Some people in La Plata County have welcomed the ultimate Trojan Horse – in the form of Americans For Prosperity, a Koch brothers-funded group that started a local chapter here in La Plata County.
They are organized and mounting a two pronged attack on our local government. First prong: Trying to recall our twice-elected public official, County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt, because she has consistently represented our interests to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for practices that foul our air and water. Second prong: Whipping up fear of land use planning to derail the land use code revision.
Planning involves compromises –that’s the essence of what it takes for people to live together in a community. La Plata county is facing development pressures (we all know this – read the projections from the real estate agents and the economic development groups in our area). If you drive between Durango and Bayfield, you know what’s coming.
Do we want the county to retain its rural character, while making reasonable provisions for growth? If we don’t get down to sweating the details of a LUC revision, La Plata County will go the way of every other (formerly) desirable rural community, to be gradually overtaken and replaced by unbridled development.
Consider the Salt Lake valley, Interstate 5 from Olympia to Bellingham, and Portland to Beaverton/Gresham; once predominantly agricultural lands, now mostly paved over with freeways, box stores, commercial development and residential sprawl.
Keep the disruptive Kochs out of La Plata. Keep it local.
Susan H. Ulery
Durango
