Over the last four decades, many parts of the Lisbon Valley, including the Velvet-Wood site, have healed somewhat. Wizened, ancient junipers that escaped the bulldozer blades cling to existence, and cottonwoods and willows can still be found in sandy wash bottoms. On the several occasions I’ve visited the Lisbon Valley, it has been remarkably quiet and devoid of humans. A new mine would change all that.
Anfield submitted its proposal to the Bureau of Land Management’s Monticello Field Office in April 2024. But the BLM found that it was deficient and asked Anfield to supply additional information, including plans for water treatment and waste rock storage. In September, the BLM still found deficiencies in the newly submitted plan and said it wouldn’t move forward with the review until they were addressed. Now, at Anfield’s request, the BLM is being ordered to complete the review in 14 days.
Underground mines typically hijack the hydrology of the landscape they’re in, pulling groundwater into the mine’s drifts and tunnels, where it can pick up naturally occurring heavy metals and radioactive elements before it flows out into the environment. An estimated 50 million gallons of water have built up in the mine workings over the last four
decades, meaning Anfield will have to dewater the mine prior to commencing operations. Anfield’s operating plan notes that the accumulated water is “of marginal quality with elevated concentrations of dissolved solids and sulfate and elevated radionuclide activity levels.” It would run the water through a treatment plant prior to discharging it.
Utah regulators last year tentatively permitted the Velvet-Wood Mine to discharge up to 500,000 gallons of radium, uranium and zinc-tainted water into an unnamed wash each day –conditioned on approval of a proposed water treatment plant. That wash empties into Big Indian Wash, which leads to Hatch Wash and Kane Springs Creek, which then runs into the Colorado River downstream from Moab.
Anfield plans to process ore from the Velvet-Wood in its Shootaring mill near Ticaboo, Utah, which the company hopes to reopen. The mill, north of Bullfrog Marina, was built in the late 1970s and shut down in 1982. Last year, Anfield applied with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality for a license renewal for the facility. Velvet-Wood ore hauling trucks would have to travel about 200 miles to the mill, either by going through Moab and Hanksville, or through Monticello, Blanding and Bears
Workers overlook the Lisbon Valley Copper Mine, about a mile from the proposed Velvet-Wood uranium mine. A sacrific zone for decades, the landscape is also home to a shuttered uranium mill that continues to contaminate groundwater, oil and gas wells, and a natural gas plant that Utah recently sued over air pollution violations. Trump’s new executive order would “fast track” enivornmental review for the Velvet-Wood mine./ Photo courtesy Utah BLM
Ears National Monument.
As I’ve often said, President Donald Trump’s sometimes-unhinged executive orders don’t have much meaning until they play out on the ground. Now his “energy emergency” order is doing just that in the long-abused Lisbon Valley. The BLM has yet to open any public comment period, but if and when they do, you’ll only have a few days to be
heard. The BLM’s NEPA page for the Velvet-Wood Mine can be found here: tiny url.com/4yftevp4
Find the Velvet-Wood Mine, along with other mining-related sites, at the Land Desk’s Mining Monitor Map
The Land Desk is a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, author of “River of Lost Souls” and “Sagebrush Empire.” To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org ■
Kaczmarek anticipated, so shutting down made sense. And Kaczmarek said even the recent pause in the trade war between the U.S. and China won’t change his plans. There’s just too much uncertainty.
“We’re down to our last 200 bikes. We’re going to build those while I still have my staff,” Kaczmarek said. “We’re exiting this facility at the end of July, and unfortunately, we’re letting everybody go.”
Kaczmarek said he’s going to move any remaining inventory to his house and stay on the sidelines to see how the tariff negotiations play out.
Others in the industry said they may be forced to sit on the sidelines as well, like Matt Reichel, of Boreas Campers, in Pueblo, which makes camper trailers built to go off-road and off-grid.
Reichel said the RV industry has declined significantly since its peak in COVID, and his company is running at 50% of what it was in 2022. He said supply chain issues that started during the pandemic have never fully recovered, and the company’s future is uncertain. “It’s just whiplash for everyone,” he said.
