ROCKY
MOUNTAIN High-
Flying: Imagine
reaching an altitude
of 5,500 feet with an
RC model airplane,
engine racing to
compensate for the
thin atmosphere, and
no structures or
power lines to
contend with. What
could be more
exciting than having
your aircraft at an
altitude of 5,500 feet,
and it’s still sitting on
the tarmac?
What could be one
of the highest
privately owned
model airplane parks
in the United States—and possibly the world—is under construction
by the Montrose Model Aircraft Association in western Colorado.
The altitude is not the only unique feature to this park. A 95,000-
acre National Conservation Area adjoining a National Park is its
neighbor to the east and it is surrounded by a minimum of 1/4 mile of
Bureau of Land Management public lands on the other three sides.
Residential and commercial development can never encroach on this
park.
In fact, this park is located in the critical-approach area for
Montrose Regional Airport, roughly 15 miles to the south and 200
feet higher in elevation. The county requires all residents to
acknowledge in writing the existence of the critical approach area
and aircraft activity prior to obtaining permits to build in the area.
When people think of Colorado, they usually think of
snowcapped mountains, skiing and snowmobiling. Believe it or not,
there is also a high-plains desert. This particular area is referred to
locally as the “banana belt” receiving only eight inches of
precipitation annually.
The Gunnison River flows north through the Black Canyon
National Park three miles to the east and connects with the north
fork of the Gunnison River 12 miles north and travels west along the
base of the Grand Mesa. The Uncompahgre River flows north five
miles to the west along the base of the Uncompahgre Plateau and
connects with the westerly flow of the Gunnison River. The south
end of the valley is bordered by the San Juan Mountain Range with
peaks reaching 14,000 feet.
This combination of mountain ranges and river confluences sets
up a weather pattern that people would think more in terms of
Southern California or Arizona than Colorado.
Want a winter wonderland? World-class skiing is less than two
hours away by automobile at Telluride, Crested Butte, Monarch, or
Powderhorn.
In 1909, a tunnel was completed to divert part of the Gunnison
River into the valley for domestic and agricultural use. This was one
of the first water projects completed by the Bureau of Reclamation.
162
President Taft was present for the
dedication.
What was a desert 100 years ago is now
a lush agricultural community. The closest
town to the park is Olathe, eight miles to the
southwest and nationally known for its
“Olathe Sweet” sweet corn. The annual
Sweet Corn Celebration, held the first
weekend in August, draws more than 20,000
visitors to a community of 1,800. The
largest metropolitan area is Delta, eight
miles to the northwest.
This particular flying site is actually a
1,000-foot step down in altitude from the
leased location, approximately 21 miles to
the south. It will provide more flying days
per year and the opportunity to construct
permanent facilities.
An 800-foot north/south runway and a
400-foot cross runway will handle any RC
fixed-wing aircraft. A 100-foot-diameter
helipad is available for vertical takeoffs and
landings and CL operations. A shallow pond
is being engineered for water takeoffs and
landings. Construction on the flying site is
80% completed and the north/south runway
is fully operational.
The struggle to get to this point actually
started as two isolated events in 1997 that
joined forces in 1999. The president of
Montrose Model Aircraft Association at the
time, Fred Wyngarden, approached local
county officials about sponsoring the
acquisition of public lands under the
Recreational and Public Purposes Act. The
Recreation and Public Purposes Act became
law on June 14, 1926, and can be found at
43 U.S.C. 869 - 869-4.
In general, before any public land can be
disposed of under these sections for
recreation or public purposes, it must be
shown that:
1) the land is to be used for an
established or definitely proposed project,
2) the land involved is not of national
significance nor more than is reasonably
necessary for the proposed use,
3) for proposals of more than 640 acres,
comprehensive land-use plans and zoning
regulations applicable to the area in which
the public lands to be disposed of are
located, have been adopted by the
appropriate state or local authority.
For recreational purposes, the governor,
on behalf of the state or any political
subdivision of the state, can make individual
applications for as much as 6,400 acres, not
to exceed 25,600 acres to a particular state
in any given year. A nonprofit corporation
or association can obtain as much as 640
acres.
There are other provisions that apply to
non-recreational uses. Since inception in
1926, the act has been amended in 1954,
1959, 1960, 1976, and 1988.
At the time it seemed to be totally
unrelated, but in 1997 a real-estate
developer came across an 80-acre piece of
property that nobody was sure of its
location. According to the legal description
provided by the seller, the property was
located in a neighboring county.
After researching records at the
courthouse, the developer determined the
approximate location of the property, the
correct county in which it was located,
ensured that it was 100% surrounded by
public lands, and located one mile north of
his home. The developer and his wife
purchased the property in 1997.
