Agreement protects lynx, water quality

Posted by egable on September 11th, 2008 filed in Endangered species, Water

Thanks to an agreement between Colorado Wild and Durango Mountain Resort, the resort’s new master development plan will avoid impacting known lynx habitat and a sensitive headwater creek, environmentalists said yesterday.

Per the agreement, yesterday’s approval by the San Juan National Forest of the master development plan will allow the resort to move forward with certain on-mountain improvements, including new lifts, several new trails and upgraded snowmaking systems. In return, Colorado Wild convinced the resort to forgo the addition of new trails and lifts in the Ice Creek drainage, an area thought to be important habitat for the Canada lynx that also serves as the headwaters of the East Fork of Hermosa Creek. The resort and Colorado Wild are working together to identify alternatives to protect the area while providing improved beginner skiing opportunities at the resort.

The San Juan National Forest has completed an environmental impact statement assessing the plan that includes dozens of requirements for the resort to repair past environmental damage. Part of the resort’s master plan includes initiatives to help minimize the environmental impacts of historical logging, grazing and related practices that the Forest Service has permitted within or near the resort’s “special use” permit area. These initiatives include re-vegetation of logging and grazing access roads, preservation of un-compacted areas to offset new winter trails that will compact snow, restoration of the Purgatory Creek stream channel, erosion and sediment controls installed on new trails, drainage improvements and the creation of a lynx mitigation fund providing more than $800,000 for lynx habitat improvements in southwest Colorado.