Comment Ideas

Here are some key points to keep in mind as you talk with your County Commissioners, attend a public hearing, discuss the project with your neighbors or write a letter to the editor.

• Comprehensive Mitigation: The Over The River permit application incorporates the more than 100 mitigation measures already identified in the BLM’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These measures avoid or minimize the potential impacts related to the project and would be applied to the county permit, if granted. Fremont and Chaffee counties worked closely with the BLM, as cooperating agencies, to develop this comprehensive set of EIS solutions for Over The River.

• Traffic: The Final EIS states: “Overall, impacts to local businesses and commercial traffic as a result of traffic delays during installation and removal would be negligible to minor and short-term.”

• Safety: The Final EIS concludes that: “Local service providers, including emergency services, would be able to meet demands of both visitors and residents from the beginning of the installation period through the end of the removal period.”

• Socioeconomic Benefits: Total economic output generated by the project in Colorado would exceed $121 million, including the creation of over 620 jobs, many of which will be designated to local residents.

• Wildlife: The Final EIS identifies no “Significant Impacts” to any terrestrial, avian or aquatic wildlife as a result of Over The River when the identified mitigation measures are implemented. In fact, the mitigation plan will have long-term benefits for the local bighorn sheep population by providing a wildlife corridor previously identified by the Colorado Division of Wildlife as a habitat enhancement.

Supporters should submit comments in their own words. We developed this sample comment to help you get started:

Dear Fremont County,

I support Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Over The River and urge Fremont County to approve the Temporary Use Permit for this once in a lifetime project.  The extensive Bureau of Land Management (BLM) analysis indicates that Over The River will have significant economic and cultural benefits for Fremont County with only minimal, temporary impacts.

The Over The River application incorporates more than 100 mitigation measures already identified in the BLM’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This comprehensive mitigation plan would be applied to all of the work in Fremont County [the county permit] and I am confident it avoids or minimizes potential impacts related to the project. Fremont and Chaffee counties worked closely with the BLM, as cooperating agencies, to develop the extensive set of EIS solutions for Over The River.

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Address, City, State