Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It’s Tuesday October 6th, and even though there’s a lot of turmoil in the world, we’re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. Today, our focus is on the proposed gravel mine expansion that threatens the new Salida bike trail.

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we take you back to October 6th, 1838, during the height of the fur trade. On this day one of the trade’s casualties, Fort Jackson, met its end when its largest competitor bought it out, removed its goods, and closed it down. The company, Fort Jackson, had been named after the recently retired President Andrew Jackson.

Now, our feature story. 

Mike Smith remembers a meeting with Bureau of Land Management officials in April 2019 as the agency reviewed plans for a new trail on Methodist Mountain in Salida. John Ary, the longtime owner of the Hard Rock Paving and Redi-Mix, Inc., was also at the table, and Ary’s gravel mining company wanted to expand onto BLM land near the trail. 

“The Hard Rock guys said they were OK with the trail, even if they pursued expansion plans,” Smith said. “Now it looks like they have changed their minds after we constructed the trail.”

Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins is joining us today to tell us more.

Jason, thanks for joining. So can you explain what this gravel mine wants to do?

And what does the mine owner say about this?

And finally, this expansion comes as Salida and Buena Vista grow their recreation and tourism economies with new trails and amenities. Can you talk about why that’s significant?

Thanks for joining us, Jason!

Ten years ago, only one trail went through Methodist Mountain but now there are more than 12 trails, all purpose built and ranked for beginners to experts. Those trails, built by Salida Mountain Trails, were approved in a 2017 BLM Environmental Assessment that noted the surging number of mountain bikers and “the largest demand in the Salida area is for more hiking and bicycling trails.”

The gravel mine has operated in the area since the 1950s and John Ary bought the operation in the early 1980s.  Hard Rock operates on 37 acres, which includes about 10 acres of BLM land. The BLM permitted access to the 10 acres in 2009. 

Hard Rock’s request, which is briefly noted in an Aug. 10 news release announcing the BLM’s review of the mine expansion, would expand the mine onto about 50 acres of BLM land. That would extend the life of the mine by about 38 years, providing access to 10,000 to 50,000 tons of gravel a year for producing asphalt and concrete.

Ary said the expansion would not translate into increased activity or traffic at the mine, but it would add to the longevity of the operation. 

As Jason mentioned, gravel mines have a challenge when it comes to expanding operations on the Western Slope. Ary himself spent more than two years in litigation with Pueblo County commissioners and homeowners adjacent to a gravel pit he wanted to build on private land east of Pueblo.

Ultimately, Smith understands the need for concrete in the growing communities of the Western Slope. But he wonders about potentially removing trails to accommodate that need.

Thanks for listening. Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today:

Two farm owners in southern Colorado who started asking customers for Black Lives Matter donations have sought legal advice after South Fork officials told them that asking for donations for any organization was not allowed on town property.

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Since the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights took effect in 1992, state lawmakers have increasingly turned to fees to fund government operations. Now, with Proposition 117, Colorado voters would have more control over government fees. 

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The Mental Health Center of Denver is partnering with a health tech company to prepare for the next generation of therapy, happening on smartphones

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In Proposition 116 Colorado must decide whether an income tax cut is worth a hit to state budget. The measure would lower the state’s income tax on individuals and corporations to 4.55% from 4.63%, lowering state revenue more than $150 million a year

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.You can stay on top of Colorado news by signing up for free newsletters at coloradosun.com/newsletters. And you can join our Sun community by becoming a member, starting at just $5 a month. Thanks again for starting your morning with us and remember to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It&rsquo;s Tuesday October 6th, and even though there&rsquo;s a lot of turmoil in the world, we&rsquo;re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Every day we&rsquo;re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. Today, our focus is on the proposed gravel mine expansion that threatens the new Salida bike trail.
But before we begin, let&rsquo;s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;:
Today, we take you back to October 6th, 1838, during the height of the fur trade. On this day one of the trade&rsquo;s casualties, Fort Jackson, met its end when its largest competitor bought it out, removed its goods, and closed it down. The company, Fort Jackson, had been named after the recently retired President Andrew Jackson.
Now, our feature story.&nbsp;
Mike Smith remembers a meeting with Bureau of Land Management officials in April 2019 as the agency reviewed plans for a new trail on Methodist Mountain in Salida. John Ary, the longtime owner of the Hard Rock Paving and Redi-Mix, Inc., was also at the table, and Ary&rsquo;s gravel mining company wanted to expand onto BLM land near the trail.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The Hard Rock guys said they were OK with the trail, even if they pursued expansion plans,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;Now it looks like they have changed their minds after we constructed the trail.&rdquo;
Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins is joining us today to tell us more.
Jason, thanks for joining. So can you explain what this gravel mine wants to do?
And what does the mine owner say about this?
And finally, this expansion comes as Salida and Buena Vista grow their recreation and tourism economies with new trails and amenities. Can you talk about why that&rsquo;s significant?
Thanks for joining us, Jason!
Ten years ago, only one trail went through Methodist Mountain but now there are more than 12 trails, all purpose built and ranked for beginners to experts. Those trails, built by Salida Mountain Trails, were approved in a<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/nepa/60924/99967/121091/DOI-BLM-CO-F020-2015-0017_EA.pdf"> 2017 BLM Environmental Assessment</a> that noted the surging number of mountain bikers and &ldquo;the largest demand in the Salida area is for more hiking and bicycling trails.&rdquo;
The gravel mine has operated in the area since the 1950s and John Ary bought the operation in the early 1980s.&nbsp; Hard Rock operates on 37 acres, which includes about 10 acres of BLM land. The BLM permitted access to the 10 acres in 2009.&nbsp;
Hard Rock&rsquo;s request, which is briefly noted in an Aug. 10 news release announcing the BLM&rsquo;s review of the mine expansion, would expand the mine onto about 50 acres of BLM land. That would extend the life of the mine by about 38 years, providing access to 10,000 to 50,000 tons of gravel a year for producing asphalt and concrete.
Ary said the expansion would not translate into increased activity or traffic at the mine, but it would add to the longevity of the operation.&nbsp;
As Jason mentioned, gravel mines have a challenge when it comes to expanding operations on the Western Slope. Ary himself spent more than two years in litigation with Pueblo County commissioners and homeowners adjacent to a gravel pit he wanted to build on private land east of Pueblo.
Ultimately, Smith understands the need for concrete in the growing communities of the Western Slope. But he wonders about potentially removing trails to accommodate that need.
Thanks for listening. Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today:
Two farm owners in southern Colorado who started asking customers for Black Lives Matter donations have sought legal advice after South Fork officials told them that asking for donations for any organization was not allowed on town property.
-
Since the Taxpayer&rsquo;s Bill of Rights took effect in 1992, state lawmakers have increasingly turned to fees to fund government operations. Now, with Proposition 117, Colorado voters would have more control over government fees.&nbsp;
-
The Mental Health Center of Denver is partnering with a health tech company to prepare for the next generation of therapy, happening on smartphones
-
In Proposition 116 Colorado must decide whether an income tax cut is worth a hit to state budget. The measure would lower the state&rsquo;s income tax on individuals and corporations to 4.55% from 4.63%, lowering state revenue more than $150 million a year
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/"> www.coloradosun.com</a>.&nbsp;
The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.You can stay on top of Colorado news by signing up for free newsletters at<a href="http://coloradosun.com/newsletters"> coloradosun.com/newsletters</a>. And you can join our Sun community by becoming a member, starting at just $5 a month. Thanks again for starting your morning with us and remember to tune in again tomorrow.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

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