It is a bit like Christmas in August. And a white Christmas at that.

News that Jane and Marc Katz have acquired 190 acres of land near Purgatory Resort – a purchase that should protect the beloved ski trail system operated by the Durango Nordic Center – is being greeted in Durango like presents under the tree.

And not just by Nordic skiers; the purchase is being cheered by just as many people who never set foot on the snow.

That is because the deal drives a stake into any chance that plans for a 157-lot RV resort across U.S. 550 from Cascade Village might rise from the dead. Those plans, which would have blocked about a third of the existing Nordic trail system, fell through because of a contract dispute.

But before they did, they were met with a collective Bronx cheer from our community, not just for the impact on the Nordic center, but for fear that the development would mar the dramatic and irreplaceable view east over the Animas River canyon to the Needles.

Further north, in San Juan County, the deal might not be so welcome. The RV resort promised a steady source of tax revenue for the county, which needs it.

That may still materialize, as some development on the property is likely. But we trust that with the Katz family, the scale of that development and its compatibility with the Nordic center and the landscape will be a prime consideration.

This is not the first gift from the family to our community. A substantial part of land acquired on Ewing Mesa has been offered for public use with the expectation of creating a multi-use events center.

Two hundred acres have been donated outright to La Plata County. Planning for that parcel is already underway, and facilities that can serve as music venues and county fairgrounds, so close to town, should make it a gift that keeps on giving for generations.

While the land near Purgatory will remain in private hands, the spirit of the purchase feels much the same as Ewing Mesa.

Consider this a timely thank you note.