While the private property was being
surveyed in 1998 to determine its exact
location, Montrose County Commissioners
passed a resolution to sponsor the
acquisition of public lands for the Montrose
Model Aircraft Association under the
Recreational and Public Purposes Act.
What happened in 1999 is truly ironic.
The developer noticed an unfamiliar vehicle
on his property and went to investigate. It
turned out to be a botanist with Colorado
National Heritage Program at Colorado State
University, looking for a particular plant.
She showed the developer a picture of
the plant and his heart sank. He knew that
the property a mile north of his house
contained the plant the botanist was looking
for. They drove to the other property and
confirmed the existence of the plant—Clay
Loving Wild Buckwheat—federally listed as
an endangered plant species.
Also in 1999, despite all dealings with
the county being conducted in open public
meetings, a small segment of the local
population objected to 40 acres of public
lands being used for a model airplane park.
To place this into proper perspective, it is
necessary to understand that Montrose
County comprises 2,241 square miles that
represents approximately 1,434,240 acres.
Roughly 70%, or 1,003,968 acres, is held as
public lands by the federal government.
The developer became aware of the
controversy and attended one of the public
meetings concerning the Public Lands
Application. A map was prepared by the
Bureau of Land Management of possible
alternate sites. Public meetings were
conducted and presentations were given by
all sides.
In a conversation between himself and an
individual who represented himself as the
spokesperson for the group of opposition,
the developer was told that “there is not an
acceptable location in all of Montrose
County for the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association flying field.”
The developer was later contacted by an
RC manufacturing company in Ohio that
had expressed a desire to the Montrose
County Commissioners to relocate to the
area if a suitable flying site could be
obtained. The owner of the company was in
receipt of a letter which not only insulted the
owner of the company, but requested he
keep his company in Ohio. Having
experienced “NIMBY” (Not In My
Backyard) with other projects relating to
children, the developer decided to literally
put it in his own backyard—well, almost.
Because of the endangered plant and the
property being an island in a sea of federal
lands, some interesting challenges above and
beyond normal application procedures had
to be faced. Fortunately, the Regional
Director of the Colorado Division of
Wildlife was the current president and a
botanist with the Bureau of Land
Management, and a past officer of the
Montrose Model Aircraft Association.
The number of agencies that became
involved in various aspects of this project
seemed phenomenal. They included the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of
Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management,
National Conservation Area, National Park
Service, State of Colorado, Montrose
County, Uncompahgre Valley Water Users
Association, and the Town of Olathe.
July 11, 2000, a Special Use Permit
Application was filed with Montrose County
to allow the construction and operation of a
model airplane park, outdoor earth science
education center, an observatory, and a
planetarium on the 80-acre property.
Part of the group of opposition infiltrated
a regional environmental organization and
attempted to stop the project—on private
property—with a grocery list of
environmental issues including endangered
wildlife.
The line was crossed when the
organization mailed a flyer to its
membership giving a map to the private
property and attempting to gain additional
opposition to the project.
A simple letter faxed by the developer to
a United States magistrate requesting a
federal restraining order against the
organization and suspension of its IRS
nonprofit status led to an immediate
resolution between the organization and the
developer.
July 18, 2001, the Montrose County
Commissioners approved the Special Use
Permit on the private property with a
“Conditions Precedent” relating to obtaining
access to the property across an irrigation
canal system and public lands. Permission
was obtained to begin construction of the
park.
December 31, 2001, a Conservation
“... there is not an
acceptable location in all of
Montrose County for the
Montrose Model Aircraft
Association flying field.”
“... the developer decided
to literally put it in his
own backyard—well,
almost.”
04june.qxd 3/24/04 10:02 am Page 162
Easement for the west 40 acres containing
most of the endangered plants and the
proposed Outdoor Earth Science
Environmental Laboratory, Planetarium, and
Observatory was recorded between the
developer and Black Canyon Regional Land
Trust.
On September 3, 2002, a right-of-way
application was filed with the Bureau of
Land Management. This was the
culmination of more than a year of
negotiations and countless meetings
between the county, the Uncompahgre
Valley Water Users Association, the Bureau
of Land Management, and two engineers
from Blueline Engineering who are
members of the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association.
Outdoor Earth Science Environmental
Laboratory incorporated in December 2002
as a Colorado nonprofit corporation. Its
purpose is to develop the Earth Science
Education program and facilitate the
construction of the planetarium and
observatory on the west 40 acres. Ownership
of the east 40 acres—where the construction
of the model airplane park was underway—
was transferred to a Colorado corporation
owned by the developer and his wife.
