County Nurse Retires after 17 years as Director

Fremont County Nurse Clarice Little will leave her post at the end of May after leading the Fremont County Nursing Service for the past seventeen years. Little has decided to retire from her work in public health where she has worked for twenty-seven years. Little began with the Fremont County Nursing Service in September, 1981, performing home health service, operating immunization clinics, and a multitude of other duties.

She became deputy director of the nursing service in 1985. After completing her Master's Degree in Administration she became the acting administrator in January, 1991, while the administrator was called to active duty with Desert Storm in Iraq. Little took over permanent duties as administrator ten months later.

The Fremont County Commissioners have announced that Becki Vettese is being promoted from her current post with the nursing office to become the new administrator. Vettese is a registered nurse who has worked with the Fremont County Nursing Service since 2001 working primarily in home health, immunizations, well child programs, and emergency preparedness. Vettese previously worked with St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City as the Director of Obstetrics for one year and as nursing supervisor for two years.

Prior to moving to Canon City in 1998 Vettese also worked in obstetrics and pediatrics in Alaska, New Mexico, and Nevada with the Indian Health Service. Her husband, Dennis Vettese, is a pharmacist at St. Thomas More Hospital. They have three children (ages 28, 22, and 18) and two grandchildren.

County Commission Chairman Larry Lasha said Fremont County is fortunate to have someone of Vettese's caliber and experience to carry on the tradition of public health services in Fremont County.

He said the Board of Commissioners appreciates the dedication that Clarice Little exhibited in her work to the county nursing service over those 27 years and noted that Little can be pleased she leaves behind a well trained staff of professionals.

Countywide Stage One Fire Ban In Effect

Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker has imposed Stage One Fire Restrictions across all unincorporated areas of Fremont County. The Sheriff was preparing to put the restrictions in place when the county's first wildland fire of the season broke out Monday afternoon (May 12th) in the Copper Gulch area within the Deer Mountain Fire District. The fire was believed to have been ignited from a controlled burn that got out of hand and was spread by strong southwest winds onto BLM public lands. It quickly covered 200 acres by nightfall.

Sheriff Beicker said he had decided that conditions had warranted a fire ban and sought authorization from the county commissioners. Stage One fire restrictions were then imposed by the Sheriff which primarily prohibit all open burning. The specifics of a Stage One fire ban include:

A. STAGE ONE ALLOWED ACTIVITIES
1. Open fires only at developed recreation sites or improved sites;
2. Charcoal, propane or other contained fuel grill use;
3. Open fires in metal fire rings in campgrounds and parks;
4. Smoking only within an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, within a

designated smoking area with an approved container for discarding of butts, or while stopped

in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials;
5. Use of an approved spark arrestor for use of any internal combustion engine, only if equipped with

an approved spark arrestor;
6. Outdoor welding and grinding with proper distance from combustible materials, as long as there is

proper and appropriate fire protection and suppression equipment in place.

B. STAGE ONE PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
1. All open fires, open burning and smoking if not specifically allowed above;
2. All agricultural burning including but not limited to weeds, brush, grass;
3. Use and/or discharge of fireworks or pyrotechnic devices,
4. Use of any explosives;
5. Open fires using rock ring burn pits;
6. Recreational below ground cooking;
7. Outdoor smoking except as specifically allowed above, including discard of cigarette butts at any

location or from any vehicle.

If conditions worsen the Sheriff would have the authority to impose an even stricter ban under Stage Two or Stage Three fire restrictions.

May 13th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners Tuesday gave the Sheriff authority to impose a fire ban and approved a permit that will allow the former Broken Spoke arena at Penrose to reopen.

Sheriff Jim Beicker sought the Commissioners approval of a resolution to authorize him to impose fire bans this spring and summer due to the extreme fire danger conditions that have emerged in recent weeks. Beicker took a break from helping manage the Sheriff's wildland fire team response to the Ferguson Fire which broke out in the Copper Gulch area southwest of Canon City Monday afternoon. Beicker said conditions are such that even with a break from welcome rain showers, a day or two of sunny and windy weather would again leave conditions ripe for wildfire. With the Commissioners' approval the Sheriff announced he would impose Stage One fire restrictions which basically prevent all open burning and agricultural burning in unincorporated areas of Fremont County.

