Some climbers in early April of 2006 were spotted and filmed using hammer drills to construct permanent protection onto the face of Eagle Peak. Eagle Peak is an inventoried rareII area. At least one web site said that the bolt placing was at least back to 2003 (which you will recall was after a little fire and during a little forest closure) This means no construction or development in these types of designations; but many many bolts were placed over serveral years. Subsequently there were “collaborative meetings ” held with the forest Service and somehow chosen or who knows : “stakeholders” to determine the dynamics of managing visitors and climbers in gorgeous eagle nesting areas, at least 4 specific areas. (Weather the same rock climbers or different ones from above for the sake of this point is irrelevant. ) They determined on December 18, of 2008 that since no eagles had nested on Eagle Peak in 5 years (2008-5=2003? ) that they would not have to close the peak for rock climbers. AS it turns out, the Migratory Bird order also protects other raptures including Prairie Falcons which resulted in an “advisory ” closure for Eagle Peak. What I point out is two things. The minutes of the December 18 meeting does not list ANY women, yet several woman (including Me) have been on Eagle Peak a lot to observe and document and report on various circumstances of the mountain over the last decade, while some of the “stakeholders ” had not climbed the peak at all. Further ANY US citizen is a stakeholder in the Forest and we already had a great collaborative in the existing full NEPA process that had already been conducted. –my opinion at least. It would be an understatement to say I’m extremely dissapointed in the way this went down. In my experience, the Forest generally has demonstrated far wiser moments. So please tell the FS that the old public meetings may be difficult at times but very much appreciated and much more comprehensive. (to say the least) They should not (apparently at least) turn away from all the comments on the Eagles that had already been made at those meetings, though other than my own I have no idea what consensus they represent. Presumably the gender omission on decision day, was some fluke of nature, but if it proves otherwise, then we have a very different issue to contend with: There is much testimony and commenting that in the event, that it turns out that assumptions were perceived about the relevant importance of female input, would potentially require considerable review including ALL COMMENTS MADE BY WOMEN ON THE POWER LINE AND OTHER FOREST ISSUES(?) Does this imply and raise concern that potential impacts reported to the forest service now and in the past comprising their assessment of the southern route were overlooked or marginalized, because they represented female observation and perspective? I don’t know if this is good or bad. I’m just blown away. When and if I cool off maybe I’ll have a rational opinion about this one, -maybe not!

As recent as January 2009 the nesting pair of Golden Eagles was confirmed along the route of the Sunrise Powerlink…. see

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland/projects/projects/seasonal-closures/

I called the USFS today, and learned that this pair was NOT noted in the EIR and EIS because “the EIR and EIS was never completed for the southern route, so they are doing surveys for a supplementary report now”.

The USFS will be making their decision on the approval of the route through the Cleveland National Forest sometime this summer. Please send your letters to Will Metz of the US Forest service asking them to perform a full environmental review and have local hearings prior to making a decision.

Visit ww.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland /projects/projects/seasonal-closures. I have contacted Kristen Winter of the USFS and she said the Forest has been working with the BLM and the county on “protective measures”. It is important that we show our support to the USFS by asking them to perform a full environmental review and have local hearings before making their decision. Emails should go to Will Metz.