Massive power lines in front of Rocky Mountain National Park?

Original post here:

Hi all,

If you like climbing, hiking, and skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park or around Estes Park, your visit may be altered forever if the US Department of Energy's proposed re-route of an industrial-scale power line is approved. To oppose the re-route up scenic Highway 36 entering the Estes Valley, visit:

responsiblelines.org/takeac…

A division of the DOE, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), is planning to rebuild aging power lines, but instead of routing them through the Forest Service's designated Utility Corridor, they are planning to re-route them (creating *another* massive clear-cut with 110' steel towers and a web of lines) up Highway 36 where most Americans get their first views of the majestic peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The comment period ends in just four short days: JANUARY 31st, 2012

Learn more at responsiblelines.org, a website put together by local residents of Estes Park that realized that WAPA planned the re-route to accommodate a single influential land-owner who currently owns most of the east end of Estes Park below Mount Olympus. They plan to re-route the original 1938 line out of the exclusively private valley, and instead right into the middle of the public's view.

There's a Take Action page where you can easily send a pre-drafted letter to all the relevant decision-makers, or even better, you can draft your own.

responsiblelines.org/takeac…

Thanks very much for your help. The views in Estes Park are worth defending. We hope you can visit without transmission towers blocking your view.

Cheers,
Chris Jones

What we may be in for. responsiblelines.org/takeac…

Power lines carry the electricity to your computer so you can make posts like this. Don't demonize the modern conveniences you enjoy. It is popular to claim lines are ugly but the overall impact is far less than underground lines.

Don't these DOE people realize that appearances and tourism are key to the Estes Park area? Seems ill advised to relocate them if a corridor is already in place. Somebody's construction company maybe has a DOE friend?

Brian Bourquin wrote:Power lines carry the electricity to your computer so you can make posts like this. Don't demonize the modern conveniences you enjoy. It is popular to claim lines are ugly but the overall impact is far less than underground lines.

Did you even read the post? They're talking about reusing the existing corridor instead of creating another (which may be for the convenience of one landowner).

Why isn't this stuff buried along the interstate highways ? We have the same issue in the NE where they want to build a big power line down through NH from Canada.

Brian Bourquin wrote: the overall impact is far less than underground lines.

How so?

Woodchuck ATC wrote:Don't these DOE people realize that appearances and tourism are key to the Estes Park area? Seems ill advised to relocate them if a corridor is already in place. Somebody's construction company maybe has a DOE friend?

Not to mention the colossal waste of tax payer dollars to create another corridor, which will likely include condemnation of other private lands. Makes a ton of sense given the current state and federal governments' fiscal conditions.

Obviously, it's a money thing. If it's approved money comes in, justified by "job creation" just like all the other unnecessary projects and alleged jobs created by the stimulus packages...

Hi all.

Below is a map to help illustrate the issue at hand. The red line on the map is the utility corridor designated by the USFS. The current Estes-Flatiron Transmission Line follows this USFS Designated Utility Corridor out of Estes Park, CO. Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) has a current proposal on the table to re-build the transmission line between Estes Park and Flatiron (see map). However, after what appears to be undue influence, they have changed their plans from a rebuild, and instead they now plan to re-route the original transmission line away from a single influential land-owner and into highly scenic public travel corridors, overlooks, residential areas, and trail head, campgrounds.

Just to clarify, this project is to bring power from the Estes hydro-power plant, out of Estes Park to Front Range communities like Denver (where Brian Bourquin lives). That being said, residents here, ourselves included, have shown great support for sending reliable power from Estes Park to places that need it, but we are opposing what promises to be a damaging re-route which will be at the tax-payer's expense and a great detriment to the landscape.

We are trying to get as many people as possible to write in and say, "WAPA, Use the route you have. Re-build the line, Don't re-route it up scenic highway 36 or through highly scenic trailheads and campgrounds in the National Forest where no utility corridor exists."