March 10, 2003, the developer requested
the Olathe Town Council to enter into a
recreational conservation easement on the
east 40 acres containing the model airplane
park. This meeting was the culmination of
six months of negotiations. A five-year lease
on the property for $1 a year, with the
option to buy the property for $10
contingent upon the corporation obtaining
recreational conservation easement was
negotiated with Montrose Model Aircraft
Association and was executed on March 10.
In October of 2003 it was determined
that insurance sufficient to indemnify the
Town of Olathe from potential litigation was
not available. The developer and the
Trustees of Montrose Model Aircraft
Association went back to the drawing board.
The land trust that assisted in the
conservation easement on the west 40 acres
agreed to do an additional conservation
easement on 13 acres of the east 40 acres,
which left 27 acres which could be
developed by the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association and used for overfly.
At the annual Thanksgiving celebration
of the Montrose Model Aircraft Association
on November 20, 2003, the developer and
his wife announced their plans to deed the
property to the club in the coming weeks.
A congratulatory letter from United
States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell
was read at the dinner. Senator Campbell
was responsible for securing the designation
as a national park—the newest one in the
United States—for the Black Canyon and
the Gunnison Gourge National Conservation
Area near the flying site.
On December 17, 2003, the Centennial
of Aviation, the developer and his wife
transferred ownership from their corporation
to the Montrose Model Aircraft Association.
If the reader were to carry a message
away from this article, that message would
have to be, “don’t give up!” When this
project was started it faced insurmountable
odds.
Since this project began, the Colorado
State Legislature adopted a law giving tax
credits for the dedication of conservation
easements which ultimately allowed the
Montrose Model Aircraft Association to
purchase $125,000 worth of property for
$10.
The humanitarian work the Montrose
Model Aircraft Association has performed
for years—working with children in the
Partners Program and children in foster care,
not to mention the classes the members
teach to children about constructing model
airplanes—just happened to catch the eye of
a tenacious real-estate developer who is a
promoter of child advocacy and doesn’t
have the word “no” in his vocabulary.
In addition, the club’s work has qualified
the Montrose Model Aircraft Association to
be designated for nonprofit 501(c)3 status
by the IRS and eligible to receive taxdeductible
contributions.
Two-hundred spectators watched more
than 90 children experience the thrill of
flying an RC model airplane for the first
time at the Educational Fun-fly sponsored
by the Montrose Model Aircraft Association
at the new field this past fall.
And what about that Colorado weather?
Members held their first chili—the food, not
the temperature—fun-fly on New Year’s
Day.
Fred Wyngarden, who proposed this
project seven years ago, is currently a board
member of the local Partners organization.
His picture and that of his junior partner
with an RC aircraft appears on the cover of
the brochure for Partners.
Coincidentally, the developer was born
and raised in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of
aviation. He and his wife are now taking
flying lessons and have been given life
memberships in the Montrose Model
Aircraft Association. The park has been
named Olathe Centennial Field
commemorating the location—Olathe—and
the centennial of human flight.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/06
Page Numbers: 161,162,163
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/06
Page Numbers: 161,162,163
ROCKY
MOUNTAIN High-
Flying: Imagine
reaching an altitude
of 5,500 feet with an
RC model airplane,
engine racing to
compensate for the
thin atmosphere, and
no structures or
power lines to
contend with. What
could be more
exciting than having
your aircraft at an
altitude of 5,500 feet,
and it’s still sitting on
the tarmac?
What could be one
of the highest
privately owned
model airplane parks
in the United States—and possibly the world—is under construction
by the Montrose Model Aircraft Association in western Colorado.
The altitude is not the only unique feature to this park. A 95,000-
acre National Conservation Area adjoining a National Park is its
neighbor to the east and it is surrounded by a minimum of 1/4 mile of
Bureau of Land Management public lands on the other three sides.
Residential and commercial development can never encroach on this
park.
In fact, this park is located in the critical-approach area for
Montrose Regional Airport, roughly 15 miles to the south and 200
feet higher in elevation. The county requires all residents to
acknowledge in writing the existence of the critical approach area
and aircraft activity prior to obtaining permits to build in the area.
When people think of Colorado, they usually think of
snowcapped mountains, skiing and snowmobiling. Believe it or not,
there is also a high-plains desert. This particular area is referred to
locally as the “banana belt” receiving only eight inches of
precipitation annually.
The Gunnison River flows north through the Black Canyon
National Park three miles to the east and connects with the north
fork of the Gunnison River 12 miles north and travels west along the
base of the Grand Mesa. The Uncompahgre River flows north five
miles to the west along the base of the Uncompahgre Plateau and
connects with the westerly flow of the Gunnison River. The south
end of the valley is bordered by the San Juan Mountain Range with
peaks reaching 14,000 feet.
