Post by Admin on Aug 24, 2019 8:00:30 GMT -7
GLA Responds to Park County - Golemeyer Creek "Potential Violations"
"There were no violations or Board communications with the agencies" GLA President Dennis Riley on July 25th, 2019.
"Dennis' ... statements are overall correct." Walter Wunsch on July 26th, 2019
"Walter never told me there were violations" Dennis Riley on August 12th, 2019 explaining why he stated on July 25th that there were no violations or GLA Board communications with the government permitting agencies.
"Dennis' ... statements are overall correct." Walter Wunsch on July 26th, 2019
"Walter never told me there were violations" Dennis Riley on August 12th, 2019 explaining why he stated on July 25th that there were no violations or GLA Board communications with the government permitting agencies.
On October 9th, 2018 Jessica Mayo, the District Administrator of the Park County Conservation Board contacted the Glastonbury Landowner's Association (GLA) concerning potential 310 permit violations and scheduled an inspection of Golemeyer Creek. About a week later a person from the Park County Conservation Board and one from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks toured and inspected the Golemeyer Creek excavation site with GLA Board President Dennis Riley, Project Facilitator and GLA Board agent Walter Wunsch and Ken Hurley the current GLA Road Committee chair. This was confirmed by President Riley in a July 25th, 2019 Forum interview. In the same Forum interview Riley, Wunsch and Ken Hurley characterized the inspection as pleasant and amicable.
Both Riley and Wunsch stated publicly to landowners on multiple occasions in 2018 and 2019 that the Park County Conservation Board was pleased with the GLA work and with the contractor Chad Standish. They willfully gave the false impression to landowners that the work the GLA performed was legal, adhered to high standards and was even praised by the Park County Conservation Board. Landowners were repeatedly told that a sign-off letter from Jessica Mayo was expected to arrive shortly. The public record revealed a very different story.
On October 29th, 2018 the GLA privately sent a letter to Jessica Mayo regarding "Potential Golemeyer Creek Violation File #PK-67-18C". Both Walter Wunsch and President Dennis Riley were signatories.
Download the October 29th, 2018 letter here.
In the above letter the GLA acknowledges that the original 310 permit only granted permission for work on two spots along Golemeyer Creek. Those two areas comprised just 800 square feet. The total area dug up by the GLA came to almost 50,000 square feet as documented by the Forum in August of 2018. The letter goes on to state that in April of 2018 severe flooding damaged Hercules Road and made it almost impassable. The GLA then contacted the Army Corps of Engineers and was given verbal permission to add more areas to the permit. The public record shows that flooding of Hercules started on April 24th and a 400 foot section of road by the Waterfall property was reduced to one lane. On May 2nd contractor Chad Standish excavated part of Golemeyer Creek on the Waterfall private property next to Hercules Road. The flooding immediately ceased and Hercules Road started to dry out. Repairs on the damaged section of Hercules Road did not begin until June 8th; 37 days after the flooding ceased.
The record shows that the GLA did not contact the Army Corps of Engineers until June 8th, 2018. Then Walter Wunsch sent a series of high priority urgent emails to the Corps asking for permission to expand the permit to other areas. The Corps asked for photos which Wunsch provided and the Forum published. None of the photos shows any measurable damage to Hercules Road from Golemeyer Creek flooding. Most of the photos show Golemeyer Creek confined within it's banks and 18 to 36 inches below the surface of Hercules Road. Only in one photo is a portion of the creek close to the level of Hercules. At point "E" a small flow is seen alongside a broken fence and a low lying section of Hercules that borders a marsh. The stream is contained by the marsh but the road, which lacks a proper base, was built almost level with the wetland. If the roadbed was raised both the road and wetland could co-exist.
The GLA letter claims that the Army Corps of Engineers gave the GLA "permission to proceed with corrective action". This appears to be a false statement. In the December 4th, 2018 Notice of Violations letter the Corps states that it has no record of granting permission for extra work on Golemeyer Creek.
On October 29th, 2018 the GLA privately sent a letter to Jessica Mayo regarding "Potential Golemeyer Creek Violation File #PK-67-18C". Both Walter Wunsch and President Dennis Riley were signatories.
Download the October 29th, 2018 letter here.
In the above letter the GLA acknowledges that the original 310 permit only granted permission for work on two spots along Golemeyer Creek. Those two areas comprised just 800 square feet. The total area dug up by the GLA came to almost 50,000 square feet as documented by the Forum in August of 2018. The letter goes on to state that in April of 2018 severe flooding damaged Hercules Road and made it almost impassable. The GLA then contacted the Army Corps of Engineers and was given verbal permission to add more areas to the permit. The public record shows that flooding of Hercules started on April 24th and a 400 foot section of road by the Waterfall property was reduced to one lane. On May 2nd contractor Chad Standish excavated part of Golemeyer Creek on the Waterfall private property next to Hercules Road. The flooding immediately ceased and Hercules Road started to dry out. Repairs on the damaged section of Hercules Road did not begin until June 8th; 37 days after the flooding ceased.
The record shows that the GLA did not contact the Army Corps of Engineers until June 8th, 2018. Then Walter Wunsch sent a series of high priority urgent emails to the Corps asking for permission to expand the permit to other areas. The Corps asked for photos which Wunsch provided and the Forum published. None of the photos shows any measurable damage to Hercules Road from Golemeyer Creek flooding. Most of the photos show Golemeyer Creek confined within it's banks and 18 to 36 inches below the surface of Hercules Road. Only in one photo is a portion of the creek close to the level of Hercules. At point "E" a small flow is seen alongside a broken fence and a low lying section of Hercules that borders a marsh. The stream is contained by the marsh but the road, which lacks a proper base, was built almost level with the wetland. If the roadbed was raised both the road and wetland could co-exist.
The GLA letter claims that the Army Corps of Engineers gave the GLA "permission to proceed with corrective action". This appears to be a false statement. In the December 4th, 2018 Notice of Violations letter the Corps states that it has no record of granting permission for extra work on Golemeyer Creek.
The GLA letter never acknowledges that laws may have been broken and shows no remorse for possible violations. It does not offer to address violations or restore Golemeyer Creek. In a complete inversion of authority the GLA asks the Park County Conservation Board to resolve the issue. The GLA then assures the Conservation Board that they are welcome to call or visit if they have questions.
The official GLA minutes of the November 12th Road Committee meeting state that the "Golemeyer Creek complaint was resolved".
On December 4th, 2018 the Army Corps of Engineers sent Walter Wunsch, the official GLA agent, a Notice of Violation. They asked how the GLA planned to resolve the violations, ordered that wetland information be provided and required that no further work be done on Golmeyer Creek without Corps permission. They also outlined possible penalties including prison time, fines, restoration work and mitigation.
The Forum has the GLA Response letter and will publish it soon along with further information. The Forum has contacted the GLA Board with questions but has not received any response.
On December 4th, 2018 the Army Corps of Engineers sent Walter Wunsch, the official GLA agent, a Notice of Violation. They asked how the GLA planned to resolve the violations, ordered that wetland information be provided and required that no further work be done on Golmeyer Creek without Corps permission. They also outlined possible penalties including prison time, fines, restoration work and mitigation.
The Forum has the GLA Response letter and will publish it soon along with further information. The Forum has contacted the GLA Board with questions but has not received any response.