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Commissioners approve Elk Creek Reserve logging permit with hauling limits and $10,000 revegetation collateral
Summary
San Miguel County commissioners approved a multi‑year logging and forest‑health special‑use permit for Elk Creek Reserve LLC, authorizing thinning on roughly 256 acres this year and setting conditions including seasonal protections for elk habitat, hauling limits (no hauling on federal holidays and Bluegrass weekend), a cap of four hauling trucks per day, defined hours for on‑site work, and a $10,000 revegetation collateral.
San Miguel County commissioners voted May 20 to approve a multi‑year logging and forest‑health project on Elk Creek Reserve, authorizing work on the parcels the county reviewed for 2026 and establishing conditions intended to protect wildlife, roads and neighbors.
Staff presented the one‑step special‑use permit for Elk Creek Reserve LLC and contractor BM West, saying the full multi‑year project is estimated at about 1.8 million board feet of timber and that the 2026 phase covers roughly 256 acres. Nicola Kerr, associate planner, told the board the permit explicitly avoids elk production habitat during the May 1–June 30 seasonal restriction and requires a hauling permit from county road and bridge.
Kerr said the county included several standard conditions: avoidance and buffers for wetlands and riparian areas, a weed control and revegetation plan, annual inspections for multiple growing seasons after completion, and a hauling‑permit requirement that would allow road and bridge to enforce limits.
The board and the applicant negotiated operational details during the hearing. Commissioners adopted a set of operational controls that include: on‑site work generally Monday–Friday, 6 a.m.–6 p.m., with Saturdays and Sundays limited to 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; hauling limited to weekdays with a 6 a.m.–6 p.m. window and no hauling on federal holidays and the county’s Bluegrass weekend and July 4 holiday period; a maximum of four loaded one‑way truck trips per day; and a requirement that logging trucks use mufflers and not rely on engine braking to reduce noise.
Tom Kennedy, representing the applicant, and Carrie Johnson of BM West described hauling routes and said they would coordinate delivery to mills off County Road 57 and Highway 145. Kennedy asked the board to consider a collateral approach rather than a formal bond; the board agreed to require a $10,000 revegetation/weed‑control collateral for the permit, to be held until staff confirms revegetation success over the agreed inspection period. Kennedy said the amount was meant to be “reasonable” and not a project‑killer.
The permit also requires the applicant to obtain a county hauling permit (Road & Bridge) and to comply with specific weed control methods and timelines. Staff will administratively review and approve subsequent annual phases; before approving any later phase the planning director will verify compliance with the prior year’s conditions.
Commissioner [mover] moved the adoption of the resolution approving the special‑use permit; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.
The approval clears the way for thinning and removal work aimed at wildfire mitigation, but the conditions create enforceable limits on hauling, noise and revegetation to address community and environmental concerns.