Take a look at the map and the website put together by local residents. Comment deadline is in just a few days. There's a comment page on the website, where you can send the comment there or delete it and write your own. Let's tell WAPA to use the route they have along the Designated Utility Corridor, get Brian some reliable power, and stay away from our scenic public areas, for the good of everyone.

Take Action here: responsiblelines.org/takeac…

One last thing, the private property owner we mentioned (APC Crocker Ranch LLC owned by the Pew family heirs) currently blocks access to Mount Olympus, Mount Pisgah, most of the public access to Roosevelt National Forest adjacent to the East end of Estes Park, and the once public "Loveland Road" that dates back to 1877. They apparently want the DOE out of their private valley too. So far, they're succeeding.

Someone on your site back in 2004 was quoted as saying, "The whole south face of Olympus is Crocker Ranch property and is off limits to climbers, period...unless you want an ass full of buckshot, don't even think about it."

See: mountainproject.com/v/mt-ol…

I hope this helps,

ARNF GIS Map. The red line depicts the USFS Designated Utility Corridor. This is where the current line sits that they propose to re-route. Why?

Bump. Letter Sent.

Good luck folks fighting it. The ranch owners sound like wicked A-holes. Hopefully they will all die in a small private plane accident or a drive their Hummer at high speed into a ditch soon.

with the winds that have been goin through here recently those things won't last long hahahahaha

M Sprague wrote:Good luck folks fighting it. The ranch owners sound like wicked A-holes. Hopefully they will all die in a small private plane accident or a drive their Hummer at high speed into a ditch soon.

Seriously? Who is the wicked A-Hole here? Are you seriously hoping that another human dies a tragic death on a climbing forum? I hope your post is in jest for your sake.

PS: I dont want the powerlines either.

What do you think? You have heard of a little hyperbole, no? Truth be told, I do find nasty selfish people repulsive and don't find their eventual demise too saddening. I do find it sad that they are like that though.

Not only that, but the planned location of the powerlines will be more favorable to invasion by hostile extra-terrestrials and asteroid collisions.

Buff Johnson wrote:Not only that, but the planned location of the powerlines will be more favorable to invasion by hostile extra-terrestrials and asteroid collisions.

Are you saying these lines will protect us against the upcoming alien invasion and asteroid destruction? Well now that's something to consider.

Whether you don't want your tax dollars being wasted on a re-route to serve private interests, or you just don't want to see our scenic public lands littered with clear cuts and ten story steel towers, I think we can all agree that re-building the power lines out of the Estes Valley confined along areas already designated for this purpose by the USFS makes sense.

Western Area Power plans to unnecessarily re-route this industrial scale project up US Highway 36, past scenic overlooks, and across Roosevelt National Forest trails and campgrounds where no utility corridor exists.

We have 48 hours left in the comment period to convince them otherwise. Here's how you can help.

Take Action here: responsiblelines.org/takeac…

P.S. To the several folks from this group who wrote in yesterday, thanks for helping us have a say in preserving everybody's public lands! You're awesome!

110' steel towers will dwarf any tree in Estes Park.

Take Action here: responsiblelines.org/takeac…

sent

letter sent

Hi all. Thanks for everyone who sent comments yesterday! The site was down all today, not sure why. But it's back up. So, if you tried to send a comment and couldn't, now you can.

The more people that speak up the better.

Take Action here: responsiblelines.org/takeac…

Help us protect the Estes Valley in front of Rocky Mountain National Park. The utility corridor we're trying to get Western Area Power to use for the re-build already consolidates Power, Gas, and Water Lines, and it steers clear of the scenic byways, trailheads, and back country for the good of everyone.

M Sprague wrote:Why isn't this stuff buried along the interstate highways ? We have the same issue in the NE where they want to build a big power line down through NH from Canada.

The primary difference is cost - it is much more expensive to put it underground, especially in mountainous terrain or areas where the ground cover has a lot of rock. i'm kind of surprised they aren't figuring out a way to add to the existing route - seems like it would be best all around.

Wow, I'm Mr-Sold-Out-to-the-Man and this makes even me angry.

Custom letter written and sent.