The U.S. Forest Service just announced that it will take an extra 30 days to analyze a controversial land trade that is crucial for the development of the Village at Wolf Creek. In November, the Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas approved the land swap, prompting a 45-day period for public comment. But due to the immense number of complaints and objections about the project, the "resolution period" has been extended.
The Village at Wolf Creek has been the vision of Texas billionaire Billy Joe "Red" McCombs since the 1980s. Mr. McCombs, 87, has spent 28 years planning a massive town near Wolf Creek Ski Area, not far from Pagosa Springs, Colorado. At full build out, the Village at Wolf Creek will have up to 1,711 units comprised of hotels, condos, town homes, and single family houses. Access to the ski resort would be from the Alberta chairlift or a new chairlift called the Meadow lift.
In their November 20 decision, the Forest Service approved a 2010 land swap proposal that traded 204.4 federal acres on southern Colorado's Wolf Creek pass for 177.6 acres of private land on the Continental Divide.
But once the public comment period began in November, environmental and land advocacy groups went on full blast. According to the Summit County Voice, the Rocky Mountain Regional Office received at least 20 objections to the FEIS and Draft ROD. The Forest Service will respond to each objector before making their final decision.
· Forest Service delays final decision on controversial Wolf Creek land trade and development scheme [Summit County Voice]
· Plans Move Forward on Controversial Village at Wolf Creek [Curbed Ski]
· The Village at Wolf Creek [Official Site]
· Proposed $1 Billion Jumbo Glacier Resort Still May Not Happen [Curbed Ski]
· Go Here Now: The Top Reasons to Ski (Powder!) at Wolf Creek [Curbed Ski]
· Find Never-ending Powder On This Colorado Road Trip [Curbed Ski]