162 signatures
Petition is addressed to: Elko County Planning and Zoning Committee and Elko County Commissioners
Let's keep the Ruby Mountains as undeveloped as possible!
An out of area landowner has applied for a zoning change from Open Space District (OS) to an Agricultural-Recreational District (A), for the 2296.22-acre parcel owned by Ruby Mountain Ranch Holdings, LLC, adjacent to the Spring Creek Campground.
This parcel extends to 9,455 feet in elevation, virtually to the top of the face of the Rubies.
Reason
Why are we against this?
- While this parcel may be private land, it is also a bold face of the Ruby Mountains. Allowing the zoning change for future development would not only change the aesthetics, peacefulness of the area, and dark space of the Rubies but also displace the wildlife that currently calls it home.
- That parcel is part of a critical migration route that thousands of Mule Deer use each year.
- On the back side of the ridge line, you can find Mountain Goats, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Himalayan Snowcock, Pika, and many other species.
- In a state with little water and struggling habitat, developing such a critical area to wildlife would be detrimental on a biological and ecological basis.
- A zone change allowing future development would set a standard for neighboring parcels to follow, turning our Ruby Mountains into a smaller version of the Wasatch Front in Salt Lake City.
More details to consider – Where do we draw the line?
- The developer hired by the landowner, has offered the idea of using the parcel for a recreational area, including 1200-acre ski resort.
- It takes about 200,000 gallons of water to make one foot of snow on one acre of ski slope. That’s 40 million gallons of water (737 ac-ft of water) per year to make 1 foot of snow per acre over the 1,200 acres of ski-able area. Where is that water coming from?
- How much vegetation will be removed to accommodate a ski slope, resort, and access road.
- The impact a development like this will have on our roads, traffic, taxes, and emergency services.
- Soils for both Mountain and Valley parcels are rated as “limited to very limited” for Septic Systems and road development due to Dust, Frost heave, Shrink and Swell, causing negative effects for air quality and maintenance issues into the future.
- The access may still be closed to the public that can't afford to pay for it.
- An actual plan is not required for the zoning change to pass.
No amount of positive economic impact could replace the lost resource. Land is one of the few things that we don’t get any more of. Once we develop this one, there won’t be another mountain to turn to.
For more information contact: springcreekopenspaceadvocates@gmail.com
Thank you for your time and support!
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Petition details
Petition started:
09/16/2024
Petition ends:
03/17/2025
Region:
Elko County
Topic:
Environment
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Temporary suspension lifted
on 18 Sep 2024Dear supporters,
The petition has been revised in accordance with our Terms of Use. The temporary ban has been lifted and the petition can now continue to be signed.
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Changes to the petition
on 17 Sep 2024 -
This is a note from the openPetition editorial team:
This petition conflicts with item 1.6 of the Acceptable Petitions Terms of Use .
You already have a petition on the same subject. Unfortunately, this is not permitted. If both petitions do not call for independent objectives, only one will be activated. This is also better for you, as you can collect all the subscriptions in one petition. I refer to this petition:https://www.openpetition.org/us/petition/online/spring-creek-parcel-zoning-change-could-have-large-impact-on-current-residence
You can of course tell us which one of those two petitions must be activated.
Debate
Spring Creek Open Space Advocates? Seems like a strange name for people who live in a former open space that has been chopped up into over 5,400 one acre parcels for residential and commercial building. I say let the owner of the private land develop as they see fit. It’s 2300 acres on basically a single ridgeline. The Rubys have over 420,000 acres. It Sounds like a case of “Rules for thee but not for me.” I only see a benefit for recreational and economic reasons. EIS no water no ski area.
Why people sign
I hate to see Spring Creek turn into a city
I moved here from a big city to get sway from the crime and over development
The County needs to do their Due Diligence and perform their planning processes like updating their outdated plans BEFORE rubber stamping future large scale developments !
The reason that we all live in Spring Creek is for the open space and beautiful mountain views. If this zoning change is approved, then our way of life will be altered - forever! Furthermore, the visual impacts would be catastrophic, and the traffic on our roads would become a nightmare.
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It’s the law