The Commissioners unanimously approved a special review use permit for the Crossroads Event Center which will open soon in the former Broken Spoke arena on the southeast corner of Highways 50 and 115 at Penrose. James Pickart told the Commissioners that he and his partners intend to operate a large animal veterinary clinic at the arena as the basis for their operation. He said the arena will cater to the owners of horses involved in competitive roping and rodeo type events. Pickart said scheduling arena events and operating a restaurant will help to round out the operation of the new business. Pickart said eventually a residence will be built on the site.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Approved a temporary use permit for the Penrose ATV Club to operate a Royal Gorge ATV Jamboree on June 7th at 0012 3rd Street in Penrose. Ron Faulkner said the event has been scaled back considerably to now feature only an outdoor concert that Saturday evening. He said they hope to do better planning next year to include an ATV rodeo and trail rides;
• approved a proclamation designating May as Foster Care Month in Fremont County;
• approved a zone change from Business to Ag Estates zoning for Tony Wish along Highway 50 at Coaldale. Wish has already torn down an old barber shop and is preparing a new home site on the riverfront property;
• approved four abatements referred from the County Assessor's office;
• and approved Fremont County's sponsorship of issuing a revenue bond through Wells Fargo to finance acquisition of new offices for Sangre DeCristo Hospice in Canon City. The bond issuance carries no fiscal liability to the county.
  

Tourism Council Web Site Report

As members of the Fremont County Tourism Council (FCTC) analyze the number of internet visits to the council's official web site, www.rgcountry.com, the next challenge is to come up with a message that will compete with other Colorado attractions.

R.A. Burrell of Internet Honey told FCTC last month that the number of visits to the Royal Gorge Country web site is up significantly within Colorado, as well as from California, Illinois, and New York. Burrell said web visits from New York State are up about five times. He said there has also been a significant growth in web site visits from Denver and the Front Range region. He said what's puzzling is that inquiries from Texas, typically one of Colorado's strongest markets, have gone down.

Burrell said the growth could be attributed to the overall increased marketing campaign for Colorado tourism but he added that the interest has particularly peaked in relation to Colorado sightseeing. But when it comes to connecting web visits to tourists who actually travel to Fremont County, Burrell notes that unfortunately Fremont County doesn't have the exclusive market for beautiful Colorado scenery.

He said the Royal Gorge is of course unique to Fremont County, but there must be a further "call to action" of what will make Fremont County a unique place to visit for the traveling family. Burrell challenged the Tourism Council saying, "What is the conversation we will have with that family once they check out the Royal Gorge? How will the Royal Gorge compete against a Steamboat Springs or Summit County?" Burrell said what must happen next with internet promotion for www.rgcountry.com is the need to move the Royal Gorge to new markets that don't know the area. He said that's the task ahead for FCTC to develop a 'branding' campaign.

Agenda for May 6th Planning Commission

A site development plan for a new library in Penrose and a permit application for an ATV jamboree in the Penrose area in June highlight a busy agenda for the Fremont County Planning Commission May 6th.

The Planning Commission will review details of the Penrose Community Library District's site development plan to build a new library on the northwest corner of Dawson Street and 7th Avenue in the downtown Penrose area. The district is proposing a library building of nearly 6,950 square feet with allowances to build a 2,000 square foot addition in the future. The building site covers a little less than one acre.

The Penrose ATV Club is seeking a temporary use permit from the county to allow the first Royal Gorge ATV Jamboree at 0012 3rd Street (County Road #123) on Saturday, June 7th. The site is located on 80 acres of private property 1 3/4 miles west of Highway 115 in the Beaver Park area. The permit application seeks permission to stage an ATV Rodeo, limited camping, and an outdoor concert that evening.

The county commissioners requested that the jamboree permit application be reviewed by the Planning Commission because as a first time event in that area it has the potential of drawing a crowd of between 200 and 1,000 people which could pose some impacts on the neighborhood.

The Planning Commission will consider a zone change request from Tony Wish for a piece of property along the north side of Highway 50 in the Coaldale area. The parcel is bordered by residential property on both sides. Wish is seeking a change from Business Zone to Ag Estates Zoning so he can build a new residence on the property.

The Commission also considers a special review use permit application from Alltel Communications which wants to install a new 100 foot monopole wireless communications tower in the Four Mile area. The proposed tower site is on land owned by the Jean Colon-Ann Emerson trust and is on the hill just southeast of Highway 50 and MacKenzie Avenue east of Canon City.

