These were acquired through the Freedom of Information Act
The Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) responded to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
It was mostly a laborious document of the rules and regulations concerning
military use of other federal lands, including those of the BLM. Because
they defined the use in question as "casual" none of the rules in that long
document even applied to the exercise in question. They did
respond with some detail on the most recent use of BLM lands by a Special
Forces Unit from Fort Carson.
The BLM said:
- The 10th Special Forces Group (Green Berets) from Fort Carson were granted permission by the BLM to land and takeoff from a site at T. 16 S., R. 67 W on 5 dates, July 30, August 13, August 17, August 27 and August 31, 2010. Each day lists flights at 1900, 2200 and 0200. In total this would involve 15 flights. In some cases these flights would have involved sky diving into the area.
- The Gazette story identifies the location as Blue Mountain.
- The BLM identifies the landing location as Duffield Meadows (see coordinates above) and says it is within the Beaver Creek Wilderness Study Area (WSA).
- The BLM identifies this as a casual use exercise and exempt from NEPA oversight or any formal signed agreement.
- The BLM document says the Green Berets would then proceed to a prearranged link-up at another site in the Pike National Forest. It is not clear if there were helicopter flights in and out of a National Forest Service Landing Zone at that rendezvous point. It is possible that there were.
-
A bit more information on the area where Fort Carson helicopters and Green Berets were training this summer. We know that there was at least one Landing Zone in this Wilderness area. There may be more. The total of LZ's in the mountains that we know about is now up to 17.
Beaver Creek WSA - This area is located 10 miles northeast of Cañon City, Colorado. It consists of more than 26,150 acres of public lands in steep, remote granite canyons that are valued for their wildlife and fish habitat. The primary trailhead is located within the Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area at the end of Fremont County Road 132. A portion of Beaver Creek WSA, 13,734 acres, is within an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
So what did we find out and what didn't we find out.
- Finally we have some solid numbers, at least 15 helicopter flights which originated at Fort Carson and flew into the mountains for landings and takeoffs.
- The exercise in question involved use of public lands of the BLM and the Pike National Forest and were within a Wilderness Study Area.
- How often do "casual" use exercises happen? The BLM only provided information on this one exercise. One presumes there have been others. How many involving how many flights?
- It's not clear who exactly is monitoring the impacts of such use. The "casual" designation sounds like a handshake agreement with no oversight.
- We do not know the flight corridor or corridors for these flights.
List of Landing Zones
Overview map:
LZs next to Fort Carson
Badger Flats"Bear" LZ, south of town
Horseshoe over by Leadville
LZ "Slide" south of Colorado Springs
LZ "Storm" up by Woodland Park
LZ "Plum" up by Palmer Park
LZ "Saylor" west of Mt. Herman