He said the company, which also depends on parts from China, had been able to manage the 25% tariffs imposed in 2018, but 145% is a different ballgame.
Trump hopes that restricting American access to overseas products, especially from China, will incentivize manufacturers to start producing parts in the United States and create more jobs. But Reichel said even if tariffs were to stay at 145%, it will still be more expensive to buy his supplies in the U.S.
Borealis’ Kaczmarek agrees. He said he doesn’t think anything he needs could be manufactured cost-competitively in the U.S. compared to China.
“I understand that we’re trying to bring jobs back to the US,” said Kaczmarek. “That’s great. I fully support that, but not everything can be brought back.”
Kaczmarek doesn’t see the tires he depends on ever being made in the U.S. He said he looked into bike frames when he started the company and they were five times the cost of what he pays for bike frames in China. He said people just aren’t going to spend what it would cost to buy a bike with U.S. parts. One example is the carbon bikes he sells that run from $2,000-$3,000. He predicted a carbon bike with U.S. parts would cost about $10,000.
Kaczmarek said he worries how his employees will make ends meet. Dakota Mossbrook is one of the remaining three full-time workers. Kaczmarek calls him a superstar. “We’ve got a really good
group, and it takes years to get a good group,” Kaczmarek said. “But I can’t keep paying them. There’s just no way to do that.”
Mossbrook, who assembles the bikes, said he’d like to continue doing what he does, but the future doesn’t look good for the industry. “What’s happening to
us is kind of happening to the entire industry,” he said. “So options are slim.” Mossbrook is now looking for a job, but he said for him, the future looks bleak. And Kaczmarek will say goodbye to a business he created from the ground up. For more from Colorado Public Radio, go to www.cpr.org. ■
Dakota Mossbrook assembles a Borealis fat bike in the company’s shop in Colorado Springs. / Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Stuff to Do
Thursday15
“Hiking into Health” Missionary Ridge mini hike, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., meet at Meadow Market, 688 Edgemont Rd.
Ska-B-Q with Chuck Hank and Friends, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Weekly Dart Tournament, 5:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Spanish Conversation Hour, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Jamie & The Dreamers play, 5-7 p.m., Four Leaves Winery, 528 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Roller Derby Mix Up: Angels vs. Demons, 6 p.m., Chapman Hill, 500 Florida Rd
“Mental Health Care in Crisis: A Community Conversation on Compassion, Action and Hope,” presented by Writers on the Range, 6 p.m., FLC Center for Innovation, Main Mall, 2nd floor
An Evening of Native Water Stories, 6-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio
100 Year Flood plays, 6-9 p.m., Gazpacho, 431 E. 2nd Ave.
Board Game Sundays, 12-3 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Artist Talk: “Visions of Johanna,” invitational art exhibit centered around the music of Bob Dylan, 2 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
Durango Silent Book Club, 2-4 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E 2nd Ave.
Weekly Peace Vigil & Rally for Gaza & Palestine, every Sunday, 4 p.m., Buckley Park
Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Chuck Hank plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Monday19
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30 p.m., in person at the Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave., Ste. 109 or online at www.durangodharmacenter.org
Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
“One-room Schools in SW La Plata County,” presented by Jean Campion, 6:30 p.m., Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203
Roller Derby 101, 6:30-9 p.m., Chapman Hill, 500 Florida Rd.
AskRachel Pushing buttons, peak Ikea and naked eyes
Interesting fact: Dinosaurs had belly buttons. A triceratops-like dinosaur fossil was found with a belly button scar much like modern alligators have. Lint, however, does not fossilize.
Dear Rachel,
Sometimes I can’t sleep at night because that’s when I do my best thinking. My latest gem: Why don’t dogs have belly buttons? Dogs have to have umbilical cords. So where do they plug in? Unless humans are the weird ones. I know I could Google this but sometimes the wondering is more fun than the answering, don’t you agree?
