Rep. Boebert Calls for Transparency Regarding Sweetwater Lake
To get answers and increase transparency for local constituents who have questions and concerns about the Sweetwater Lake acquisition and new state park, Congresswoman Boebert sent a Congressional oversight letter to U.S. Forest Service White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stated, “Local elected officials and other important stakeholders should have been intimately involved in determining whether Sweetwater Lake became a new state park, and they also should have a strong say in future operations. Unfortunately, many of the people that should have helped craft the plan didn’t find out about this proposal until they showed up at an event where it was announced last October. Due to this neglect, there are several issues that need to be addressed including amending the current Forest Plan, obtaining public input, fulfilling obligations to other federal laws, providing the necessary notice to the local government, and pursuing all necessary permits. Communication is critical, and I’m calling on the Forest Service to closely coordinate with Garfield County on this matter moving forward.”
Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky said, “Garfield County appreciates Rep. Boebert's involvement in the USFS purchase of 488 acres of land at Sweetwater Lake. The Commissioners have long held that process needs to slow down and we need the USFS to follow its federal procedures and obligations so that Garfield County and the citizens of Sweetwater Lake have the opportunity to participate in what should be a transparent and inclusive decision making process on future land uses at Sweetwater.”
Background:
The Forest Service recently purchased Sweetwater Lake and added almost 500 acres to the White River National Forest. In October, Governor Polis and the Forest Service proposed to make Sweetwater Lake a new state park that will be operated through a state and federal partnership. Unfortunately, the proposal contains several unanswered questions and has lacked local input.
Specifically, the current Forest Plan for White River National Forest is incompatible with the proposal to make Sweetwater Lake a state park. The acquisition of Sweetwater Lake also poses additional difficulties for Garfield County as more than 60% of the county is already comprised of federal lands. Federal lands are nontaxable and reduce Garfield County’s ability to fund important public services like law enforcement, education and infrastructure projects.
Congresswoman Boebert is committed to assisting local governments that lose out on important property tax revenue due to public lands. In last year’s appropriations bills signed into law, Congresswoman Boebert worked to ensure that the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program was fully-funded, securing important resources for rural counties. Additionally, Congresswoman Boebert worked to ensure that the PILT program was fully-funded in this year’s appropriations bill that passed the House. Congresswoman Boebert also introduced the MORE PILT Act to address insufficient funding for the PILT program and to deliver more resources to rural communities in Colorado.
The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s letter to White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams is available here and below:
Dear Supervisor Fitzwilliams,
Here in Colorado’s West Slope, we’re home to a significant amount of federal land. When managed effectively, our public lands – including the Flattops Wilderness Area within the White River National Forest – can provide countless recreational opportunities for our fellow citizens. In fact, over 60% of Garfield County is comprised of public lands, split between the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
As I’m sure you know, Sweetwater Lake was recently purchased by the Forest Service using funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This purchase adds almost 500 acres to the White River National Forest – and could help increase additional recreational opportunities and economic activity.
However, it also harms Garfield County, where the local government will lose out on a significant chunk of their tax base, which is needed to provide critical services. Garfield County has outlined specific policy statements that speak to the impact of private land acquisition on the local economy. I’d like to share them with you in case they offer additional insight into where local stakeholders are on this issue (Page 30 of 57).
I am also concerned that the process to purchase Sweetwater Lake – as well as the decision to make it a State Park – was executed without consideration of a Forest Land and Resource Management Plan or in compliance with existing forest policy. Ideally, the Forest Management Plan would have been edited to accommodate the acquisition, thereby allowing additional stakeholder input and ensuring some level of transparency into whether the acquisition under consideration would fit neatly with the existing Forest Plan.
Equally concerning is the apparent direct contradiction between policies in the current USFS Forest Plan and the notion of a State Park. In this case, the Sweetwater Lake acquisition took place ahead of a Forest Plan amendment and management as a state park was apparently determined without due consideration of the surrounding Forest Plan land use classifications that are wholly incompatible with the intensity of use of a state park. National Forest System (“NFS”) lands northeast of Sweetwater Lake are managed for deer and elk winter range. NFS lands southwest of the lake are managed for forest flora and fauna habitats. All surrounding land has a guideline to either “restrict recreation activities that would disturb deer and elk during winter and spring periods” or to “enhance and restore habitat for native fishes.” Further, established travel management plans contemplate restricted use, low-standard, single-purpose roads in the area of the lake.
It's evident that there are numerous issues with how this acquisition was carried out; for starters, it’s unclear whether the land use classifications in the Forest Plan would even be compatible with a State Park. Because of this and several other considerations regarding whether this acquisition is in full compliance with existing federal regulations, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), I would urge the White River National Forest to commit to amending the Forest Plan, obtaining the input of the public, fulfilling its obligations under the aforementioned laws, providing the necessary notice to the local government in Garfield County regarding the acquisition, and pursuing all necessary permits. There are numerous implications for residents and local wildlife alike that should not simply be glossed over.
As you begin to address some of the issues accompanying the acquisition of Sweetwater Lake, I request that you directly coordinate with Garfield County and their elected representatives on this issue that has enormous implications for local residents. I know you share my commitment to a transparent process, and I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Lauren Boebert
Member of Congress