The Fremont County Planning Commission meets at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 6th in Room LL-3 of the Fremont County Administration Building at 6th and Macon in Canon City.

Conservation Easements Workshop Scheduled

The Gold Belt Byway Association invites Fremont County landowners to attend a conservation easement workshop in Canon City Wednesday evening May 7th from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express. Fremont County Commissioner Mike Stiehl will have opening remarks.

A conservation easement is a legal agreement that ensures a property will be managed in perpetuity according to the landowner's desires. It also qualifies the landowner for significant state and federal tax benefits. Conservation easements can assist landowners in protecting their land, wildlife habitat, scenic areas, and/or historic buildings.

The purpose of the two hour workshop is to enable attendees to begin to understand the process of a conservation easement and its financial benefits under the Internal Revenue Service Code and Colorado tax credit program.

Participants will be treated to a brief overview of a diversity of easement topics. Staff from the Palmer Land Trust and San Isabel Land Protection Trust will make a presentation on conservation easement use and application. Highly qualified, licensed professionals will be available to discuss appraisals and the tax implications of conservation easements. Finally, landowners with conservation easements on their properties will speak about their personal experiences with the process.

The workshop is free of charge. Snacks and beverages will be served. There is no need to RSVP. Contact Charlotte Bumgarner at 719-689-2461 if you have questions.

Fremont Judicial Center Awarded Security Grant

Fremont County's Judicial Center will see improvements in emergency communications as the result of a grant awarded by the Colorado Court Security Commission. The Commission announced that Fremont County will receive a $10,995 grant to install a public address system in the Judicial Center to better facilitate a full evacuation of the building in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Fremont County is one of forty-six counties to receive a grant from among $1 million in grant monies that were awarded. Steven Steadman, court security specialist for the Colorado State Court Administrator's Office, said every county that applied for a grant received some funding from the seven-member Court Security Commission. The Commission was established under Senate Bill 118 approved in the 2007 session of the General Assembly. Steadman said the grants distributed this month represent the first full round of funding under the program. The grants will reimburse counties for security-related spending specified in the grant applications.

A public address system in the Fremont County Judicial Center had been listed as a security priority after concerns were raised when some people had remained in the building following a fire alarm. Emergency evacuations of the Judicial Center can quickly become complicated over security issues with inmates who are in custody; security issues for judges, attorneys, and witnesses; and for juries that may be deliberating a court case. The public address system will enable emergency messages to be broadcast on speakers and telephones throughout courtrooms and offices in the Judicial Center as well as the adjoining offices of the Probation Department and the District Attorney.

April 22nd Commissioners Meeting

Renewal of a conditional use permit for a clay mine south of Rockvale highlighted a brief agenda Tuesday for the Fremont County Commissioners.

The Commissioners conducted a public hearing on Summit Brick and Tile Company's application to renew their permit for the Cherokee Clay Mine along County Road 84 south of Rockvale. Summit has operated the clay mine since 1977. Instead of another ten year permit, this Summit requested a 'life of the mine' permit. One neighbor expressed concern as to whether the mountain across from her will be mined but was told it will not.

The Commissioners unanimously approved a 35 year permit for what the company considers will be the life of the mine. Of the 35.2 acre permit area they will mine 9.9 acres of clay used in firing bricks. Summit will limit mining and hauling to six weeks per year from 8 to 5 Monday through Saturday. They agreed to a condition to provide 100 tons of gravel annually to help the Road and Bridge Department maintain County Road 84 due to impacts from their truck traffic. They will also make necessary grading and gravel surface improvements to their access so as to prevent muddy, clay material from dropping/washing onto the county road.

The Commissioners Tuesday also:

• Appointed Randy White and Jay Seavy to two year terms on the Fremont County Airport and Industrial Park Advisory Board. White and Seavy replace John Ary and Dave Nash on the board;
• Approved a temporary use permit for the annual Blossom Festival carnival to operate along Elm Avenue just west of Canon City's Public Works Building;
• and re-scheduled the regular June 10th Board of Commissioners meeting to Monday, June 9th, to allow the board to attend the summer conference of Colorado Counties, Inc.
  

