Pikes Peak  What Else?

In mid-November the Pikes Peak Group notified the City of Colorado Springs and the U.S. Forest Service of its intent to file suit to address what we believe are violations of the Clean Water Act on Pikes Peak stemming from the City's management of the Pikes Peak Highway. There has been some confusion in the media regarding the nature of the suit and our intentions in filing it. USA Today, for example, ran a short note on the action under the headline "Pikes Pique," claiming that the Sierra Club was suing to force the paving of the road. The paper is not the only media outlet attempting to draw attention to the apparent irony of the Sierra Club suing to transform a dirt road ("natural") into a paved one ("unnatural").

Two comments are in order. First, as of mid-December, there is no lawsuit. We have only notified the City and the Forest Service of our intent to sue. As we explained in an earlier Timberlines, we would undertake a lawsuit with the utmost reluctance. We certainly hope the issues can be resolved through negotiation before court action becomes necessary. Second, we are not undertaking this action to force the paving of the Pikes Peak Highway. Our primary goal is to ensure that the City and the Forest Service bring the operation of the highway into compliance with the applicable federal laws and guidelines, in this case, specifically, the Clean Water Act. While it is a matter of public record that studies of the problems associated with the highway undertaken by the City over the last several decades have recommended paving, achieving compliance with applicable portions of the act may or may not necessitate paving. Specific solutions could emerge from negotiations among the parties involved or, should agreement prove impossible, could result from legal action. Again, paving may or may not be the outcome.

This matter aside, there are other exciting things in the works with regard to the future of Pikes Peak. In particular, the Colorado Springs Utilities Water Resources Department in conjunction with the Forest Service are about to begin what they are calling the Greater Pikes Peak Master Plan and Landscape Assessment. Quite a mouthful, but this is something about which we have reason to be very encouraged. The study will attempt to look at one of the most heavily-developed and heavily-used mountain environments in the United States in a more holistic manner or, to use the current language employed by forest managers, by applying the principles of "ecosystem management." It will address literally all of the pressures affecting the Pikes Peak ecosystem, including those related to recreation, housing and commercial development in adjacent areas, and the management of the Colorado Springs city-owned watershed. The city and the Forest Service recently began what they envision as an extensive public involvement process with an initial workshop in Manitou Springs. Many local, state, and national governmental agencies and bodies will be involved in the process including El Paso and Teller County planning departments, the Colorado State Forest Service and Division of Wildlife, the BLM, the City of Colorado Springs in various capacities. Also extremely important will be citizen involvement, and this is where you come in. We encourage you keep an eye on the Timberlines for ways in which you can become involved in this important process, and also watch for announcements of other events in the local media. We believe strongly that this process can be an important step toward ensuring protection of the mountain environment at our doorstep. 
by Rick Eckert 12/97

This was taken from the regularly featured column in the Timberlines Newsletter, published bimonthly by the Pikes Peak Chapter.

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Pikes Peak Regional Group, Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Sierra Club
131 Williams Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80905-1413 - Phone: (719) 592-0963
Last updated February 12, 1999.