Artist Christo wins appeal for 'Over the River' art project suspending fabric over Arkansas River

An appeals board has upheld the Bureau of Land Management's decision to grant the artist Christo a permit for his Colorado art project. The "Over The River" project will string 5.9 miles of fabric temporarily over certain sections on a 42-mile stretch of the Arkansas River. The team hopes to start construction next year and exhibit Over the River in August 2015 for two weeks before dismantling the project. Opponents say the project will be too disruptive to bighorn sheep in the area, local traffic, and fishing and river rafting businesses. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, in approving the project, has required dozens of measures to mitigate impacts to wildlife, traffic and the environment. Opponents of "Over the River" are still challenging the project in lawsuits pending in state and federal courts...more