"On Nov. 7, "Over The River" reached its most significant milestone since the temporary work of art's vision was conceived on canvas in artist Christo's New York studio in 1992.
After a three-year comprehensive analysis, the Bureau of Land Management announced its Record of Decision this fall, giving federal approval to Christo and the late Jeanne-Claude's original vision to suspend 5.9 miles (3,200,000 square feet) of fabric panels along a 42-mile stretch of the Arkansas River.
Christo, 76, said OTR is the first ever art project to require an Environmental Impact Statement, which normally is reserved for major infrastructures such as bridges, highways, dams and airports.
"This is a historic event, that for the first time in the history of art and the history of the federal government of the United States, a work of art has an Environmental Impact Statement," Christo said during a luncheon with Friends of Over The River and civic and business leaders at the Fremont Center for the Arts earlier this month.
From 1992 to 1994, the artists and their team traveled 14,000 miles in the Rocky Mountains in search of a site for the project. After prospecting 89 rivers in seven states, six possible locations were found. The Arkansas River was selected in 1996.
The project since has been a hot topic in several community meetings and public hearings in Fremont and Chaffee counties. It required a nearly three-year, 1,686 page comprehensive analysis by the BLM, which ultimately identified all potential impacts and more than 100 measures to mitigate traffic, safety, wildlife and other concerns...."
(CARIE CANTERBURY )
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
No comments:
Post a Comment