This combination of mountain ranges and river confluences sets
up a weather pattern that people would think more in terms of
Southern California or Arizona than Colorado.
Want a winter wonderland? World-class skiing is less than two
hours away by automobile at Telluride, Crested Butte, Monarch, or
Powderhorn.
In 1909, a tunnel was completed to divert part of the Gunnison
River into the valley for domestic and agricultural use. This was one
of the first water projects completed by the Bureau of Reclamation.
162
President Taft was present for the
dedication.
What was a desert 100 years ago is now
a lush agricultural community. The closest
town to the park is Olathe, eight miles to the
southwest and nationally known for its
“Olathe Sweet” sweet corn. The annual
Sweet Corn Celebration, held the first
weekend in August, draws more than 20,000
visitors to a community of 1,800. The
largest metropolitan area is Delta, eight
miles to the northwest.
This particular flying site is actually a
1,000-foot step down in altitude from the
leased location, approximately 21 miles to
the south. It will provide more flying days
per year and the opportunity to construct
permanent facilities.
An 800-foot north/south runway and a
400-foot cross runway will handle any RC
fixed-wing aircraft. A 100-foot-diameter
helipad is available for vertical takeoffs and
landings and CL operations. A shallow pond
is being engineered for water takeoffs and
landings. Construction on the flying site is
80% completed and the north/south runway
is fully operational.
The struggle to get to this point actually
started as two isolated events in 1997 that
joined forces in 1999. The president of
Montrose Model Aircraft Association at the
time, Fred Wyngarden, approached local
county officials about sponsoring the
acquisition of public lands under the
Recreational and Public Purposes Act. The
Recreation and Public Purposes Act became
law on June 14, 1926, and can be found at
43 U.S.C. 869 - 869-4.
In general, before any public land can be
disposed of under these sections for
recreation or public purposes, it must be
shown that:
1) the land is to be used for an
established or definitely proposed project,
2) the land involved is not of national
significance nor more than is reasonably
necessary for the proposed use,
3) for proposals of more than 640 acres,
comprehensive land-use plans and zoning
regulations applicable to the area in which
the public lands to be disposed of are
located, have been adopted by the
appropriate state or local authority.
For recreational purposes, the governor,
on behalf of the state or any political
subdivision of the state, can make individual
applications for as much as 6,400 acres, not
to exceed 25,600 acres to a particular state
in any given year. A nonprofit corporation
or association can obtain as much as 640
acres.
There are other provisions that apply to
non-recreational uses. Since inception in
1926, the act has been amended in 1954,
1959, 1960, 1976, and 1988.
At the time it seemed to be totally
unrelated, but in 1997 a real-estate
developer came across an 80-acre piece of
property that nobody was sure of its
location. According to the legal description
provided by the seller, the property was
located in a neighboring county.
After researching records at the
courthouse, the developer determined the
approximate location of the property, the
correct county in which it was located,
ensured that it was 100% surrounded by
public lands, and located one mile north of
his home. The developer and his wife
purchased the property in 1997.
While the private property was being
surveyed in 1998 to determine its exact
location, Montrose County Commissioners
passed a resolution to sponsor the
acquisition of public lands for the Montrose
Model Aircraft Association under the
Recreational and Public Purposes Act.
What happened in 1999 is truly ironic.
The developer noticed an unfamiliar vehicle
on his property and went to investigate. It
turned out to be a botanist with Colorado
National Heritage Program at Colorado State
University, looking for a particular plant.
She showed the developer a picture of
the plant and his heart sank. He knew that
the property a mile north of his house
contained the plant the botanist was looking
for. They drove to the other property and
confirmed the existence of the plant—Clay
Loving Wild Buckwheat—federally listed as
an endangered plant species.
Also in 1999, despite all dealings with
the county being conducted in open public
meetings, a small segment of the local
population objected to 40 acres of public
lands being used for a model airplane park.
To place this into proper perspective, it is
necessary to understand that Montrose
County comprises 2,241 square miles that
represents approximately 1,434,240 acres.
Roughly 70%, or 1,003,968 acres, is held as
public lands by the federal government.
The developer became aware of the
controversy and attended one of the public
meetings concerning the Public Lands
Application. A map was prepared by the
Bureau of Land Management of possible
alternate sites. Public meetings were
conducted and presentations were given by
all sides.
In a conversation between himself and an
individual who represented himself as the
spokesperson for the group of opposition,
the developer was told that “there is not an
acceptable location in all of Montrose
County for the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association flying field.”
