Voice your opinion about changes at Green Mountain Reservoir

Last week I received a letter from the forest service with some idea on the changes they want to make at Green Mountain Reservoir. Below is the letter:


Date: August 24, 2009


Dear Interested Party,
The Dillon Ranger District is seeking public comment on proposed improvements to several recreation facilities at Green Mountain Reservoir.

As you may already be aware, GMR was recently designated as at a very high risk for the introduction of non-native mussels (Aquatic Nuisance Species, or ANS) by the Division of Wildlife. Some management changes have been already been implemented to reduce the chances of accidental introduction of these species including the elimination of general shoreline boat launching. Unfortunately, the current launch facilities are inadequate to handle the volume of use in an efficient manner and improvements are needed. The District also wishes to continue improvement of several of the camping areas over the next five to seven years.

The proposed actions include highway safety improvements and construction of a new marina and larger launch and parking facilities at Cow Creek South. These actions would allow for more efficient inspection and decontamination facilities for addressing ANS, extend the operating season above what the two current launch points are capable of and increase the boat docking and storage capacity on the reservoir. Proposed improvements also include the addition of up to 40 total sites within Cow Creek South, Cow Creek North and McDonald Flats, as well as road construction and general resurfacing in these three sites. Further proposed is host site construction in Prairie Point and Cow Creek South and providing potable water, electrical power and a dump station at Cow Creek South.

A public open house is scheduled for Thursday, September 3rd from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Dillon Ranger Station in Silverthorne. District staff will be on hand to share information about what is being proposed and to receive comments. Public input will be used to identify issues and develop alternatives to the above proposal.

Comments would be most helpful if received by September 18, 2009. Written comment should be addressed to Jan Cutts, District Ranger, Dillon Ranger District, P.O. Box 620, Dillon, CO 80498; (970) 468-7735 (fax); or by submitting an email to: wrnf_scoping_comments@fs.fed.us. Please include: (1) Your name, address, telephone number, organization represented, if any; (2) Name of this proposal on which the comment is being submitted, Green Mountain Reservoir Improvement Planning Project; and (3) Specific facts and supporting reasons for your concerns. Notification of the official comment period will be mailed to those people who have submitted comments to this proposal and to those who request notification.

If you need any further information about the project you may call Rich Doak at 970-945-3267 or me at 970-468-5400. Maps of the project area are available at the Dillon Ranger District as well as on the White River National Forest website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver/.
Thank you for your interest in the management of your public lands. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
JAN CUTTS
District Ranger

I can only find general Green Mountain Reservoir maps on the web site. I'm hoping there will be more information at the open house.

Some of my concerns are:
Highway turn lane
Electricity - are they bringing it in- how much will it cost and will it be worth it?
What about the Marina in Heeney?
What services will be available at Cow Creek (store, etc - what will Summit County have to say about that?)
Where are these extra campsites going to be.

I'm glad to see the forest service looking at the issues, rather than ignoring Green Mountain Reservoir. If you have a chance come to the open house and give them your input.