Reflections on local meetings regarding Mr. McCombs land swap scheme

Dear Editor, local Representatives and Congressman Salazar,

I felt a bit like a party crasher at the BoCC and Pagosa Springs Town Board meetings this past week. On the one hand, I can appreciate annoyance at some outsider poking his nose into local issues. On the other hand, I hope people appreciate that Alberta Park, located within the unspoiled source waters to the Rio Grande River isn’t just another local real estate issue. What happens up there will ultimate effect all down stream inhabitants of an interstate, international river.


Consider the claim made at the Town Board meeting: “It’s the economy stupid!” This way of thinking implies that building something, anything, so long as we can put a few people to work ~ even if it’s only a couple seasons ~ is good for the community. What good does that do the young families who are trying to think in terms of decades?

There is a great deal of avoidance going on. No one wants to look our growing economic/biosphere monster in the eye. But, all indications are that society is coming to the end of a creation old spendthrift era.

The incoming economic battle cry is “It’s about the sustainability stupid!” An integral part of sustainability is protecting our resources, especially water. It’s easy for us up here to overlook what an incredibly precious commodity it is. If you don’t believe it, go down to the Mexican border and watch the people on both sides struggling with a greatly depleted Rio Grande River water supply.

This brings me back to Alberta Park. I heard a couple representatives muse about how they love that land up there and if they had their drothers nothing would be built up there. Then vote against it. Their words indicated that in their hearts they know what a precious commodity Americans have up there. Why not fight for it?

And this brings me back to my intrusion. Red McCombs’ Reagan era pipedream is a huge mistake in the making, and since so few are screaming bloody murder, I will. Why? Because I’m haunted by too many examples of counterproductive destruction of critical natural resources that I’ve watched go down over the decades.

Please, put some effort into taking this whole issue back to first base and figuring out a way to get that ill-gotten land back into the protective fold of RGNF. That land, all of it, deserves to remain unmolested for the greater national good.

Sincerely,

Peter Miesler
La Plata County