The developer was later contacted by an
RC manufacturing company in Ohio that
had expressed a desire to the Montrose
County Commissioners to relocate to the
area if a suitable flying site could be
obtained. The owner of the company was in
receipt of a letter which not only insulted the
owner of the company, but requested he
keep his company in Ohio. Having
experienced “NIMBY” (Not In My
Backyard) with other projects relating to
children, the developer decided to literally
put it in his own backyard—well, almost.
Because of the endangered plant and the
property being an island in a sea of federal
lands, some interesting challenges above and
beyond normal application procedures had
to be faced. Fortunately, the Regional
Director of the Colorado Division of
Wildlife was the current president and a
botanist with the Bureau of Land
Management, and a past officer of the
Montrose Model Aircraft Association.
The number of agencies that became
involved in various aspects of this project
seemed phenomenal. They included the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of
Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management,
National Conservation Area, National Park
Service, State of Colorado, Montrose
County, Uncompahgre Valley Water Users
Association, and the Town of Olathe.
July 11, 2000, a Special Use Permit
Application was filed with Montrose County
to allow the construction and operation of a
model airplane park, outdoor earth science
education center, an observatory, and a
planetarium on the 80-acre property.
Part of the group of opposition infiltrated
a regional environmental organization and
attempted to stop the project—on private
property—with a grocery list of
environmental issues including endangered
wildlife.
The line was crossed when the
organization mailed a flyer to its
membership giving a map to the private
property and attempting to gain additional
opposition to the project.
A simple letter faxed by the developer to
a United States magistrate requesting a
federal restraining order against the
organization and suspension of its IRS
nonprofit status led to an immediate
resolution between the organization and the
developer.
July 18, 2001, the Montrose County
Commissioners approved the Special Use
Permit on the private property with a
“Conditions Precedent” relating to obtaining
access to the property across an irrigation
canal system and public lands. Permission
was obtained to begin construction of the
park.
December 31, 2001, a Conservation
“... there is not an
acceptable location in all of
Montrose County for the
Montrose Model Aircraft
Association flying field.”
“... the developer decided
to literally put it in his
own backyard—well,
almost.”
04june.qxd 3/24/04 10:02 am Page 162
Easement for the west 40 acres containing
most of the endangered plants and the
proposed Outdoor Earth Science
Environmental Laboratory, Planetarium, and
Observatory was recorded between the
developer and Black Canyon Regional Land
Trust.
On September 3, 2002, a right-of-way
application was filed with the Bureau of
Land Management. This was the
culmination of more than a year of
negotiations and countless meetings
between the county, the Uncompahgre
Valley Water Users Association, the Bureau
of Land Management, and two engineers
from Blueline Engineering who are
members of the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association.
Outdoor Earth Science Environmental
Laboratory incorporated in December 2002
as a Colorado nonprofit corporation. Its
purpose is to develop the Earth Science
Education program and facilitate the
construction of the planetarium and
observatory on the west 40 acres. Ownership
of the east 40 acres—where the construction
of the model airplane park was underway—
was transferred to a Colorado corporation
owned by the developer and his wife.
March 10, 2003, the developer requested
the Olathe Town Council to enter into a
recreational conservation easement on the
east 40 acres containing the model airplane
park. This meeting was the culmination of
six months of negotiations. A five-year lease
on the property for $1 a year, with the
option to buy the property for $10
contingent upon the corporation obtaining
recreational conservation easement was
negotiated with Montrose Model Aircraft
Association and was executed on March 10.
In October of 2003 it was determined
that insurance sufficient to indemnify the
Town of Olathe from potential litigation was
not available. The developer and the
Trustees of Montrose Model Aircraft
Association went back to the drawing board.
The land trust that assisted in the
conservation easement on the west 40 acres
agreed to do an additional conservation
easement on 13 acres of the east 40 acres,
which left 27 acres which could be
developed by the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association and used for overfly.
At the annual Thanksgiving celebration
of the Montrose Model Aircraft Association
on November 20, 2003, the developer and
his wife announced their plans to deed the
property to the club in the coming weeks.
A congratulatory letter from United
States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell
was read at the dinner. Senator Campbell
was responsible for securing the designation
as a national park—the newest one in the
United States—for the Black Canyon and
the Gunnison Gourge National Conservation
Area near the flying site.
On December 17, 2003, the Centennial
of Aviation, the developer and his wife
transferred ownership from their corporation
to the Montrose Model Aircraft Association.
If the reader were to carry a message
away from this article, that message would
have to be, “don’t give up!” When this
project was started it faced insurmountable
odds.
