Correction: In a photo included in last week’s coverage of the Thompson Divide, Lea Linse holds up a Post Independent article from 2013, not 2023.
Regarding the Spring Valley Ranch development, Kathleen Wanatowicz stated that “80-90% of the homes will be second homes,” not 86%.
A time to celebrate
Years ago, when natural gas drilling was heating up in Dry Hollow south of Silt, and Peggy Utesch and the late Carol Bell were organizing against it, I interviewed Peggy on KDNK Community Access Radio. Afterwards, we stood in the hallway at the station and she said, “Be prepared. It’s going to happen here.”
I didn’t know about the threat to the Thompson Divide then, and couldn’t imagine the countryside around Carbondale bristling with gas rigs like what happened to the western end of Garfield County. But, sure enough, energy companies began to sniff out the Thompson Divide and things got scary.
Now, that beautiful place is protected, for the next 20 years, from new gas and mineral leasing, thanks to a collaboration of community members from all walks of life that can only be described as amazing.
I covered some of it for KDNK, in the air with Ecoflight and interviewing ranchers, environmentalists, anglers, government officials and many more, all of whom had their own reasons for loving that place. So, I want to thank all of you, from Wilderness Workshop to the Thompson Divide Coalition to the ranchers and everyone who made this convoluted process work, for the sense of safety that comes from knowing a beloved landscape will remain whole. It’s been a long road and we haven’t reached the end of it yet, but for now, let’s celebrate.
Amy Hadden Marsh
Cattle Creek Watershed
Story tips?
I’m trying to put together a history of the big dog park (AKA the Delaney dog park) and am
looking for info from any and all sources. So far, I’ve learned:
Carbondale apparently acquired the land when it bought the property for the water treatment plant;
I think the property was previously owned by either the late Bob Delaney or Mid-Continent Resources;
The parcel became a defacto dog park after some residents started using the property for that purpose;
At some point during a town trustee meeting, a trustee asked why dogs were being allowed to run around off leash on the property. One trustee passed a motion to allow off-leash dogs on the property. There were four dog owners on the board at the time.
The Town made a master plan for the property, officially named the Carbondale Nature Park
And I think I read the land is Carbondale’s most used park.
Any scrap of info could prove useful. For instance, who owns the irrigation ditch that runs through the park? Anecdotes are welcome. You can email info to me at lynnburtonn679@gmail.com I hope to spin this into a Sopris Sun article at some point.
Lynn “Jake” Burton
Glenwood Springs
Letters policy: The Sopris Sun welcomes local letters to the editor. Shorter letters stand a better chance of being printed. Letters exclusive to The Sopris Sun (not appearing in other papers) are particularly welcome. Please cite your facts and include your name and place of residence or association. Letters are due to news@soprissun.com by noon on the Monday before we go to print.