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Hello
Friends of FDRD, Can
you feel the crisp, cool mountain air hinting the change of seasons? I’m really excited for fall – it’s my
favorite season in Summit County.
It’s also the perfect time of year to work those muscles at our remaining
project this season! After
voting Mohawk Lakes “Summit County’s Best Hiking Trail”, you now have a
chance to “vote with your hands” on this trail, one of Summit’s gems. Join us this weekend as we partner
with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) for three days of trail
restoration on this popular trail. Then,
mark your calendar for September 16 – FDRD’s Volunteer Celebration Day. It’s our day to celebrate those
who’ve made our 2006 summer volunteer season so successful and so FUN! If you have any feedback, suggestions, and ways to improve this newsletter, please share them with us. ENJOY!!
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Saturday/Sunday/Monday
- September 2, 3, and 4 - Mohawk Lakes Trail Restoration Project – Join in on a weekend of fun as FDRD
teams up with VOC for a weekend of trail work in this beautiful valley. Volunteers are needed for
the rewarding and challenging work of restoring and rerouting 1 ½ miles of
one of Summit’s most popular trails.
Camping in this valley, under the stars, is the perfect way to end
each trail day and VOC’s “base camp” support team will be sure to meet your
every need. And if you’re not into
trail maintenance, there are other ways to “give back to your local National
Forest lands” that weekend – join the project support team! These are the folks behind every
successful project and every happy volunteer – volunteer greeters, kitchen
staff, traffic road closure directors, and shuttle drivers (4x4 experience
necessary for drivers). This is the perfect
opportunity for Summit County to showcase the wonderful trails and amazing
volunteerism that make up our community! Please consider joining us for one, two, or better
yet, all three days of pure FUN this weekend. For trail maintenance
volunteers, sign up at www.voc.org, by calling 303-715-1010 (800-925-2220
outside of metro Denver) or by emailing voc@voc.org. For project support team, contact
Maya Stuart at colorado_mtn_hiker@yahoo.com. Saturday,
September 16, Volunteer Celebration Day – 8:30 – 3:00 (ish) - Please join in on the fun! This is a day for us to celebrate you
and the support you have provided to FDRD throughout this summer. The day will start at 8:30 with
coffee and bagels at the Windy Point trailhead on Swan Mountain Road and a
morning trail maintenance project on the Windy Point trail. At noon, a BBQ picnic at the Windy
Point Pavilion will give FDRD another chance to thank all our wonderful
volunteers – join us for a fun acknowledgement program complete with awards
and giveaways. All of this
assures to be another exciting day of stewardship, and celebration of your
hard work this year. Volunteers should dress for a day
outdoors - bring water, work gloves, layered clothing including long pants,
long sleeved shirt, sturdy boots, sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen, rain gear,
and insect repellent. RSVPs are required
for both the trail project and the
picnic. Contact Scott Fussell at
scottafussell@yahoo.com, or (970) 846-1530 for each part of the day. We hope you can join us for both, but
if you can only make it for part of the day, please come, we would love to
see you! FDRD September Wish List ·
Service Project Team Members – We need 5 volunteers to help coordinate our
Volunteer Celebration Day on September 16. Duties include: flyer creation and distribution, food
solicitation and pick up, and volunteer and media relations. Be a part of the team that makes this
day happen! Contact Scott
Fussell at 970-846-1530 or scottafussell@yahoo.com
for more information on this project team. · Service Project Supplies – Getting rid of, or don’t mind lending the following for the summer season? We could sure use a few coffee thermal/air pots, a folding table (card or long one), and a large water container for those awesome “trailgates” after the projects. |
WHAT’S
HAPPENED
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DRD HAPPENINGS Travel
Management Plan Update DRD held an Open House on August 8 for people interested in learning more about the Travel Management Plan (TMP). It was very well attended by Summit County’s recreationists and the various user groups that enjoy our local National Forest lands. Interested parties chatted with several FS representatives; studied the TMP’s various maps; obtained, and learned how to navigate, the TMP; and discussed next steps of the 90-day comment period. Copies of the draft plan are available at the Dillon Ranger District (DRD) and interested parties will have until October 25 to comment on the plan. This will become the comprehensive travel management plan for the WRNF for the next 10 – 15+ years, so it is very important that all users make their voices heard in the next 3 months! The Forest Service requests that all users and user groups participate, to ensure that all interests are represented in this plan. Both system and non-system trails are included in this draft plan and all users are asked to comment on them, to help the Forest Service determine the most appropriate transportation network for the forest. This comment process provides an excellent opportunity for those interested parties and affected people to participate in the analysis and to contribute to the final decision for this proposed action. To comment on the Travel Management Plan, the following methods are available: 1) Web-based comment form – visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver/projects/travel_management/web_comment/tmp_comment.shtml to email brief comments. When you submit your comment it will send an email directly to the Content Analysis Team, who will process your comment into the comment database for the TMP. The space limitation for the comment section is about 75 columns by 25 lines. 2) Electronic letter or document - send it directly to wrnftmp@contentanalysisgroup.com. 3) Mail or FAX - Mail: WRNF Travel Management Plan and DEIS c/o Content Analysis Group P.O. Box 2000 Bountiful, UT 84011-2000 FAX: 1-801-397-2601 All submissions must include your name and address. Please only submit your comment once - they are all treated equally, and will only be dealt with once. For more information on Travel Management in the WRNF, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver/projects/travel_management/index.shtml. Lower Blue River