– Innies & Outies
Dear Navel Gazer,
Not sure how I never thought of this. I’m trying really hard to appreciate your no-Google approach. All I can think about is one person I dated way back who was repulsed by belly buttons. You couldn’t even get to the word “button,” and he’d be gagging. I had to
Tuesday20
wear basically an inverse bikini that entire relationship. I don’t want to think about that anymore, though, so I’ll tell you it turns out all animals have a tiny little tummy scar. Even ones born in eggs! Humans just have particularly big ones.
– Pokin’ all the wrong buttons, Rachel
Dear Rachel, I hate when cliches prove themselves right. But spring cleaning really does have to happen in the spring. Why is this? Why do warm days and daylight make me suddenly want to purge until I live in a contemporary Scandinavian showroom? Everything must go. Everything left must be scoured. This could happen just as easily in the dark cold days of winter, but it doesn’t. Why?
– Starting Fresh
Dear Scrubbed Down, The real question is: why do we all run out of motivation before we
Cowboy Tuesdays, 12-3 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
achieve peak Ikea? I too feel the pull of starting anew. I usually get as far as dumping my clothes on my bed or emptying my freezer onto the counter, then I’m out of steam. Maybe this is the origin of the summer vacation: we’re escaping the spring cleaning we never saw through.
– Sprung, Rachel
Dear Rachel, So, I just heard about this new trend of men are shaving their eyelashes. Apparently, eye hair is too feminine? Or something? You won’t catch me shaving my eyes. All I can think is it’s a backlash to the Veep using eye makeup. I can’t make heads or tails of this trend. What are your ear (or eye) to the ground insights?
– Making Eyes
Dear Hairless Wonder, This reeks of unintended fashion statements. Some dude probably burned off his eyelids doing something
Word Honey Poetry Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Unraveling the Myths and Mysteries of the Black Swift, 6 p.m., Fort Lewis College, Education and Business Hall, Room 055
Donny Johnson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic with Leigh Mikell, 7 p.m., EsoTerra, 558 Main Ave.
unmanly like torching a crème brulée. So he had to pretend it happened while using his meat smoker. Then it turned into a weird in-group thing. I’m waiting for Real Men™ to spackle over their belly buttons, so there is no evidence they were ever reliant on a woman. – Batten hatches, not lashes, Rachel
Upcoming
Geology Hike: Ancient Rocks of the Vallecito Valley, Thurs., May 22, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Vallecito Campground Trailhead, Bayfield
Songwriter’s Showcase, Thurs., May 22, 5-7 p.m., Four Leaves Winery, 528 Main Ave.
Durango Fiesta Days Carnival, Thurs., May 22, 5-9 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Ska-B-Q Live Music by Shane Finn, Thurs., May 22, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
“Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis” film screening, Thurs., May 22, 5-8:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
“Ladies’ Night” all-female standup comedy showcase, Thurs., May 22, 7-9 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Downtown Clean Day, Fri., May 23, 8:30-11:30 a.m., Keller Williams Realty, 700 Main Ave.
