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OPINION – Manifest Destiny at Redtail Ridge
OPINION – Manifest Destiny at Redtail Ridge
August 10, 2020
----by Chris Wheeler, a Louisville photojournalist and producer of more than 30 Visitor Center films for the National Park Service.
----by Chris Wheeler, a Louisville photojournalist and producer of more than 30 Visitor Center films for the National Park Service.
Looking east from the lands of the proposed Redtail Ridge.
You may remember from high school history class the concept of “Manifest Destiny.” This was the 19th century worldview trumpeting America’s God-given duty to expand across the continent, tame the wilderness, and exploit all the natural resources of the land. In other words, “progress.” During the 1800s, Manifest Destiny also meant sweeping away anyone standing in your way – including native peoples who had inhabited those lands for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
At the site of the old StorageTek campus, Brue Baukol Capital Partners is bringing a 19th century “Manifest Destiny” worldview to a 21st century development. "Redtail Ridge” will be a massive conglomerate of office, commercial, retail and residential space. Brue Baukol's plan is to create a 5.8 million square foot city of steel, concrete, and asphalt within the borders of the City of Louisville. The developer’s plans explicitly show that almost all of the 389 acres are being exploited in order to insure maximum profits for their coalition of corporate financers and investors. The plants and animals that inhabit the former StorageTek property are disposable objects that are to be swept away in order to achieve the greatest return for investors. Hearing the executives of Brue Baukol speak, you get the feeling that Redtail Ridge is indeed their “manifest destiny.”
Yes, the old StorageTek site is private land. Everyone acknowledges that along with the rights that go with land ownership. But the proposed development of Redtail Ridge will directly impact every resident of Louisville. And for that reason, citizens should have a voice. Many in our community have shared their concern through passionate letters to City Council or by eloquently speaking at last Tuesday’s Council meeting.
But what about those who cannot speak, those whose voices cannot be heard? What about the plants and animals that inhabit the 389-acre parcel? The massive development will deal a fatal blow to many of the creatures living there.
Again, it is private land. But try telling that to the great horned owls and songbirds that nest in the trees. Try telling that to the native plants that are tenaciously regaining a foothold in soil that has been violently disturbed by man. Try telling that to the coyotes, foxes and snakes that depend on the water and food sources that the old StorageTek lands provide.
During the past few months, Brue Baukol has referred to it as “vacant land,” and “a black hole as far as circulation goes.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
Goodhue Ditch, one of the tributaries of Coal Creek that runs through the proposed Redtail Ridge.
Conoco Phillips, the current owner, dismantled the buildings of StorageTek in 2009. Fences were raised and gates padlocked to keep out intruders. While the barriers have kept humans away for the past decade, it has not stopped animals and plants. It was not Conoco Phillips’s intent, but they have, in essence, created a 400-acre wildlife preserve that is not unlike designated opens spaces in Boulder County. What has happened at the old StorageTek land in the past decade is nothing short of remarkable. Nature is slowly and methodically reclaiming the land as its own.
Brue Baukol and Conoco-Phillips have denied our repeated requests to survey and photograph the natural resources of the land. However, much can be learned by observing the lands from its perimeter. Even more can be learned by reviewing environmental assessments commissioned by Brue Baukol.
On February 1, 2019, CTL Thompson - working on behalf of Brue Baukol - performed a biological assessment of the proposed Redtail Ridge land.
During the one-day assessment of over 389 acres, CTL Thompson noted: “The Site consists primarily of native upland vegetation and native wetland vegetation.” The biological assessment identified streams and ditches as tributaries of Coal Creek. They also observed three ponds.
Native species of plants like curlycup gumweed, golden currants, and blue Lewis flax can be easily observed on the outer perimeter of the proposed development. “One of the coolest thing about living in Boulder County is our diversity of plant species,” says Tamar Krantz, a Louisville volunteer naturalist who used to review biological assessments for the Federal government. “I walked the property border by the Boulder Turnpike and counted over 20 native plant species.”
The native plants Tamar observed fight for survival in a landscape full of invasive plant species. Before this was the home of StorageTek, these lands were used for livestock grazing. Cattle decimated the native short grass prairie, paving the way for invasive plant species. The construction of the StorageTek campus no doubt further disturbed the natural landscape.
Despite it all, the resiliency of native plants like yucca, white sage, and milkweed are on full display on the old StorageTek lands. “The native plants observed on the perimeter could easily establish themselves onsite – if they are not already established there,” says Tamar. See Tamar’s photos here.
Their displays may be colorful, but life for native plants at what may become Redtail Ridge continues to be an uphill fight. Unlike what occurs at designated open spaces in Boulder County, there is no management of the ecosystem. Today, ConocoPhillips leases the old StorageTek lands for livestock grazing, further impacting native vegetation and damaging the beleaguered soil.
Animals thrive here, too. In their report, CTL Thompson notes, “The majority of the Site generally provides tree-nesting and ground-nesting migratory bird habitat.”
A 1.76-acre pond surrounded by tall trees sits on the northwest side of the old StorageTek property. This summer, I observed a great blue heron flying over this pond. “It’s about the same size as Louisville’s Warembourg Pond,” says Tamar. “It probably supports the same species of birds and reptiles.” This includes mallards, snowy egrets, double crested cormorants, and others. “Imagine all of the wildlife supported by this and the other two ponds on the property,” notes Tamar.