Emergency Preparedness Phone Test a Success

The first test in several years of Fremont County's Emergency Preparedness Network (EPN) has been deemed a success based upon statistical data returned from the test that ran Wednesday evening, April 16th. The pre-planned test event for EPN, often referred to as 'reverse 9-1-1' targeted two neighborhoods which could see the effects of high water runoff along the Arkansas River this spring.

Canon City Police Captain Allen Cooper said it took less than ten seconds for a computer in Longmont, Colorado, to place 317 telephone calls with a test message which was recorded by Fremont County Commissioner Ed Norden. Of the 317 phone calls, 246 emergency test messages were actually delivered for a success rate of 78 percent. The calls went to Canon City residents from Riverside Drive east to 4th Street and in the area of Brewster Lane and McCumber Lane between Canon City and Florence.

Of the 317 phone calls made, 136 were "full person delivery" calls in which a person picked up, answered, and listened to the entire message. 40 persons listened to part of the message, 50 answering machines recorded the whole message, and 20 recorded a partial message. 13 calls went to a modem or fax machine, 12 phone lines were busy, and there were 34 "no answer" calls.

Cooper said authorities knew that they would never achieve a 100% success rate. Prior to the test, several persons contacted Captain Cooper and reported that they had rental houses with working phones but no tenants and no answering machine. These calls would appear as "no answer calls". The test parameters were set with a maximum number of two call back attempts. 509 total call attempts were made.

It cost $76 to stage the EPN test. Fremont County's E 9-1-1 Authority spends $8,700 annually to have the EPN service ready and available if the reverse calls need to be made for possible evacuations or other emergency notices.

Fremont Child Support Group Meets '07 Goals

Members of the Fremont County Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement Unit have received certificates for their participation in the 2007 goal to collect $300 million in child support payments statewide. Each county must meet specific goals and Fremont County's Child Support Enforcement Unit met all of their 2007 goals, collecting child support payments totaling $4,524,704. The goals include paternity establishment, percent of cases with child support orders, percent of current support paid and arrears cases with a payment. Credit for this success is given to the experienced team of legal technicians who take pride in their work.

You do not have to be receiving public assistance to have a case opened with Fremont County Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement Unit. If you would like to have a case opened to establish an order or enforce an existing order to collect child support, you can do so for a $20.00 fee. You may request an application in person at the Department of Human Services, 172 Justice Center Rd, Canon City, CO, by phone at 719-275-2318 Ext. 3018, or through the Child Support Website at http://www.childsupport.state.co.us/.

April 8th Commissioners Meeting

Approval of an agreement with Colorado Springs Utilities regarding the Southern Delivery System highlighted a brief agenda of business for the Fremont County Commissioners at their April 8th regular meeting.

The intergovernmental agreement (IGA) was proposed by the City of Colorado Springs to set up the review process by Fremont County should the city and the Bureau of Reclamation settle on a Fremont County route for a 66-inch water pipeline that would be part of the Southern Delivery System (SDS). Under the IGA Colorado Springs Utilities would agree to pursue whatever Fremont County permits might be required and go through the review process by the Planning and Zoning Office, Planning Commission, and County Commissioners. The Commissioners noted that the IGA actually gives the county more oversight if Fremont County is the choice for the SDS route. That's because Colorado Springs could use its own independent authority and eminent domain powers to establish a route for the pipeline. The Commissioners say the IGA would allow them to have input on the route chosen for the pipeline and the location on the Arkansas River for a large pump station.

As part of the IGA, Colorado Springs Utilities agreed to put down $50,000 as a deposit towards the costs of the engineering and technical review by Fremont County. The Commissioners emphasized that the $50,000 is not a payment adding that if actual costs of the review are less than that amount, any remaining money would be refunded to Colorado Springs.

In other business the Commissioners acknowledged a request from Black Range Minerals to delay a public hearing on the company's application for a conditional use permit by another two weeks. The Commissioners set Tuesday, May 27th, as the date for a public hearing during the board's regular meeting on Black Range's permit application to resume exploration for uranium on the Taylor Ranch along County Roads #2 and #21 in the Tallahassee area northwest of Canon City.

Fremont County Hosts Planning Meeting for Spring Runoff

More than forty federal, state, and local officials gathered Thursday to discuss preparations on how to deal with high water and possible lowland flooding along the Arkansas River in Fremont County this spring. With Arkansas River basin snowpack now reported at 152 percent of average, officials said they believe spring runoff could reach its highest levels on the river in the past 13 years.

