TSV planning MTB Trail, public meeting Feb 14 & 16

[Sage_Cat]

Taos Folks, are you expecting opposition to the proposed MTB trail? Do you need some public support? Letters? Let us know. This was in the SF New Mexican this morning.

Taos Ski valley seeks public input

Taos Ski Valley wants to install two new lifts, upgrade existing lifts, build a new tubing facility and snowshoe trail, and develop a mountain bike trail.

The proposed developments are part of a master development plan analyzed in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement released last month by the Carson National Forest and available for public comment.

The plan was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13, and the public has 45 days to comment. Comments are taken into account by Forest Service officials when choosing and adjusting the final action.

The proposed changes would be within the 1,268 acres currently occupied by Taos Ski Valley under a Forest Service special use permit.

Taos Ski Valley opened in 1955 with one ski lift on private land. By 1957, it expanded onto the Carson National Forest. The last development plan was issued a decade ago.

The Forest Service has scheduled two open house to solicit comment and answer questions. The first one will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Looking Glass in the Resort Center at Taos Ski Valley. The second one will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Taos Convention Center in Taos.

The draft EIS can be reviewed at the Carson National Forest Supervisor's Office, 208 Cruz Alta Road, in Taos or online at http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558...LT2_074282.pdf

[greg de taos]

They are a private entity, I wouldn't waste my time, they more or less do what they want. That being said there is pretty widespread opposition to the proposed plans.
We really could use as much help as people are willing to give on the proposed Hondo-Columbine Wilderness, that is a disaster to mountain bikers.

[Sage_Cat]

What kind of help do you need? Letters? Occupy Hondo-Columbine? Let us know.

Keep up the good fight.

[greg de taos]

Let the mayor of the town of Taos know that you come up here to ride your bike and that you loosing the Hondo Columbine area would keep you from coming back as often as there would be less to ride. Let him know how much money you spend when you come up, how many friends you bring, where you go etc. (he owns a bar in town).
The best bet for us here is for the town to come out against the wilderness, the best way to get the town to do that is to talk about the Benjamens.
TSV is trying to push through some pretty big plans, if MTB is grouped in with those plans, mostly for new lifts into what is now hike only terrain, it is likely to meet stiff opposition.
I like my hike to terrain, but I see their need to grow. I do however question the feasibility of a lift up Kachina.

[Sage_Cat]

[QUOTE=greg de taos;8979914]Let the mayor of the town of Taos know that you come up here to ride your bike and that you loosing the Hondo Columbine area would keep you from coming back as often as there would be less to ride. Let him know how much money you spend when you come up, how many friends you bring, where you go etc. (he owns a bar in town).

Mayor is:
Darren Cordova
400 Camino de la Placita
Taos, N.M. 87571

email: dcordova@taosgov.com

Or write to Councilors and Tourism folks listed at this web site:

The Town Of Taos

Let our voices be heard.

[skerry00]

Greg,

If I'm not mistaken TSV is on the Carson National Forest therefor there is value in submitting comments. Most ski areas in the US operate on US Forest Service Lands (Angel Fire a few others in NM are on private land) and cannot do anything such as expand without doing NEPA which can be affected by public comment. Likewise, if/when Sandia decides to build new trails, we'll have to go through that process as well.

[MTBNate]

Taos was just listed in NatGeo's Top 25 of the World's Best Ski Towns:

World's Best Ski Towns - National Geographic

[delnorte]

Originally Posted by MTBNate

Taos was just listed in NatGeo's Top 25 of the World's Best Ski Towns:

World's Best Ski Towns - National Geographic

It most definitely belongs on that list. Their quality of ski terrain is off the hook.

[greg de taos]

Originally Posted by skerry00

Greg,

If I'm not mistaken TSV is on the Carson National Forest therefor there is value in submitting comments. Most ski areas in the US operate on US Forest Service Lands (Angel Fire a few others in NM are on private land) and cannot do anything such as expand without doing NEPA which can be affected by public comment. Likewise, if/when Sandia decides to build new trails, we'll have to go through that process as well.

