Forest Service sets meeting on Middle Bald tower

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

A controversial radio tower that Larimer County wants to build near Red Feather Lakes will be discussed at a public meeting hosted by the U.S. Forest Service on Nov. 8.

The discussion of the proposed Middle Bald Mountain location will be held at the Magic Sky Ranch east of Red Feather Lakes from 6 to 8 p.m. Magic Sky Ranch, home of the Girl Scouts camp, is located 17.3 miles west of U.S. Highway 287 on the Red Feather Lakes Road. The entrance will be signed.

This meeting is part of the environmental analysis the Forest Service is conducting of Larimer County's proposed radio communications facility at the summit of Middle Bald Mountain, about 40 miles northwest of Fort Collins and five miles southwest of the Red Feather Lakes area.

The meeting will include displays depicting various alternatives being considered, as well as a formal presentation of the alternatives. There will also be a question-and-answer period with resource and technical specialists. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the presentation will start shortly after.

Once the public has had a chance to review and respond to the proposed alternatives, the Forest Service will decide how best to proceed and whether a full environmental impact statement should be initiated in addition to the required assessment.

Larimer County wants to build the tower as part of an $8 million upgrade to radio communications used for law enforcement and public safety.

At a recent meeting with the county commissioners, David Rowe, the county's microwave systems administrator, said the Middle Bald location was his department's third choice. In 2003, the Forest Service told the county it would not consider a request to build a tower on South Bald Mountain because it is located in an inventoried roadless area, Rowe said.

"There is no place viable left to go," he said. "This is not our preferred location."

Red Feather Lakes area residents have questioned whether a 40- to 60-foot radio tower on Middle Bald will improve communications, especially in the Poudre Canyon. Representatives also have said they are not convinced the benefits of the new system are worth what the county will have to spend.

It will cost about $1 million to build a tower at Middle Bald, Rowe told the commissioners.

Opponents especially fear that construction and maintenance of a radio tower will severely and permanently damage the mountain tundra environment, in addition to marring the view of residents and visitors.

The Forest Service has drafted alternatives using the county's proposal, input from the resource and technical specialists, and earlier public comments. In an effort to fine-tune the alternatives for analysis, the Forest Service is inviting the public to submit written comments on the draft alternatives presented at the meeting. This can be done at the meeting or can be sent in after. To most benefit the process, comments should be received by the end of November.

For those who cannot attend the meeting, the draft alternative information will be available on the USFS web site at www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/projects/ea-projects/clrd/commsite/index.shtml after the meeting. Other project-specific information is also available on this site.