{"id":1310350,"date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/"},"modified":"2019-05-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-16T06:00:00","slug":"new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/","title":{"rendered":"New prized public lands near Carbondale get an ugly scar from legal ditch work"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.4995531724754\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-978390-454\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | A sign placed by Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association marks the way on the popular Lower Monte Carlo Trail through a dended swath cut to bury a water pipe.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.2015306122449\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619.jpg\" alt=\"A sign placed by Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association marks the way on the popular Lower Monte Carlo Trail through a dended swath cut to bury a water pipe.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.6326530612245\">\n<p><strong>A sign placed by Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association marks the way on the popular Lower Monte Carlo Trail through a dended swath cut to bury a water pipe.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | The construction crew piled brush between the fresh-cut swath and Prince Creek Road so vehicles wouldn't mistake the disturbed area as a road.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.1767955801105\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-1.jpg\" alt=\"The construction crew piled brush between the fresh-cut swath and Prince Creek Road so vehicles wouldn't mistake the disturbed area as a road.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.6022099447514\">\n<p><strong>The construction crew piled brush between the fresh-cut swath and Prince Creek Road so vehicles wouldn&#8217;t mistake the disturbed area as a road.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-1.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-1.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | The Lower Monte Carlo Trail parallels the disturbed area for roughly one-quarter mile.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.032\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-2.jpg\" alt=\"The Lower Monte Carlo Trail parallels the disturbed area for roughly one-quarter mile.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.424\">\n<p><strong>The Lower Monte Carlo Trail parallels the disturbed area for roughly one-quarter mile.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-2.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-2.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | A 50-foot wide area was cleared of vegetation beside the Lower Monte Carlo Trail when an irrigation ditch was replaced with an underground pipe. Some observers wonder why the zone of devastation had to be so wide.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.75\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-3.jpg\" alt=\"A 50-foot wide area was cleared of vegetation beside the Lower Monte Carlo Trail when an irrigation ditch was replaced with an underground pipe. Some observers wonder why the zone of devastation had to be so wide.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8.6785714285714\">\n<p><strong>A 50-foot wide area was cleared of vegetation beside the Lower Monte Carlo Trail when an irrigation ditch was replaced with an underground pipe. Some observers wonder why the zone of devastation had to be so wide.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-3.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-3.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | The bridges erected over the irrigation ditch were flung by an excavator into the woods, then later pulled out, according to one observer.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.1186440677966\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-4.jpg\" alt=\"The bridges erected over the irrigation ditch were flung by an excavator into the woods, then later pulled out, according to one observer.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9.4915254237288\">\n<p><strong>The bridges erected over the irrigation ditch were flung by an excavator into the woods, then later pulled out, according to one observer.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-4.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-4.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | The trails in the lower elevation Prince Creek trail network generally look like this singletracks through oak brush.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.125\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-5.jpg\" alt=\"The trails in the lower elevation Prince Creek trail network generally look like this singletracks through oak brush.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.5384615384615\">\n<p><strong>The trails in the lower elevation Prince Creek trail network generally look like this singletracks through oak brush.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/postindependent.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+PostIndependent.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-5.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/ditchbitch-atd-051619-5.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">One of the Bureau of Land Management\u2019s prized acquisitions from a land swap in the Roaring Fork Valley has got a fresh scar that some observers fear will take generations to recover.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A construction crew replaced an irrigation ditch with underground pipe in the past two weeks in the heart of the Prince Creek trail network 4 miles south of Carbondale. The work was legal and for the good cause of water conservation, but it left a denuded, 50-foot swath beside one of the most popular mountain bike and running trails in the valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cRight after it happens, it does not look good,\u201d said David Boyd, public affairs specialist with the BLM.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He said the outfit that undertook the work was the Prince Creek Ditch Co., which possesses a right-of-way on the property that dates back to the 19th century. The right-of-way was in place before the 1976 Federal Lands and Policy Management Act.