Kerry,
Thanks for chiming in. TSV is indeed partly FS, but they have a lot of private land as well. They have done a good job of using that land to keep mountain bikers off when it was not financially advantageous to them, now they see the dollar signs and MTB sounds good, hell, if it keeps getting warmer, that may be all they have.
That is not what I was saying above though, Taos Ski Vally is very very politically powerful, When we get our huge snow storms, the ski valley road is the first one cleared, even when the kids are on a two hour delay due to the roads not being passable, you can still drive up to the ski valley, personally I love it, but I am an avid skier. When they say jump, The Town of Taos says how high? They have plans for new lifts, a new base area, on and on. They will get it passed and do what they want, they are a huge economic driver up here and will get their way, and probably rightfully so.
My point to Sage Cat was that there is little reason to support or fight with them, if they see a way to make money they will get their way, the proposed Wilderness area is the real problem.

[greg de taos]

Originally Posted by MTBNate

Taos was just listed in NatGeo's Top 25 of the World's Best Ski Towns:

World's Best Ski Towns - National Geographic

..~

[nomadpop]

Thanks Cat for the original post. I have been riding in the ski valley for over 15 years and am saddened by the threat of losing Gold Hill/Long Canyon to wilderness. I do agree with contacting the Town of Taos but it may be a bit too late and the wrong place to put the energy as the ski valley is incorporated. It seems the outdoor community is already fractionalized and both sides are working to have the wilderness either approved or set up in a way that allows mountain biking. Let's hope for the latter as it is some of my favorite riding in the area.
I come here for information of both the local sort and mountain biking in general. The one thing that turns me off (especially in the New Mexico forum,) is the tendency for members to only look at the negative of issues and then to take their own agendas way too far. I do not see the ill that could become if TSV were to include mountain biking in their future plans. I think a well-conceived and well-built trail system or bike park could be a great addition to the area. Included in the plan are some expansion plans that may not jive with my own personal wishes but to me it seems that these meetings would be the proper place to give my input. Just my opinion and a little bit of a rant on how information seems to always turn into a political podium for us forum users here in New Mexico.

[greg de taos]

I want to see the plan as separate things, I dont like part of it and feel like I have to be against all of it, someone has to think of the mountains first, we have plenty of polluting, nasty lifts, it is good to walk, it makes people happier.
I really like TSV and the people who own it, they do a great job, some of the nicest people in the world work there. They have always treated us great. They have fair prices and treat the mountain with respect, that does not mean that I have to agree with everything they want to do, I will always go with what they want in the end, and I will be the first in line to buy a season pass, the mountains come first though, that's it.
Rant all you want, but you are wrong, I am not trying to advance anything for me personally, I am trying to protect the mountains that I love. I am pissed that we may loose what I really like to ride, I have ridden everything up there from the parking lot to Flag Mountain to Red River over the Twining trail, through Goose Creek Trail, over Middle Fork (oh God!) an back. I have bombed Manzanita and Italiaons. We can all get along, the feds are not going to run over what we want, it is too much of a powder keg and, I think, a key to off season economic success of this area.

[skerry00]

Greg,

I may be stating the obvious to you but the EIS has "alternatives" to the proposed action. Maybe one of the alternatives has the "mix" you're looking for? There are options within the proposed action to make changes. Make a comment, state your case. I can't say for sure that it will sway the final decision, but it might and it can't hurt.....

I'm hoping to "educate" local mtn bikers and others on the NEPA process as it seems as though there is a lot of misconceptions and lack of knowledge. The truth is many other user groups have this process down and I sometimes think mtn bikers lose out since they don't understand the process (and are perhaps out riding instead...).

Anyway, keep up your work, it's great to see folks passionate about this stuff as it's what moves decisions and eventually projects.

K

K

[MTBNate]

NEPA links:

NEPA Primer:
www.thewatershed.org/nepaprimer.pdf

NEPA & BLM
NEPA FAQs

[Sage_Cat]

Did anyone go to the meeting? Learn anything new? Thanks.