Save Our Saint Vrain Valley, Inc.

Background Statement

We need your help to retain our victories of the last SIX years against industrial mining.

Martin Marietta has filed an appeal in Colorado Appeals Court and is NOW attempting to re-litigate the validity of their permit from last century (1998). Should they succeed, 800 acres will be spot zoned / rezoned to an industrial wasteland; Cemex, their next door neighbor, could have a new feeder mine that would enable them to operate the vintage cement plant (built by Martin Marietta ages ago) “indefinitely" as they’ve threaten to do.

Your contribution CO Gives Day or reoccurring donation will support SOSVV to persevere in litigation protecting and conserving hundreds of acres and preventing the No.1 CO2 emitter in BOCO (No.4 CO2 polluter in Colorado), Cemex, from operating their retro-cement manufacturing plant indefinitely. After community efforts defeated a their new mining special use proposed for 15 year of mining at Dowe Flats in 2022 (and a 25 year extension proposed in 2019).

SOSVV was founded in 2017 in response to the sudden activation of a 1998 Special Use Mining Permit from Martin Marietta Materials to gravel mine 800+ acres. SOSVV challenged the validity of mining based on the Lapse Provision in Land Use Code- which had never been applied to any special use- ever.

In the Fall 2021, we prevailed at the CO Supreme Court against the dated Marietta Special Use. Along with opposing Aggregate Industries special use and procuring a timely denial of their 1998 special use to mine ~200 acres near Pella Crossings. These landmark victories set valuable judicial precedents in BOCO & beyond for upholding the expiration of special uses, more intensive by nature, and most importantly, for the protection of open space, public health, property values, cultural archeology and wildlife.

In 2019 SOSVV advocated for BOCO to uphold the expiration of Cemex’s Dowe Flats’ mining permit. Cemex wanted to “extend” their mining at Dowe Flats for another 25 years! Director Case agreed with SOSVV and determined that their special Use expired on September 30, 2022! In the Spring of 2022, Cemex filed for a NEW special use to mine for another 15 years, although it was heavily marketed as an “extension” of their 1994 special mining use. SOSVV in collaboration with other community organizations, including the Good Neighbors of Lyons, and Lyons Climate Action, advocated for denial of Cemex's new special use application that would have allow mining for BOCO No.1 polluter based on environmental & cultural reports from 1994! Boulder Commissioners Claire Levy and Marta Loachamin voted against the permit. As of Sept 30th, 2022 SOSVV’s mission of No Mining In the St Vrain became an actuality. Thanks to patrons like you, CO Gives & other grantors like Patagonia, LUSH Cosmetics, etc..

In 2022 Director of Land Use reversed his original determination upon consideration of the CO Appeal Court and CO Supreme Court’s rulings and adopted SOSVV's perspective that the 1998 Special Use to mine had expired.

We need your support now more than ever or we risk loosing the land to mining behemoths. Please contribute today, as you’re able, to ensure the protection of Northern Boulder County for residents, wildlife, visitors, and future generations.