Since this project began, the Colorado
State Legislature adopted a law giving tax
credits for the dedication of conservation
easements which ultimately allowed the
Montrose Model Aircraft Association to
purchase $125,000 worth of property for
$10.
The humanitarian work the Montrose
Model Aircraft Association has performed
for years—working with children in the
Partners Program and children in foster care,
not to mention the classes the members
teach to children about constructing model
airplanes—just happened to catch the eye of
a tenacious real-estate developer who is a
promoter of child advocacy and doesn’t
have the word “no” in his vocabulary.
In addition, the club’s work has qualified
the Montrose Model Aircraft Association to
be designated for nonprofit 501(c)3 status
by the IRS and eligible to receive taxdeductible
contributions.
Two-hundred spectators watched more
than 90 children experience the thrill of
flying an RC model airplane for the first
time at the Educational Fun-fly sponsored
by the Montrose Model Aircraft Association
at the new field this past fall.
And what about that Colorado weather?
Members held their first chili—the food, not
the temperature—fun-fly on New Year’s
Day.
Fred Wyngarden, who proposed this
project seven years ago, is currently a board
member of the local Partners organization.
His picture and that of his junior partner
with an RC aircraft appears on the cover of
the brochure for Partners.
Coincidentally, the developer was born
and raised in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of
aviation. He and his wife are now taking
flying lessons and have been given life
memberships in the Montrose Model
Aircraft Association. The park has been
named Olathe Centennial Field
commemorating the location—Olathe—and
the centennial of human flight.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/06
Page Numbers: 161,162,163
ROCKY
MOUNTAIN High-
Flying: Imagine
reaching an altitude
of 5,500 feet with an
RC model airplane,
engine racing to
compensate for the
thin atmosphere, and
no structures or
power lines to
contend with. What
could be more
exciting than having
your aircraft at an
altitude of 5,500 feet,
and it’s still sitting on
the tarmac?
What could be one
of the highest
privately owned
model airplane parks
in the United States—and possibly the world—is under construction
by the Montrose Model Aircraft Association in western Colorado.
The altitude is not the only unique feature to this park. A 95,000-
acre National Conservation Area adjoining a National Park is its
neighbor to the east and it is surrounded by a minimum of 1/4 mile of
Bureau of Land Management public lands on the other three sides.
Residential and commercial development can never encroach on this
park.
In fact, this park is located in the critical-approach area for
Montrose Regional Airport, roughly 15 miles to the south and 200
feet higher in elevation. The county requires all residents to
acknowledge in writing the existence of the critical approach area
and aircraft activity prior to obtaining permits to build in the area.
When people think of Colorado, they usually think of
snowcapped mountains, skiing and snowmobiling. Believe it or not,
there is also a high-plains desert. This particular area is referred to
locally as the “banana belt” receiving only eight inches of
precipitation annually.
The Gunnison River flows north through the Black Canyon
National Park three miles to the east and connects with the north
fork of the Gunnison River 12 miles north and travels west along the
base of the Grand Mesa. The Uncompahgre River flows north five
miles to the west along the base of the Uncompahgre Plateau and
connects with the westerly flow of the Gunnison River. The south
end of the valley is bordered by the San Juan Mountain Range with
peaks reaching 14,000 feet.
This combination of mountain ranges and river confluences sets
up a weather pattern that people would think more in terms of
Southern California or Arizona than Colorado.
Want a winter wonderland? World-class skiing is less than two
hours away by automobile at Telluride, Crested Butte, Monarch, or
Powderhorn.
In 1909, a tunnel was completed to divert part of the Gunnison
River into the valley for domestic and agricultural use. This was one
of the first water projects completed by the Bureau of Reclamation.
162
President Taft was present for the
dedication.
What was a desert 100 years ago is now
a lush agricultural community. The closest
town to the park is Olathe, eight miles to the
southwest and nationally known for its
“Olathe Sweet” sweet corn. The annual
Sweet Corn Celebration, held the first
weekend in August, draws more than 20,000
visitors to a community of 1,800. The
largest metropolitan area is Delta, eight
miles to the northwest.
This particular flying site is actually a
1,000-foot step down in altitude from the
leased location, approximately 21 miles to
the south. It will provide more flying days
per year and the opportunity to construct
permanent facilities.
An 800-foot north/south runway and a
400-foot cross runway will handle any RC
fixed-wing aircraft. A 100-foot-diameter
helipad is available for vertical takeoffs and
landings and CL operations. A shallow pond
is being engineered for water takeoffs and
landings. Construction on the flying site is
80% completed and the north/south runway
is fully operational.
