Next Meeting Tuesday June 3 at the Taos Library Meeting Room 4:30-5:30. Open to all

Taos Mountain Alliance in the Taos News!

(See articles in our Reading Room)

Our involvement and negotiations with the TSVI (Resort)/Village/Carson Nation Forrest, and our education of the public, is gaining increasing traction. We are more than a backcountry skier organization. We are grateful that TSVI operates the ski resort - many of us buy passes and enjoy the lift-provided recreation. We are not “anti-development activists” but rather a consortium of citizens concerned about the possibility of over-development in our local mountains that could negatively affect the environment, water, forest access, and socioeconomics.

Important facts to consider when reading the recent articles: 1) In our negotiations with TSVI regarding preservation of the historic Williams Lake / Wheeler Peak trail, we specifically requested that TSV Holdings, Inc (Louis Bacon as the private land owner) provide an easement (for access and/or conservation) for that portion of the historic trail. Although the answer was no, we intend to continue negotiations emphasizing that providing an easement would be a true conservationist act and go along way in establishing community relations. 2) The alternate trail was moved both to within the Special Use Permit area and new easements over the TSV Holdings, Inc property. Beyond the fact that this alternate trail is inadequate for Winter travel, we are concerned that future control or constraint of access to the wilderness might occur. We feel that a public easement along the historic trail (independent of any control by the resort) is the solution.