After the recent decimation of the forest, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad should not be allowed to continue its operations. In addition to being a fire hazard, the train significantly decreases air quality (particulates and sulfur dioxide), exacerbates climate change and generates excessive noise pollution.
I work in the Durango tourism industry and I realize that disbanding the train might have some short-term economic implications. Ultimately, however, people visit Durango to enjoy the mountains. They don’t come just to ride a train.
Moreover, people live in Durango because of the mountains, trees, air, rivers and the heart-centered people who call Durango home. What do we want to create? Are we ready to free ourselves from a coal-burning relic of the past?
Christine Schubert
Hermosa
