Gold Camp Road was once the roadbed of the Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District, which became an auto road after the railroad was removed in the 1920s:Decision on road may standBy BILL McKEOWN THE GAZETTE <mailto:mckeown@gazette.com>The assistant supervisor of Pike National Forest doesn't expect the agency to change its mind about reopening a section of Gold Camp Road to vehicles despite Tuesday's withdrawal of the decision to correct a technical omission.The agency announced late in the day that it had withdrawn its July decision to allow the reopening of an 8.8-mile section of the scenic mountain road. The agency, Brian Ferebee said, recently discovered it violated internal rules when it failed to have the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service review a biological assessment that was used to make the decision.Ferebee said Wednesday that it could be a couple of months before that review comes back. He speculated that the controversial decision to reopen the historic road would not be changed, although how to do it could be modified.Ferebee said the Forest Service's biological assessment found that reopening the road in Cheyenne Canyon beyond Tunnel 3 to one-way, seasonal traffic would not have an adverse effect on the area's 13 threatened or endangered plant and animal species, including the Mexican spotted owl.Ferebee said the Wildlife Service will look over that finding and may or may not offer comments.Tuesday's decision came after the end of a 45-day appeal process during which at least five appeals filed, including one by the Trails and Open Space Coalition in Colorado Springs. None of those appeals cited the agency's oversight as a reason to overturn the decision, Ferebee said.Those appeals will need to be resubmitted once the agency gets the Wildlife Service's review and reopens another 45-day appeal period. The Forest Service would take new appeals at that time, said Ferebee.The agency then has another 45 days to respond. If there are no appeals, a decision could be rendered after 15 days.Ferebee expects the supervisor of the Pike National Forest, Bob Leaverton, to reissue a new decision on Gold Camp Road by late winter or early spring.Leaverton in July announced the agency would allow the reopening of the 8.8-mile section of Gold Camp -- with some significant conditions.Leaverton decided the road would be reopened only if:- A third party could be found to operate, police and maintain it, possibly by charging a toll.- Money could be found outside the agency to rehabilitate the gravel road and repair the historic railroad tunnel it runs through.The partial collapse of Tunnel 3 led to the closure of that section of the road in 1988. Since then, the road has been used by hikers and bikers.If an operator and money for repairs cannot be found, the agency would simply restore the tunnel to its historic condition and keep it and the road closed to the public.The road was built on the bed of a railroad that once hauled ore from Cripple Creek.