Letter: Save the trees from North Poudre Irrigation Company

Editor:

Our good neighbor, North Poudre Irrigation Company, is about to destroy a historical resource just outside the town of Wellington. This November, NPIC plans to cut down 800 trees on Number Four Reservoir, most of them large cottonwoods. For nearly a century, the people of Northern Colorado have enjoyed the beauty of Number Four Reservoir (some call it Lake Wellington), which has provided fishermen a haven to test their angling abilities. All this will be gone Nov. 1.

Besides cutting trees on the reservoir, NPIC plans to cut hundreds of trees on the adjacent landowner’s property. Landowners were assured by NPIC they would try to save as many as the state engineers would allow. The state said they could save most of the trees, but NPIC decided they wanted all but 25 trees removed. The landowners would like to compromise, but are under threat of legal action by NPIC.

This is a tragedy for the environment, the wildlife and the people of Northern Colorado. The City of Fort Collins owns 35 percent of NPIC shares, and ownership by other local municipalities bring the total to over 50 percent.

If you want this beautiful natural resource saved, call NPIC manage Scott Hummer at 970-568-3612 or the City of Fort Collins.

Robert Siblerud
Wellington