Management Plan Update – This
management plan, which includes the area from Green Mountain Reservoir to the
Colorado River, is a collaborative effort between the USDA-FS, Colorado Division
of Wildlife, Summit County, Grand County, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau
of Reclamation, and private property owners. The plan is in its initial stages - these agencies are
starting to meet with local stakeholders to determine scope and future
processes for public input. The
goal of the plan is to balance the recreation interests and the health of the
ecosystem and fisheries in this popular area. If you have any questions regarding this plan, contact Ken
Waugh at 970-262-3446. Maryland Creek Trail Construction – In September, the DRD trail crew trail will begin construction on a new trail, starting at the National Forest / Maryland Creek Ranch boundary and terminating at the Gore Range Trail. Over the next few years, Maryland Creek Ranch will construct a trail through the development that will connect to this trail. This partnership with Maryland Creek Ranch allows DRD to avoid the creation of many social trails entering the Forest at different points. Because this trail accesses a designated wilderness area, it is open only to non-motorized and non-mechanized uses (hiking and horseback riding). If you have any questions regarding this trail, contact Ken Waugh at 970-262-3446. |
DATES TO REMEMBER
(mark your calendars!!!)
Please contact Scott Fussell at scottafussell@yahoo.com or 970-846-1530 for more information on these events. Other Events Thurs, Sept. 7 – 7:30AM – 9:30AM - Mountain Pine Beetle Task Force Meeting - Best Western Lake Dillon Lodge - Open discussion on the mountain pine beetle epidemic in Summit County and related forest health issues. Participants include representatives of homeowners associations, local governments, environmental organizations, US and Colorado Forest Service professionals, the timber industry, Colorado's Congressional delegation and interested residents. For more information, contact Sandy Briggs at 970-418-0025. Sat, Sept. 30 - 10AM - 2PM - The Summit County Animal Shelter Rummage Sale - at the shelter - Benefit the Special Needs Animal Fund (extraordinary medical expenses for shelter animals). Donations accepted at the shelter – Sept. 11 through Sept. 27 (excluding Sundays) from 10Am - 4PM. Items accepted are furniture, electronics, household items, sporting goods and clothing (outerwear only please). Ask yourself: would I use this item or give it to a friend? If not, please do not donate it. Sat-Sun, Sept 23 – 24 - Colorado Environmental Film Festival – American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th Street, Golden – Presented by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education and hosted by the Colorado Mountain Club at the American Mountaineering Center. Includes feature-length and short films (including films from the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival On Tour, presented by Patagonia, on Sunday), a kids' movie room on Saturday and Sunday featuring a selection of films from Bullfrog Films for kids of all ages, a VIP reception on Saturday evening, and an Expo with information from a variety of groups from around the state. The informative and entertaining films presented, paired with engaging speakers and audience discussions, will explore interconnected ecological, social, and economic themes. Festival-goers will leave inspired, surprised, entertained, and motivated. Visit http://www.ceff.net or contact CAEE at 303-273-9527 or info@caee.org for more information or to get involved. Sat, Oct. 14 – 9AM – 4:30PM – Aquatic Wild Educators Workshop –located at Cucumber Gulch - a unique wetlands complex where boreal toads have been found and will provide participants the opportunity to see this wetlands up close and personal. All educators (formal and informal), camp leaders, and others who work with youth will surely benefit from this workshop. For more information and to register, contact Kirsten Springer at 719-836-1543, 970-389-4833 or gladhest@earthlink.net. |
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NEXT BOARD MEETING
(FDRD Board Members will meet on the first Monday of each month at DRD at 6PM) Monday, September 11, at 6:00 PM at the Dillon Ranger
District. Open to our members
and other interested parties. To
RSVP or to include potential agenda items for FDRD Board consideration for
future meetings, contact Guff at guffvanvooren@msn.com
by Sunday, September 10. |
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I hope to see you this weekend at the Mohawk
Lakes Trail Project and/or the Volunteer Celebration Day on September 16 –
both events should be a blast! As well, mark your calendar for the deadline
for comments on the TMP – your input is a very important part of this
process. Thanks to all our volunteers for a great
August – your dedication to caring for our local National Forest lands never
ceases to amaze and inspire me! See
you on the trails! With sincere thanks,
Guff
Van Vooren Executive
Director Friends
of the Dillon Ranger District |