20Divide%20Map.pdf.

Includes protections for Mt. Emmons

By Katherine Nettles

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is close to releasing the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the requested Thompson Divide mineral withdrawal for public comment. The USFS plans to host a public virtual information meeting soon after the EA is released, perhaps in the next week.

Under the proposed Thompson Divide Withdrawal, the USFS has requested 224,704 acres of National Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands be “withdrawn from all forms of entry, appropriation and disposal under the public land laws, mining laws, and mineral and geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights.” This means nearly a quarter-million acres would no longer be eligible for mining, oil and gas extraction for a period of 20 years. 

This includes areas across the Gunnison Ranger District, Paonia Ranger District, western Aspen Ranger District and western Sopris Ranger District, and notably includes protection for Mt. Emmons, aka Red Lady, above the town of Crested Butte.

The Department of the Interior announced the proposal to conserve the Thompson Divide area in October 2022, and after a public comment period last spring, has been conducting an environmental assessment according to the National Environmental Protection Act process requirements.  

A map of the proposed area can be found at https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2022-10/Thompson%20Divide%20Map.pdf and the proposal process documents can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=6367.

By Katherine Nettles

Participating in BLM process

Gunnison County will participate as a cooperating agency in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office Plan Amendment. This means it will participate in the process, athough the planning area is outside Gunnison County’s jurisdiction, because the planning area is an important corridor for preserving minerals, wildlife habitat and other interests to Gunnison County, according to county attorney Matthew Hoyt. “I think we have a major stake in this process,” he said during a commissioners meeting on October 17. County commissioner chair Jonathan Houck added that the Uncompahgre field office has a lot of sage grouse habitat as well. The board appointed Houck as the board representative to the process.

GMUG MOU for Thompson Divide Withdrawal

Commissioners also gave approval to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, and Gunnison County as a cooperating agency for working toward the completion of an environmental analysis as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for the Thompson Divide Withdrawal Project. The Thompson Divide Withdrawal would protect Mt. Emmons from mineral withdrawals as well but is separate from the Mt. Emmons deal being worked out between the USFS, Gunnison County and the town of Crested Butte.  

By Mark Reaman

CB investigating potential use of bonds to pay for projects

Crested Butte is looking to retain a municipal financial advisor to look at a potential public bond sales to finance projects like the town’s affordable housing projects in Paradise Park. Community development director Troy Russ said the bond in that case would be applied to the town’s excise tax on short-term rentals. Voters approved bonding capacity when they approved the .25 increase to the excise tax. The length of the bond would depend on the need, typically 30 years. 

According to Crested Butte town manager Dara MacDonald, the municipal financial advisor would also help the town understand options for financing the construction of a potential new post office at Sixth St. and Gothic Avenue.  

Additionally, MacDonald said, as it appears that the Thompson Divide Withdrawal is on track, the town also wants to understand the opportunities to best utilize RETT revenues and reserves in making the $2 million payment to Mt. Emmons Mining Company upon administrative withdrawal and abandonment of their unpatented mining claims. 

Speaking of the Post Office…

Town attorney Karl Hanlon said since several Western Slope municipalities had investigated pursuing a lawsuit against the United States Postal Service for failing to respond to poor service complaints, the issue has been in limbo. But he noted that postal service to all the involved areas—including Crested Butte—has improved substantially. Hmmm…

Center for the Arts occupancy and parking

The BOZAR (Board of Zoning and Architectural Review) approved a request from the CB Center for the Arts to no longer limit occupancy to 400 people at a time. Instead, the Center will be able to hold 963 people as allowed under the International Building Code.

BOZAR granted a one-year trial to evaluate parking impacts from larger events on the neighborhood. The Center will have to do several things to mitigate parking issues including: retain an agreement with the school district to use the school parking lot during non-school hours; help to ensure “resident only parking” on certain sections of Sopris, Whiterock, Belleview and Red Lady Avenues in conjunction with a third party parking management company; develop a “transportation demand pamphlet” showing transit routing options; and collect and analyze data collected over the next 12 months with the community development department.

Recreation updates to council

The Crested Butte council heard from the directors of CB Nordic and the Gunnison County MetRec district at the October 16 meeting. Both said the organizations were doing well and appreciated their quality partnerships with the town. 

CB Nordic executive director Hedda Peterson said numbers are strong and a couple new programs, like adult biathlon training (with laser rifles instead of live ammo) and a Mom’s Power Hour, will be coming online this winter. Events are booming and outreach programs are expected to expand. The Outpost building expansion is slated to be completed in January of 2024 and Peterson said there is still $7,500 to be raised for the project.

MetRec executive director Derrick Nehrenberg said a recreation master planning process for the region would be starting soon. MetRec is analyzing results of a recent public survey and looking at how to best spend tax revenues. Council emphasized the need for more field space in the North Valley and liked the concept of a Crested Butte-to-Gunnison recreation path. Other council desires were for more indoor recreation programs that were affordable for working families and improved trailhead infrastructure. 

Stuff:

—Council passed Ordinance 23 that updated chapter four of the town municipal code. That section of the code deals with town finance and revenues.

—Staff had hoped that Outshine Solar would have made more progress with the proposed solar array at Avalanche Park south of town, but it is still continuing. A relocation of the Baxter Gulch parking lot was expected to occur this fall; however, that will be postponed until the spring of 2024. Outshine Solar has recently submitted their land use application to Gunnison County for the solar array. 

—The new CB council that includes former councilmember Kent Cowherd replacing current councilmember Chris Haver will be sworn in November 20. Given that the number of council candidates who petitioned to run for election matches the number of seats open, there was no need for an election.