The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved a tribal consultation letter for the Forest Health Timber Products 3-Phase Line Extension 2026 Project during its regular meeting held on Tuesday, July 7.
Earlier that day, the BoCC heard from Grant Accountant Stephen Slade in regard to the consultation letter.
He explained that on March 31 the county had been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Colorado Division of Local Government (CDLG) to provide partial funding for a new underground 3-phase power line extension from the existing electric grid to the existing Forest Health Timber Products sawmill in Cloman Park.
Slade explained that in order to fulfill federal grant requirements, letters needed to be sent to the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Fort Belknap Indian Community of Fort Belknap Reservation of Montana; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah; and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation “ensuring no historic properties are impacted by the installation of underground power in Cloman Park.”
Slade noted that there could be potential impacts on areas of traditional religious, archaeological or historical significance, and that the letter provides the tribes with 30 days if there is impact found on the area.
“The county’s preliminary finding is that no historic properties are expected to be adversely affected,” Slade said.
Slade indicated that this needed to be done before the awarded grant money could be spent.
“It’s something that we have to do, so we definitely should get the letter out,” Commissioner Veronica Medina said.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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