The Bureau of Reclamation is currently releasing an additional 300 cubic feet per second (c.f.s.) of water into the river from reservoirs in Lake County to prepare for additional reservoir storage when runoff reaches its peak. The river in the past week has been running at levels of 920 to 970 c.f.s. through Canon City. With the flood stage listed at nine feet for the Arkansas River in Canon City, the National Weather Service is projecting that there is an 80 percent chance that the river could reach a flood stage of 9.2 feet with a 50 percent chance of the river reaching a stage of 9.7 feet.

Fremont County Emergency Management Director Steve Morrisey says river flows as high as 3,700 c.f.s. should not cause any serious problems but with any levels above that, lowland flooding could start causing concerns. Morrisey says some parks officials are predicting water volumes up to 6,000 c.f.s. by mid-June. Arkansas Headwaters State Parks officials said during Thursday's meeting that when water volumes reach 3,200 c.f.s. they begin discouraging rafters and kayakers from boating the Royal Gorge canyon. Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker said back in the mid-90's, after several drownings from high water on the river and with numerous calls about unmanned boats floating down the river, then Sheriff Dale Rea shut down all recreational boating on the Arkansas for several days.

Rick Romano of the Natural Resource Conservation Service voiced concerns that a lot of dead timber has accumulated along creeks and the river since the drought year of 2002. He said there's a potential for a lot of heavy timber being carried downstream posing problems around bridge abutments as well as raising safety concerns for anyone on the river.

Among preparations discussed for high water on the Arkansas River this spring and summer were the availability of sand bags and labor crews should sandbagging become necessary; designation of neighborhoods that could fall victim to lowland flooding so lists can be prepared of residents who could be alerted through reverse 9-1-1 phone calls; the need for improved notification and communication among law enforcement agencies and emergency responders; and the need for warnings to citizens about manhole covers becoming dislodged in the event of high water.

March 25th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners arranged the county's 2008 lease-purchase financing package and extended one more time the deadline for a hunting camp operator to comply with permit requirements.

With a March 25th deadline for Ron Walker of Top Rail Ranch to respond to county requests or face termination of his Special Review Use permit, staff members reported to the board that Walker had been in the Building Department working to get building permits for the hunting cabins on the property and is dealing with verifying the engineering on the septic system for the cabins. On site inspections of the buildings and septic will have to take place this summer as part of the verification. Because heavy snow on Waugh Mountain will prevent an early inspection, the board voted to reinstate the SRU permit and grant Walker until the August 26th board meeting to complete the necessary paperwork for building and septic permits and the associated inspections.

The only action item was approval of a resolution arranging the county's annual financing for various capitol purchases in 2008. The lease financing arrangement this year is through Wells Fargo. The agreement allows for up to $700,000 in lease-purchase financing. Included in that is the expected lease-purchase of 13 new patrol vehicles for the Sheriff's Department. Actually there will be ten new patrol cars plus the acquisition of three used vehicles; a 2006 F150 four-wheel drive truck, a 2004 GMC Yukon, and a 2005 Ford F150 truck. These purchases are being arranged by the Sheriff through a bid process that has Faricy Ford of Canon City being the low bidder. Total price of the Sheriff's package is $361,560. Commander John Dickens says the new fleet will replace vehicles that have been driven to 200,000 miles and beyond.

Jane Mannon of the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold (CC & V) Mine was present to detail their annual 2007 report. Mannon said there was $48,822,000 worth of direct earnings and 364 direct mining jobs in the region. The mine has 86 hourly employees who live in Fremont County and the average hourly wage of for all employees is $22.28. Mannon said direct hourly wages at CC & V totaled $4,761,000 and the gold mine paid $1,000,344 in mineral severance taxes. CC & V produced 281,820 ounces of gold and 89,020 ounces of silver with budgeted production of 301,000 ounces of gold in 2008.

Fremont Planning Commission to Review Permit Applications

The Fremont County Planning Commission will review applications for an events center with a veterinary practice at Penrose and for resumption of uranium exploration on the Taylor Ranch in the Tallahassee area northwest of Canon City.

