Silverton school earns LEED Gold
Silverton School District No. 1 announces that it has been awarded LEED Gold for the recently completed comprehensive rehabilitation project of the historic 1911 school and gym.
Silverton School is the first historic project in a group of only 239 kindergarten to 12th-grade educational buildings in the world that have achieved LEED Gold for schools certification.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized rating system for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings. The rating recognizes owners and builders for finding and implementing ways to be environmentally responsible and resource efficient.
The project, completed in 2012, was designed with sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality in mind. The project achieved 62 out of 110 available points for its certification.
Sage-grouse comment period extended
The Bureau of Land Management announces the new date for the close of the comment period for the Northwest Colorado Greater Sage Grouse Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment.
The BLM initially scheduled 90 days for comment, and the original date for the close of the comment period was Nov. 14. Because of the lapse in appropriations and the resulting federal government shutdown, the documents were not available on the BLM website from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16. As a result, the new date for the close of the comment period will be Dec. 2. Comments submitted by Dec. 2 will be considered before BLM makes a final decision.
Open house to address Chimney Rock plan
The San Juan National Forest will host an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, 344 Colorado Highway 84 in Pagosa Springs, to begin the management planning effort for the Chimney Rock National Monument.
Chimney Rock, which is in the San Juan National Forest between Pagosa Springs and Durango, was designated as a national monument by presidential proclamation on Sept. 21, 2012.
For the next two years, the Forest Service, with input from tribes, local governments and the public, will develop a management plan to ensure that the public lands and resources administered at the monument are managed in accordance with the intent of the proclamation, as well as all applicable laws, policies and guidelines.
At the open house, Pagosa District Ranger Kevin Khung will give a presentation about the proclamation and the process for creating the management plan. After this presentation, the public will be able to visit with Forest Service staff members, ask questions and provide comments.
The Chimney Rock Interpretive Association, a nonprofit organization that offers interpretive programs at Chimney Rock, will be available to provide information.
For more information, visit www.chimneyrockco.org or www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan.
Herald Staff
