Environmental Defense Fund Condemns Vail, Colorado Arson Claim

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today strongly condemned the arson incidents in Vail, and the group claiming responsibility for Monday’s Vail Mountain fires in Colorado. Reports have stated that the group claimed responsibility for Monday’s fire in an e-mail message sent to news organizations. Damage from the fires has been estimated at $12 million.

“Violence and arson are utterly reprehensible,” said Dan Luecke, director of EDF’s Rocky Mountain office. “Whatever one’s view of the Vail expansion, participation in such actions, or even claiming participation, is terrorism, not environmentalism.”

“Yesterday’s e-mail not only took responsibility for the Vail fires, but also advised people to keep away from Vail for their own ‘safety’. Such threats and actions are intolerable and should be dealt with swiftly and aggressively by law enforcement officials,” said Fred Krupp, EDF executive director.