Unofficial Bike Rally & Tapping Party, Fri., May 23, 4 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. May 15, 2025 n 13
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I think you’re ready to establish new ways of nourishing and protecting what’s valuable to you. Your natural assertiveness will be useful in setting boundaries and securing resources. Your flourishing intuition will guide you to implement adjustments that safeguard your interests while remaining flexible enough to permit legitimate access. Be extra alert, Aries, for when you need to balance security with accessibility. Your best defenses will come from clever design, not brute force. Do what you need to feel secure without feeling trapped.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In July 1971, 26-year-old Taurus poet Bernadette Mayer kept a scrupulous diary. Every day, she shot a roll of 35 mm film, wrote about the day’s events and recorded herself reading her accounts. By Aug. 1, she had accumulated 1,100 photos and six hours of readings. One of her goals in doing the project was to learn more about how her memory worked. What was worth remembering, and what wasn’t? She also hoped to gain an objective perspective about her routine rhythm. Years later, she acknowledged that though this was a narcissistic experiment, she had no shame about it. Inspired by Mayer, it might be worthwhile to lovingly and thoroughly study the details of your daily life for a while. It’s an excellent time to get to know yourself better.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini writer Raymond Carter (1938-88) established a reputation as a master of minimalism. He practiced the “Theory of Omission” – an approach to writing fiction that eliminates superfluous narratives. But it turns out that Carver’s editor had a major role in this. He deleted half of Carver’s original words and changed the endings of half his stories. Years after his death, Carver’s widow published the original versions, with the omitted material reinstated. I believe the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to make comparable restorations. Tell the full story, and offer elements that have been missing.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Even if you don’t regard yourself as a psychic or prophet, I suspect you now have an uncanny knack for deciphering future trends. Your intuition is operating at peak levels, especially when you focus on the big picture of your longterm destiny. As long as you’re not overconfident about this temporary bloom of expansive vision, you can trust your ability to see deep patterns running
through your life. To make the most of this gift, take a loving inventory of where you have been and where you are going. Then devote relaxed meditations to your master plan.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): River deltas form where rivers meet the sea, creating fertile and complex ecosystems. Some of my favorites are the Rhône River Delta in France, the Po River Delta in Italy, and the Shinano River Delta in Japan. In coming weeks, I visualize you as the metaphorical equivalent of a river delta. I’ll call you the Leo Delta, trusting you will be inspired to celebrate and cultivate the rich intersections that characterize your life – areas where an array of ideas, paths and relationships converge. Be open to synergizing different aspects of your world: integrating emotions and logic; connecting with diverse people; and blending personal and professional goals.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your inclination is to solve problems through detailed planning and analysis. On occasion, that process dead-ends in overthinking, though it often works pretty well. In accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest an alternative approach for you in coming weeks. Instead of trying to figure everything out, how about if you simply create a relaxed spaciousness for new things to emerge? Experiment with the hypothesis that progress will come not from doing more, but from allowing more.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As they climb, mountaineers carefully assess every handhold and foothold. Unfailing concentration is key. I recommend adopting their attitude in the coming weeks. You are entering a phase when ascension and expansion will be among your main assignments. The best approach is to make steady progress with precision and thoughtfulness. Rushing rashly ahead or taking needless risks could be counterproductive, so be scrupulous. Trust that the most efficient path to the summit will be via small, deliberate steps. Your winning combination will be ambition leavened with caution.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): At age 42, Scorpio painter Georgia O’Keeffe left her busy New York art career and traveled to New Mexico for the first time. The landscape’s beauty overwhelmed her. She wandered around the desert for three months, creating no art at all. A few critics accused her of wasting time. She rejected their misunderstanding of her process, replying, “To see takes time. I had to learn the country first
before it would let me paint it.” Her most iconic paintings emerged after this phase. I’m recommending a similar period for you. While your instincts may tempt you toward a flurry of activity, I believe now is a time to wait and see; pause and ponder; muse and meditate.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): By the 20th century, the Seine River in France was so polluted that most of its fish were gone. But clean-up efforts have been successful. Now there are 32 fish species. The Seine is also very close to being completely safe for humans to swim. I would love it if you were inspired by this success story to undertake a comparable project in your own. What would you most like to see revived and restored? Now is a good time to begin the effort.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Until she reached her 70s, Capricorn visual artist Louise Bourgeois was a peripheral figure in the art world, modestly respected but not acclaimed. Then New York’s Museum of Modern Art presented her work in a major show. In response, the New York Times reviewed her work, saying it was “charged with tenderness and violence, acceptance and defiance, ambivalence and conviction.” I bring this to your attention, because I suspect the coming months will also bring you recognition for labors of love you’ve been devoted to for a while – maybe not in the form of fame but through an elevated appreciation by those whose opinion matters to you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The name of a Talking Heads album is “Stop Making Sense.” One of its many implications is that we periodically derive relief from being free of the pressure to sound reasonable and be consistent. According to my in-depth analysis of your astrological omens, now is a perfect time to honor this counsel. I hope you will give yourself a sabbatical from being sensible, serious and overly sane. Instead, please consider a sustained pursuit of pure pleasure, fun foolishness and amazing amusement.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be on high alert for fleeting intuitions. Really good ideas may rise up only briefly and only once, and you should be ready to catch them in the moment before they fade away. Do you hear my urgency? Pay attention to passing thoughts or sudden insights. They may contain more value than initially apparent. I will even speculate that ephemeral inspirations could become foundational elements in your future success. Document your hunches, even if they seem premature.
classifieds
Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon
Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $5 minimum.
