Durango – The Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General has informed Sen. Ken Salazar that it found no evidence of improper conduct or pressure in connection with Forest Service decisions made on Texas billionaire Red McCombs’ proposed Village at Wolf Creek in southwestern Colorado.
Inspector General Phyllis Fong wrote Thursday to Salazar, who had asked for an investigation May 16. She said the office interviewed key participants and reviewed documents related to Forest Service deliberations on the high-mountain development that could include up to 2,172 residential units and 222,100 square feet of commercial space. McCombs’ 287.5-acre parcel, adjacent to the Wolf Creek Ski Area, lacked year-round access to U.S. 160 and needed agency authorization to build roads through national forest.
Salazar had expressed concern about allegations by environmental groups and others that McCombs and partner Bob Honts had used McCombs’ influence with Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey and his deputy, David Tenny, to influence the decisionmaking process in the Rio Grande National Forest.
“Our review of the relevant information found that the allegation of improper political interference in the development of the (Final Environmental Impact Statement) was not substantiated,” Fong said.
Salazar said he appreciated the inspector general’s investigation and he will continue to monitor the project.
“I am always concerned when there are reports that suggest that there is improper lobbying and political pressure placed on agency employees,” Salazar said in a statement released Friday. “The proposed project warrants continued careful and thoughtful administrative action and public participation.”
Fong said media reports inaccurately conveyed the impression that an official, the former winter sports coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Region, had direct knowledge or evidence that flaws in the environmental review were due to supervisors exerting improper pressure to help the developers of the proposed project.
“The former winter sports coordinator told the OIG that he had no direct knowledge or evidence of any USDA officials exerting improper pressure or influence regarding the EIS,” Fong wrote.
However, the retired official, Ed Ryberg, said Friday that he stands by comments made in an April story in The Denver Post, which accurately portrayed his concerns. He said the environmental review that resulted in authorization of two access roads for the project was fundamentally flawed. He further said that Rey’s deputy, Tenny, involved himself with McCombs’ access problems to a degree Ryberg found unusual and that Tenny made efforts to help McCombs.
Ryberg said he could not say he had direct knowledge of the actual impact and result of Tenny’s efforts on other Forest Service officials who made the key decisions regarding the project.
Staff writer Electa Draper can be reached at 970-385-0917 or edraper@denverpost.com.