Overall in Boulder County, the number of bird species are in decline. This past Sunday, the Boulder Daily Camera published an article connecting the loss to development. (“Boulder County’s Populations of Native Bird Species Decline in the Face of Development”) An environmental consultant interviewed for the article warned, ”We’re seeing some species disappear right now due to overdevelopment and loss of habitat.”
Rush Skeletonplant, Lygodesmia juncea, a native plant that grows on the short prairie grass ecosystem.
Flowering prickly pear cactus, a native species found on the short grass prairie.
There are more than 140 acres of prairie dog towns on the proposed Redtail Ridge lands.
Prairie dogs are a “keystone species.” At Redtail Ridge, more than 150 others species rely on habitat they create.
Many in our community enjoy observing a pair of bald eagles that have lived in the cottonwoods of southeast Boulder County for almost a decade. This year, the eagles have been nesting just south of Stearns Lake. Is it plausible that these beloved residents of our community utilize the nearby lands of the proposed Redtail Ridge? The answer is provided by the scientists commissioned by Brue Baukol. In their report, CTL Thompson writes: “The majority of the Site presents suitable tree-nesting and ground-nesting habitat for migratory bird species, including bald eagles and golden eagles.”
On the proposed development site are also 142 acres of active prairie dog colonies. That’s more than one-quarter of the entire Redtail Ridge property, distributed throughout the site. Their importance to the ecosystem is indisputable. Prairie dogs are a "keystone species,” meaning that they have a crucial impact on the ecosystem. At Redtail Ridge, predators like coyotes, foxes, and perhaps even the elusive bobcat recently spotted along Coal Creek hunt for prey in the prairie dog colonies. Reptiles, rabbits, and insects take advantage of the holes they dig. The scientists hired by Brue Baukol note that “approximately 150 other species rely on habitat that the black-tailed prairie dog creates.”
There may even be an endangered species living among the prairie dogs at Redtail Ridge. From March to October, burrowing owls inhabit prairie dog towns throughout Colorado. This migratory bird is protected under federal and state laws.
Because CTL’s assessment of the old StorageTek lands was conducted in February, no migratory burrowing owls were observed. However, CTL wildlife specialists recommended “a burrowing owl survey….as burrowing owl nests may be present on-Site.” Burrowing owls have been observed at a nearby open space. In December 2019, a volunteer monitor spotted burrowing owls at Carolyn Holmberg Preserve. As the owl flies, this sighting is only 1.5 miles away from the eastern boundary of the proposed Redtail Ridge. Burrowing owl surveys were supposed to have been completed in May or June. Neither Brue Baukol nor the City of Louisville has responded to our inquiries about the results.
Listening to Brue Baukol’s pitch to Louisville City Council last Tuesday, one could be lured into believing that the developer truly cares about the natural world. But the facts state otherwise. Of the nearly 400 acres of the proposed Redtail Ridge development, only 40 acres have been set aside as undisturbed open space suitable for wildlife habitat. What does that dramatic reduction of habitat mean for the plants and animals of the old StorageTek lands? This is one of the many unanswered questions of the Redtail Ridge debate. Other important wildlife issues have not been addressed by the developer.
What is the plan for prairie dog removal? Will the animals be humanely relocated? Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists poisoning as an option for removal. What will Brue Baukol do?
Will Brue Baukol leave natural buffers around the ponds on site to protect the diversity of birds that live there?
Are Brue Baukol’s biological assessments a genuine act to learn of environmental impact, or it is merely lip service to appease City Council before the crucial vote of August 18? More importantly, how exactly does Brue Baukol plan to use this information to protect the site’s plant and animal species?
The ultimate question is this: can the ecosystem on the proposed Redtail survive with a 90% reduction in space? What impact will the massive construction project have on plants and animals? And what impact will humans ultimately have on the largely undisturbed habitats of the old StorageTek lands?
Brue Baukol’s own plans provide the sobering answer. Nearly all of the 5.8 million square feet of the Redtail Ridge development is dedicated for human use: buildings and asphalt surrounded by water-intensive Kentucky bluegrass. During construction, the delicate ecosystem simply cannot compete with an assault from an armada of heavy construction vehicles. Despite what Brue Baukol says, a massive development and delicate ecosystem cannot coexist in the same space.
In May, a follow-up survey commissioned by Brue Baukol noted the presence of three red-tailed hawk nests on the property. In the cruelest of ironies, the proposed Redtail Ridge will likely steamroll over nesting sites and habitat of the red-tailed hawk.
Brue Baukol talks a good game when it comes to open space. Don’t believe it. The Denver-based developer and their corporate partners believe that the development of these lands in southeast Boulder County is their “manifest destiny.”
Burrowing Owls, an endangered species that lives in prairie dog colonies. Photo by Andy Morrphew
This is the fourth in a series of stories. Please bookmark this website or contact us for updates.
Sixth in the Series: OPINION – Red Tail Ridge: “The 50 Million Dollar Question”
Fifth in the Series: OPINION – Redtail Ridge: Fragile Fragments by Chris Wheeler
Third in the Series: OPINION – “No on Redtail Ridge”
Second in the Series: THE PROPOSED REDTAIL RIDGE-– Wisdom from Monarch High
First in the Series: THE PROPOSED REDTAIL RIDGE--Through the Lens of Another Developer
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