Summittville project moves forward

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Rio Grande County Commissioner Karla Shriver helped install a picnic shelter and interpretive signs at the Summitville Mine in the summer of 2016 and now will help to build a vault bathroom to assist with increasing tourism in the area. 


DEL NORTE— Over the last several years, changes have been happening within the county in an attempt to make Summittville a popular tourist destination. The Summittville Mining District is one of the biggest historical heritage destinations in Rio Grande County, and county officials have been working behind the scenes to bring attention to the historical significance of the region as well as minimize the footprint left by the massive mining area.
According to Rio Grande County Commissioner Karla Shriver, the county has been working closely with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to create a covenant that would lessen the original foot print of the mining district down to a size that can and will be easily maintained and be more of a benefit to the community and county rather than a debt.
“The Summittville area has not been an actual debt to the county as we have not spent any county funds on the area, but the opportunity to make it work for the county once the foot print is smaller is a real possibility. We are looking to the future of the area and how it can benefit the community through tourism and possibly educational programs as well as small mining claim sales in the future. We are not sure how everything will go from this point forward but the steps to create the covenant will be the first towards making this a real outdoor recreational tourism plan,” said Shriver.
The area is currently being surveyed by an archeological team to determine what structures on the proposed foot print hold historical value as part of a land exchange agreement with the Rio Grande National Forest. “The forest service has small inholdings within the area and in order for us to move forward with an MOU with CDPHE and EPA, those inholdings have to be exchanged for other property on the outer area of the mining district. It is a benefit to the county and the forest service and allows for the property to be more defined, instead of in random pieces,” explained Shriver.
While waiting for the archeological survey to be complete, the county is utilizing conservation trust fund monies to install a vault bathroom facility to help accommodate the increase in tourism to the area. “We were able to install the interpretive signs and the picnic shelter two years ago and now we will be putting in a vault bathroom to accommodate tourism in the area. It really is a public safety concern as people will venture off the beaten path to relieve themselves which can be dangerous. Having a bathroom facility in the area will help alleviate this issue and hopefully encourage more people to stay in the area,” said Shriver.
The bathroom facilities will be installed by the end of next week, depending on weather. Shriver also stated that the county hopes to have the covenant in place by the first of the year and will begin working on future plans for the area. “We hope to continue the tours of the water treatment facility and the mines throughout the summer months and we hope to bring educational programs to the area. This is a huge potential for the county’s tourism,” finished Shriver.