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWhat that means is that the right-of-way holder does not need authorization from BLM to do work like this on BLM lands,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cThey did coordinate with us but they didn\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The company has the right to perform work 50 feet on either side of the ditch or a total of 100 feet wide. It stayed well within that right-of-way when it buried the water pipe, Boyd said. The Aspen Times verified that most of the disturbed area was 50 feet wide and went on for an unknown linear distance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The BLM asked the company to pile brush on the disturbed area so that it wouldn\u2019t be tempting for off-road enthusiasts to access from Prince Creek Road.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe did not anticipate that amount of brush,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cWe had folks out there (Tuesday) and we are looking at what we can do to lessen the visual damage \u2014 scatter more, use the chipper, those kinds of things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A contact for the Prince Creek Ditch Co. wasn\u2019t available from the BLM on Wednesday because the worker who coordinated with the company was out of the office, according to Boyd. No official records could be found for Prince Creek Ditch Co., though evidence was found of a Prince Ditch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A popular climbing singletrack route called the Prince Creek Trail crosses through the disturbed area. A companion, descending route called Lower Monte Carlo travels parallel to the disturbed area for about one-quarter mile. Both trails used to have bridges constructed over the irrigation ditch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association received inquires from a few riders wondering what happened to the area. Initially the trail access was obscured by loose rock and dirt, and brush covered the area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cPeople were asking \u2018WTF?\u2019 It didn\u2019t have to go down that way,\u201d said Mike Pritchard, executive director of the mountain bike association.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A member of RFMBA\u2019s board of directors went to the site to place signs for the trail and mark the trail border with brush. The group isn\u2019t questioning the need or benefit of replacing the ditch with a pipe, but contends the impacts could have been less.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe easement is very wide for the ditch. We wish they would have been more sensitive with the work (by the trail), but what\u2019s done is done,\u201d Pritchard said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Lower Monte Carlo had been aligned to travel along the open water before crossing the bridge. Now that the water is gone, the association might consult with the BLM about changing the alignment and getting the trail out of the disturbed landscape, Pritchard said. That couldn\u2019t be accomplished until next year at the earliest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Midvalley mountain biker Tom Stevens, who has spent decades in the valley in landscape and environmental planning and previously owned an excavation business, said he felt the work caused too much environmental destruction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt appeared to be more devastation than was needed to pipe the ditch,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead of 50 feet of devastation, they could have done 15 feet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The ditch already existed so he can\u2019t understand why such a large excavator was needed for the project and why such a wide swath was denuded. An untold amount of oak brush and number of aspen trees were knocked down by the excavator\u2019s bucket, Stevens said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Reseeding won\u2019t help the recovery of the oak brush that dominates the Prince Creek landscape.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThose things won\u2019t be back for 100 years,\u201d Stevens said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Mountain bikers will adapt to the new conditions but it\u2019s the amount of environmental damage that concerns him, he said, calling it \u201cirresponsible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The BLM acquired the 112-acre Haines property in March 2017 as part of a land swap with the Wexner family. The BLM also acquired Sutey Ranch and gave up property south of Prince Creek Road near the base of Mount Sopris.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The federal agency formally <a id=\"N0x1ce3020N0x1c2aab0:N0x1ce3020N0x1d95f00\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/blm-decides-future-of-popular-prince-creek-trails-outside-of-carbondale\/\">authorized about 4 miles<\/a> of bandit trails that were developed on the property, approved additional trails and closed down 2 miles of routes that crossed other private land. The BLM also developed a campground on the Haines property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The BLM\u2019s acquisition of the Haines property prompted Pitkin County Open Space and Trails to develop a parking lot on Prince Creek Road and build nearly 2 miles of singletrack to connect to the BLM lands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:scondon@aspentimes.com\">scondon@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/new-prized-public-lands-near-carbondale-get-an-ugly-scar-from-legal-ditch-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sign placed by Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association marks the way on the popular Lower Monte Carlo Trail through a dended swath cut to bury a water pipe.Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times Buy Photo The construction crew piled brush between the fresh-cut swath and Prince Creek Road so vehicles wouldn&#8217;t mistake the disturbed area as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1310350","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-17 13:35:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1310350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1310350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1310350\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1310350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1310350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1310350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}