The April 1st Planning Commission agenda includes a request for a Conditional Use Permit for Black Range Minerals to resume exploration for uranium on Taylor Ranch properties in the Tallahassee area off of County Road 2 northwest of Canon City. Black Range previously initiated uranium exploration on the ranch but halted those activities several weeks ago when it was learned the company needed a county permit for exploration. Black Range's plan over a ten year period calls for drilling an estimated 800 holes across 8,169 acres. While the Planning Commission will review the technical aspects of Black Range's exploration plan the Commission will not conduct a formal public hearing. The public hearing is expected to be scheduled for the Board of County Commissioners' first regular meeting in May. The Planning Commission may elect to take limited public comment but citizens are encouraged instead to submit their concerns in writing to the Planning Commission. Letters should be mailed or delivered to the Planning Department, Room 210, 615 Macon Ave., Canon City, CO 81212.

The Planning Commission will also consider an application for a Special Review Use Permit for Crossroads Land and Cattle L.L.C. at the former Broken Spoke Events Center on the southeast corner of Highways 50 and 115 at Penrose. Crossroads has the property under contract to purchase from Pueblo Bank and Trust with a proposal to primarily operate the property as a veterinary clinic. The veterinary premises would be permitted in the existing zone district but a Special Review Use Permit would preserve the previous uses for a restaurant and rodeo grounds on the site. Partners in the Crossroads venture are James Pickart, Michael Hoge, and Danny Schicke.

The Planning Commission's monthly meeting starts at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 1st, in the Commissioners board room (LL-3) of the County Administration Building in Canon City.

Commissioner Lasha Named to State Ethics Commission

(The following article was published March 19th in the Rocky Mountain News):

District 2 Fremont County Commissioner Larry Lasha was named Tuesday to the remaining seat on a commission that will carry out a statewide ethics amendment approved by voters in 2006.

Lasha, 63, a political independent, was named by the other four members of the panel, who are evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.

The panel, established under Amendment 41, is charged with hearing complaints about alleged ethical violations by public employees, including elected officials. The panel must first adopt rules to implement the amendment. Lasha says his first meeting with the group will taken place April 4th in Denver.

Amendment 41 has been under continuous fire since it was passed. Opponents charge the measure goes too far. For example, charitable groups worry that a ban on free meals prevents them from inviting lawmakers to events where dinner is served. Others say a ban on gifts to the relatives of public employees prevents their children from accepting some scholarships.

The Colorado Supreme Court in February declined to decide a lawsuit against the amendment, saying the full commission had not yet met or adopted rules. The suit remains on hold.

Former state senator Sally Hopper of Golden, a Republican member of the commission, said, "Everybody is after us because we didn't get going immediately."

Lasha said he understands he's walking into a controversial role. But the retired Colorado Springs firefighter said he's used to being in hot places. "Being a firefighter, I never questioned where I was going when the alarm went off," he said. Lasha said he will bring the perspective of a public employee to the commission. He said the first step will be to catch up on work the four panel members have already done in drafting rules.

Lasha served with the Colorado Springs fire department for 27 years. After retiring, he organized a rural fire department that serves parts of Fremont and El Paso counties. He was city manager of Florence before seeking the Fremont County commissioner seat as an unaffiliated candidate in 2002.

Bureau of Reclamation sets Southern Delivery System Meetings

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Southern Delivery System (SDS). Go to www.sdseis.com to view or comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

Public Meetings are set on the Draft EIS: The public will have 60 days to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The Bureau of Reclamation is hosting a series of open houses to explain the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, present the main findings of the DEIS, and solicit comments on the DEIS. Each meeting will take place from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.:

Buena Vista Community Center, 715 E. Main Street, Buena Vista, CO 81211 on Tuesday, April 1

Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Avenue, Pueblo, CO 81003 on Wednesday, April 2

Koshare Indian Museum, 115 W. 18th Street, La Junta, CO 81050 on Thursday, April 3

Fountain Fort Carson High School, 900 Jimmy Camp Road, Fountain, CO 80817 on Tuesday, April 8

Leon Young Service Center, 1521 Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 on Wednesday, April 9

Quality Inn, 3075 E. US 50, Canon City, CO 81212 on Thursday, April 10

The open house style public meetings will consist of informational displays. Reclamation staff will be available at each meeting to answer questions, receive comments, and provide information. Public comments will be received throughout the evening, either verbally to a court reporter or in writing.

Go to www.sdseis.com/events.html for the most current schedule.