CITIZENS FOR GLENWOOD CANYON SCENIC CORRIDOR RECORDS

Collection

Identifier: CONS278

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the collection consists of legal documents and legal research from the court case Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor, et al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, et al.. Spanning from 1966 to 1993, the collection includes newspaper clippings about the Glenwood Canyon I-70 corridor, publications, correspondence, traffic data, maps, and graphs. Also contained in the collection are two copies on 16mm film of a public service announcement advocating against the construction of a four-lane highway through Glenwood Canyon starring John Denver. Also present are legal documents related to other cases in which Mark A.A. Skrotzki was involved.

Series 1 Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor, et al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, et al. 1970-1985 Box 1-9

This series contains documents about Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor (CGCSC) prior to and during their civil suit regarding the expansion of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon. Their opposition efforts culminated in Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor, et al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, et al (1983). Much of the legal material has been kept in its original order (Boxes 4-7).There is also a significant amount of correspondence, traffic data, and research materials from several federal and state government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Colorado State Department of Highways. The subseries containing newspaper clippings and publicity includes draft scripts for the public service announcement made by John Denver in support of CGCSC, two copies of a 16 mm film showing John Denver’s public service announcement, and photographs of John Denver and Glenwood Canyon.

Series 2 Other Legal Cases and Causes 1968-1988 Box 9

This series contains other legal cases in which Mark Skrotzki, the founder of Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor (CGCSC), was involved. Mark Skrotzki was an expert in a prior civil case in Hungry Horse, Montana, Coalition for Canyon Preservation v. Karl S. Bowers (1980). Similar to the Glenwood Canyon issue, this case stemmed from opposition to the expansion of U.S. Highway 2 from two lanes into four lanes. Additional advocacy efforts include research on the 1983 gas tax hike and a smaller CGCSC civil suit against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). There are a limited number of documents related to a lawsuit by Skrotzki’s company, Roaring Fork Beef and Pork.

Series 3 Partner Organizations 1966-1985 Box 9-10

The series contains correspondence, memos, tax documents, financial information, news releases, court documents, and notes from several organizations who assisted the Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor group. These organizations include the Colorado Open Space Foundation, the Needmoor Fund, the Colorado Lawyer’s Committee, the New Glenwood Canyon Coalition, and the Harris Foundation.

Series 4 Oversize 1975-1985 OVBox 1, OVFF 1

The series contains maps of Glenwood Canyon, interstate highways, graphs of traffic volume, traffic accident analysis, and a Glenwood Canyon I-70 construction schedule.

Dates

1966-1993, undated

Creator

Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Copyright

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.

Biographical / Historical

The Citizens for Glenwood Canyon Scenic Corridor advocacy group was created in 1974 by Colorado citizens interested in finding the best possible transportation solution for the Glenwood Canyon I-70 corridor. The organization was headed by director Mark A.A. Skrotzki and honorary directors included singer-songwriter John Denver and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. The group advocated against the construction of a four-lane I-70 highway through Glenwood Canyon. Instead, they petitioned for Glenwood Canyon to be designated as a "scenic corridor," versus a "transportation corridor," and for a two-lane road to be built. Former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall also supported the organization. While the organization did not win their lawsuit, their advocacy efforts resulted in more attention to conservation during construction, such as the creation of the Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and a change in Glenwood Canyon’s designation from “transportation corridor” to “scenic corridor” in 1975.