The struggle to get to this point actually
started as two isolated events in 1997 that
joined forces in 1999. The president of
Montrose Model Aircraft Association at the
time, Fred Wyngarden, approached local
county officials about sponsoring the
acquisition of public lands under the
Recreational and Public Purposes Act. The
Recreation and Public Purposes Act became
law on June 14, 1926, and can be found at
43 U.S.C. 869 - 869-4.
In general, before any public land can be
disposed of under these sections for
recreation or public purposes, it must be
shown that:
1) the land is to be used for an
established or definitely proposed project,
2) the land involved is not of national
significance nor more than is reasonably
necessary for the proposed use,
3) for proposals of more than 640 acres,
comprehensive land-use plans and zoning
regulations applicable to the area in which
the public lands to be disposed of are
located, have been adopted by the
appropriate state or local authority.
For recreational purposes, the governor,
on behalf of the state or any political
subdivision of the state, can make individual
applications for as much as 6,400 acres, not
to exceed 25,600 acres to a particular state
in any given year. A nonprofit corporation
or association can obtain as much as 640
acres.
There are other provisions that apply to
non-recreational uses. Since inception in
1926, the act has been amended in 1954,
1959, 1960, 1976, and 1988.
At the time it seemed to be totally
unrelated, but in 1997 a real-estate
developer came across an 80-acre piece of
property that nobody was sure of its
location. According to the legal description
provided by the seller, the property was
located in a neighboring county.
After researching records at the
courthouse, the developer determined the
approximate location of the property, the
correct county in which it was located,
ensured that it was 100% surrounded by
public lands, and located one mile north of
his home. The developer and his wife
purchased the property in 1997.
While the private property was being
surveyed in 1998 to determine its exact
location, Montrose County Commissioners
passed a resolution to sponsor the
acquisition of public lands for the Montrose
Model Aircraft Association under the
Recreational and Public Purposes Act.
What happened in 1999 is truly ironic.
The developer noticed an unfamiliar vehicle
on his property and went to investigate. It
turned out to be a botanist with Colorado
National Heritage Program at Colorado State
University, looking for a particular plant.
She showed the developer a picture of
the plant and his heart sank. He knew that
the property a mile north of his house
contained the plant the botanist was looking
for. They drove to the other property and
confirmed the existence of the plant—Clay
Loving Wild Buckwheat—federally listed as
an endangered plant species.
Also in 1999, despite all dealings with
the county being conducted in open public
meetings, a small segment of the local
population objected to 40 acres of public
lands being used for a model airplane park.
To place this into proper perspective, it is
necessary to understand that Montrose
County comprises 2,241 square miles that
represents approximately 1,434,240 acres.
Roughly 70%, or 1,003,968 acres, is held as
public lands by the federal government.
The developer became aware of the
controversy and attended one of the public
meetings concerning the Public Lands
Application. A map was prepared by the
Bureau of Land Management of possible
alternate sites. Public meetings were
conducted and presentations were given by
all sides.
In a conversation between himself and an
individual who represented himself as the
spokesperson for the group of opposition,
the developer was told that “there is not an
acceptable location in all of Montrose
County for the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association flying field.”
The developer was later contacted by an
RC manufacturing company in Ohio that
had expressed a desire to the Montrose
County Commissioners to relocate to the
area if a suitable flying site could be
obtained. The owner of the company was in
receipt of a letter which not only insulted the
owner of the company, but requested he
keep his company in Ohio. Having
experienced “NIMBY” (Not In My
Backyard) with other projects relating to
children, the developer decided to literally
put it in his own backyard—well, almost.
Because of the endangered plant and the
property being an island in a sea of federal
lands, some interesting challenges above and
beyond normal application procedures had
to be faced. Fortunately, the Regional
Director of the Colorado Division of
Wildlife was the current president and a
botanist with the Bureau of Land
Management, and a past officer of the
Montrose Model Aircraft Association.
The number of agencies that became
involved in various aspects of this project
seemed phenomenal. They included the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of
Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management,
National Conservation Area, National Park
Service, State of Colorado, Montrose
County, Uncompahgre Valley Water Users
Association, and the Town of Olathe.
July 11, 2000, a Special Use Permit
Application was filed with Montrose County
to allow the construction and operation of a
model airplane park, outdoor earth science
education center, an observatory, and a
planetarium on the 80-acre property.
Part of the group of opposition infiltrated
a regional environmental organization and
attempted to stop the project—on private
property—with a grocery list of
environmental issues including endangered
wildlife.
The line was crossed when the
organization mailed a flyer to its
membership giving a map to the private
property and attempting to gain additional
opposition to the project.
