Before permitting a prestigious race in the mountains above Leadville, the U.S. Forest Service has requested feedback “to better understand social impacts.”

That’s according to a recent letter from the Leadville Ranger District, which on an annual or five-year basis grants the Leadville Race Series access to the surrounding federal land. The series includes the 100-mile mountain bike race and run, set for the second and third weekends of August, respectively.

In 2016, the Forest Service completed a detailed study required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), said Rebekka Gardiner, the local ranger district’s special use permit coordinator.

“As of right now, that NEPA is still good for a lot of things we look at,” Gardiner said.

But with the pandemic’s trend of larger outdoor crowds, “it behooves us to make sure we check on a few things,” she said, adding: “That’s what kind of drove this public scoping letter. Since so many more people are coming to the forest, we want to see if those extra people on top of the event were causing issues that we weren’t aware of as of yet.”

The ranger district prefers five-year permits over single-year, Gardiner said. “A single-year permit year after year takes a lot of administrative manpower.”

But single-year was the option in 2021 — “just to kind of get a feel for how COVID has changed our public landscape,” Gardiner said.

It’s changed since 2020, said Leadville Mayor Greg Labbe.

“This place went nuts,” he said. “A zillion people were up here hiking the trails.”

So he can understand the Forest Service’s review. But he’s a fan of the Leadville 100, a nearly 40-year tradition that has put the town on the international map. Since 2010, the series has been owned by Life Time Fitness.

The mountain bike race registers up to 2,000 contestants — combined with their friends, family and supports crews, outnumbering Leadville’s population on the weekend — while the foot race allows up to 800 registrants. In 2012, a study determined the events pumped $15 million into the local economy every year.

“The people on the positive side of something tend to be quiet, and the people who are dissatisfied for whatever reason tend to be louder,” Labbe said. “I don’t know what’s gonna come of (the Forest Service review), but I don’t know that I’ll care a lot, unless they try to dramatically change the approach to this, which has worked all these years.”

City Council every year greenlights the races, while also hearing some local complaints. Labbe said that’s been related to noise, visitors parking in neighborhoods despite designated lots at fields and schools, and others peeing where they shouldn’t despite porta-potties.

Along with environmental impacts along the race route, the Forest Service said it would hear those complaints in town as well. “We value the communities that we have a presence in, and we always do what we can to work with them to make sure we’re not doing things that impact them in a negative way,” said spokeswoman Crystal Young.

Things have indeed gotten busier since Leadville 100’s 1983 beginning, said one of the two founders, Merilee Maupin. She recalls 10 finishers that first year.

Since selling the series to Life Time Fitness in 2010, she has praised the company’s handling of the event. But she expects the Forest Service will hear some complaints.

“It’s our town, it’s our forest. I think we all feel ownership for that,” she said.

Input will be accepted until March 25, with emails sent to rebekka.gardiner@usda.gov.