ABQjournal: To Pave or Not to Pave; County OKs Study To Review Access to Chaco Canyon, By Leslie Linthicum, Journal Staff Writer
San Juan County commissioners have decided to spend $250,000 to study the effects of all options for the road into Chaco Canyon— everything from paving it to leaving it in its famously rutted condition.
The study is the latest turn in a heated debate about whether the last 13 miles of the county road leading to Chaco Culture National Historical Park should be paved. …
“From nothing all the way up to paving,” [San Juan County’s director of Public Works Dave Keck] said. “We’re basically going to let the (environmental assessment) document tell us where we should go.”
Keck said the process will examine how changes to the dirt road could affect archaeological and cultural resources as well as air quality and noise levels. The process will involve three public meetings.
“We’re not going to bowl over anybody in this project,” Keck said. “We’re going to let everybody be involved.”
Opponents are disappointed. They wanted the commission to drop the paving plan and make improvements to the road with fencing and maintenance.
“We believe that Chaco needs to be protected. We believe the road serves as a means of protection. And we believe that, if the road is paved, the essential character of the park will change,” said Anson Wright of the Chaco Alliance.
The Chaco Alliance, the San Juan Citizens Alliance and the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club support fencing the land along the roadway to keep livestock out, improving the wash that crosses the road, improving signs to control traffic and keeping the road graded.
Wright said the county’s original contention that the road is dangerous is unsupported.
“Yes, you have to drive more slowly. Maybe it’s an inconvenience. But that’s all,” Wright said.
A study prepared for Chaco in 2005 looked at the effects of paved access to national parks and monuments. Each park studied saw an increase in visitors following road improvements and some were dramatic. …
Park officials for Chaco have not taken a public stand on the paving issue, although they have said they fear the park’s resources would be strained by increased traffic, especially large tour buses.
STOP THE CHACO ROAD
http://www.dont-pave-chaco.com/
Albuquerque Archaeological Society
http://www.abqarchaeology.org/endangered.shtml
San Juan Citizens Alliance
http://www.sanjuancitizens.org/