A simple letter faxed by the developer to
a United States magistrate requesting a
federal restraining order against the
organization and suspension of its IRS
nonprofit status led to an immediate
resolution between the organization and the
developer.
July 18, 2001, the Montrose County
Commissioners approved the Special Use
Permit on the private property with a
“Conditions Precedent” relating to obtaining
access to the property across an irrigation
canal system and public lands. Permission
was obtained to begin construction of the
park.
December 31, 2001, a Conservation
“... there is not an
acceptable location in all of
Montrose County for the
Montrose Model Aircraft
Association flying field.”
“... the developer decided
to literally put it in his
own backyard—well,
almost.”
04june.qxd 3/24/04 10:02 am Page 162
Easement for the west 40 acres containing
most of the endangered plants and the
proposed Outdoor Earth Science
Environmental Laboratory, Planetarium, and
Observatory was recorded between the
developer and Black Canyon Regional Land
Trust.
On September 3, 2002, a right-of-way
application was filed with the Bureau of
Land Management. This was the
culmination of more than a year of
negotiations and countless meetings
between the county, the Uncompahgre
Valley Water Users Association, the Bureau
of Land Management, and two engineers
from Blueline Engineering who are
members of the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association.
Outdoor Earth Science Environmental
Laboratory incorporated in December 2002
as a Colorado nonprofit corporation. Its
purpose is to develop the Earth Science
Education program and facilitate the
construction of the planetarium and
observatory on the west 40 acres. Ownership
of the east 40 acres—where the construction
of the model airplane park was underway—
was transferred to a Colorado corporation
owned by the developer and his wife.
March 10, 2003, the developer requested
the Olathe Town Council to enter into a
recreational conservation easement on the
east 40 acres containing the model airplane
park. This meeting was the culmination of
six months of negotiations. A five-year lease
on the property for $1 a year, with the
option to buy the property for $10
contingent upon the corporation obtaining
recreational conservation easement was
negotiated with Montrose Model Aircraft
Association and was executed on March 10.
In October of 2003 it was determined
that insurance sufficient to indemnify the
Town of Olathe from potential litigation was
not available. The developer and the
Trustees of Montrose Model Aircraft
Association went back to the drawing board.
The land trust that assisted in the
conservation easement on the west 40 acres
agreed to do an additional conservation
easement on 13 acres of the east 40 acres,
which left 27 acres which could be
developed by the Montrose Model Aircraft
Association and used for overfly.
At the annual Thanksgiving celebration
of the Montrose Model Aircraft Association
on November 20, 2003, the developer and
his wife announced their plans to deed the
property to the club in the coming weeks.
A congratulatory letter from United
States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell
was read at the dinner. Senator Campbell
was responsible for securing the designation
as a national park—the newest one in the
United States—for the Black Canyon and
the Gunnison Gourge National Conservation
Area near the flying site.
On December 17, 2003, the Centennial
of Aviation, the developer and his wife
transferred ownership from their corporation
to the Montrose Model Aircraft Association.
If the reader were to carry a message
away from this article, that message would
have to be, “don’t give up!” When this
project was started it faced insurmountable
odds.
Since this project began, the Colorado
State Legislature adopted a law giving tax
credits for the dedication of conservation
easements which ultimately allowed the
Montrose Model Aircraft Association to
purchase $125,000 worth of property for
$10.
The humanitarian work the Montrose
Model Aircraft Association has performed
for years—working with children in the
Partners Program and children in foster care,
not to mention the classes the members
teach to children about constructing model
airplanes—just happened to catch the eye of
a tenacious real-estate developer who is a
promoter of child advocacy and doesn’t
have the word “no” in his vocabulary.
In addition, the club’s work has qualified
the Montrose Model Aircraft Association to
be designated for nonprofit 501(c)3 status
by the IRS and eligible to receive taxdeductible
contributions.
Two-hundred spectators watched more
than 90 children experience the thrill of
flying an RC model airplane for the first
time at the Educational Fun-fly sponsored
by the Montrose Model Aircraft Association
at the new field this past fall.
And what about that Colorado weather?
Members held their first chili—the food, not
the temperature—fun-fly on New Year’s
Day.
Fred Wyngarden, who proposed this
project seven years ago, is currently a board
member of the local Partners organization.
His picture and that of his junior partner
with an RC aircraft appears on the cover of
the brochure for Partners.
Coincidentally, the developer was born
and raised in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of
aviation. He and his wife are now taking
flying lessons and have been given life
memberships in the Montrose Model
Aircraft Association. The park has been
named Olathe Centennial Field
commemorating the location—Olathe—and
the centennial of human flight.
