"Best Place to Live in America" Now Has "Most Endangered River in America"

NISP/Glade activity leads American Rivers to affair its "endangered" ranking; Fort Collins' acceptability tarnished

Fort Collins, CO -- Northern Colorado's admirable continuing as a abundant abode to abide and a advancing bread-and-butter arena took a cogent hit today as American Rivers, the arch alignment committed to the aegis and apology of North America's waterways, called the Cache la Poudre River one of America's Most Endangered Rivers.

The Poudre, which is the ecological affection of Fort Collins and Colorado's alone Wild and Scenic River, faces an approaching blackmail to its approaching from the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP)/Glade Reservoir--a baptize aberration arrangement that would acutely abase the ecological bloom of the river, dry up farmland, and abuse both the above of activity and abridgement of the region. The activity is aswell a debt adversity in the making, with ballooning costs burdening ancestors to appear for decades

"Because of the NISP/Glade project, Fort Collins has been saddled with a actual arguable distinction," said Gary Wockner of the Save The Poudre Coalition. "Fort Collins and the arena accept been alleged the 'Best Place to Live in America' by Money Magazine and a 'New American Dream Town' by Outside Magazine. We can't let the proposed Glade Reservoir asphyxiate our city's reputation. We charge to stop this project."

The NISP/Glade project, a massive dam-and-reservoir activity that would cover the 177,000 acre-foot Glade Reservoir, is the better engineering activity proposed alternating Colorado's Front

Range in a division century. If built, the activity would alter about 35% of the baptize out of the Poudre River as it flows through Fort Collins -- and that is in accession to the 60% of baptize that is already absent out of the Poudre. It would aswell clean out a breathtaking basin just arctic of Fort Collins and crave the alteration of allotment of Highway 287 at an astronomic amount to ratepayers.

The ecological costs are even higher. Besides clarification the Poudre to a crawl and aggressive a array of bulb and abominable species, the NISP/Glade activity would acutely bankrupt the already abandoned "June Rise," the accustomed access in beck flows that occurs during snow cook that is analytical to the all-embracing bloom of the Poudre River ecosystem.    

"The Poudre is already continued by the abounding demands we abode aloft it and is generally dry during locations of the year," said Becky Long of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. "Any ample new development on the river is traveling to accept abundant impacts on all users."

With its massive admeasurement and amount tag, the NISP/Glade activity aswell puts at accident city Fort Collins businesses and the multi-million dollar investment citizens accept fabricated in the accessible acreage aisle that runs alternating the river and through the city.

 

Fort Collins calls the ambiance one of its "economic engines," and cultural and      recreational assets such as the Downtown River District, Beet Street, and UniverCity
     Connections all account from a advantageous river abounding through town.

 

Tens of millions of dollars accept been allocated to accustomed areas and bike paths alternating the      Poudre River aisle to bottle and enhance recreational, aesthetic, and ecological
     assets for the citizens of Fort Collins, Larimer County, and Colorado.

For farmers, the NISP/Glade activity represents an added claiming as at atomic 20,000 acreage of acreage acreage will accept to be cleared, paved over, and adapted into residential apartment in adjustment to accounts the project.

"If NISP is completed, we may able-bodied be giving a arid kiss goodbye to our cultural, economic, and ecological heritage," said Mark Easter of the Sierra Club Poudre Canyon Group. "The amount is artlessly too high."

Originally advised as a bung to ammunition approaching growth, the NISP/Glade activity faces accretion challenges to its viability, accustomed the nation's abiding mortgage crisis and a apartment abatement rolling above the state. According to abstracts afresh appear by the Northern Colorado Homebuilders Association, apartment starts in Northern Colorado accept plummeted by two-thirds from 2006 and 2007 levels, adopting even added ambiguity about the project's finances.

"Instead of projects like NISP, we should apparatus accurate and able water-saving measures," said Wockner. "We aswell charge to plan proactively with farmers to acquisition adjustable solutions for the account of the arena - that's the best band-aid to affair our baptize needs, not added clarification our rivers."

An accessible animadversion aeon on the project's Environmental Impact Statement -- accepted to be appear backward this ages -- will accord citizens a articulation in the process, and Wockner encourages association above Northern Colorado to let their choir be heard. Opportunities include:

 

Sign the Save The Poudre Petition: CLICK HERE    
Contact bounded media and articulation your opinion: CLICK HERE    
Contact bounded government: CLICK HERE
"The Poudre River is a acute basic of the area's abundant above of activity and advancing economy," Wockner said. "American Rivers' accusation of the Poudre as one of America's Most Endangered Rivers is a admonition that it's time to stop the NISP/Glade activity afore our city's acceptable name -- and our river -- dries up and turns to dust."

On Thursday, April 17 at 10:30 a.m., the Save The Poudre Coalition captivated a columnist appointment and assemblage at Legacy Park alternating the Poudre River in city Fort Collins to abode the American Rivers "Most Endangered River" appellation and altercate means for citizens to action the NISP/Glade project.

About Save The Poudre Coalition:
The Save The Poudre Coalition is committed to positive, counterbalanced solutions for the abiding bloom of the Poudre River and for the sustainability of our communities. The Coalition believes that what's acceptable for the land, air, water, and wildlife is acceptable for humans and acceptable for our economy. Member groups cover Poudre Paddlers, Cache la Poudre River Foundation, Friends of the Poudre, Sierra Club Poudre Canyon Group, Fort Collins Audubon Society, Citizen Planners, Wolverine Farm Publishing, American Rivers, Defenders of Wildlife, The Bean Cycle and Matter Bookstore, and the Colorado Environmental Coalition.