Even better, ads can now be placed online: durangotelegraph.com
Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check. (Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)
Ads can be submitted via: n durangotelegraph.com n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133
Lost/Found
My Cat Cid is Missing
Long hair, white with black spots, green eyes. Last seen near 18th St. and E. 2nd Ave., by St. Columba. Reward. Call 970-403-6192
Classes/Workshops
Weekly Fast, Fun 45-Minute Aikido
Don't like to fight but want to feel safe? Try Aikido, the blending, calming martial art. Mondays 5:30-6:15pm $8 for 18+. Must book online: durango aikido.com
West Coast Swing
Ready to dance? Join our 3-week West Coast Swing Basics series for beginners! It’s fun, social, and easy to learn—no partner or experience needed. A new series starts every few weeks, so join us for the next one! We also offer a weekly social dance – a fun drop-in option or included with your series registration! Sign up at: www.westslopewesties.com
Wanted
Books Wanted at White Rabbit
Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213
HelpWanted
Reliance is Hiring!
Community Association Manager. $25/ hr, 20 hrs/week start. Please share, & more here: reliancemanagement.co/aboutus
ForSale
SIC Paddleboard
12'6'' x 27” 25 lbs like new, $900 swilderowen@gmail.com
Honda Scooter
PCX150, 2019. Like new. Great commuter; 90mpg. $2300. 970-442-0694
Reruns Home Furnishings
Time to spruce up your outdoor space. Multiple patio sets, bistros, vintage patio sets and yard art. Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
Great Starter Raft Package
16’ self-bailing 2013 Aire Tributary. Solid shape with some cosmetic blems but no patches and good river juju. Brand new floor. 4-bay aluminum NRS frame w/seat and custom deckboards. 3 Sawyer oars, 3 thwarts plus slightly rickety bi-
mini. We’ll even throw in a free tall table and maybe a few random straps! Price reduced: $2500 OBO. Call/text: 970-7498271
ForRent
Professional Office Downtown
near Main Ave, sunlit patio with Buckley Park views. All utilities included. Lease terms negotiable. 970.247.1233
BodyWork
Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199
Services
Residential Fabrication
Planter boxes, gates and fences and other outdoor property enhancements. North Shore Fab. 970 749 6140. Jon
Porch Perfect Sheds
Add charm to your backyard with our porch-equipped sheds. Visit us at RockyMountainSheds.com!
Boiler Service - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
HaikuMovieReview
‘Death of a Unicorn’ Téa Leoni must be drinking unicorn blood … she’s too gorgeous! – Lainie Maxson
The Durango Bird Club needs volunteers for the Spring Bird Count on Sat., May 24. More info at durangobirdclub.wixsite.com/mysite
Workshops for Nonprofits
The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado is hosting two leadership trainings this June. “Beyond Governance: Building a Thriving Board-Staff Relationship,” Tues., June 17, 1-4 p.m. at TBK Bank, 259 W. 9th St. “Board Leadership Bootcamp,” Wed., June 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at same location. To register or learn more, visit: swcommunityfoundation .org/cna-june-trainings/
Dog Fosters Needed
Parker’s Animas Rescue urgently needs foster families to provide temporary homes for rescued dogs. We supply all necessary items and cover vet visits. Join our mission: parkersanimalrescue.com.
Engaging Volunteer Opportunity
Alternative Horizons needs volunteers to staff our hotline. Training provided. For info., visit alternativehorizons.org
