The December 2020 PLAN Jeffco newsletter is available online. Jump over to our Library and see what’s new, or download from the embedded reader below.
1 Dec 2020 1-12 final
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Can you recognize where you are? Look through the framing, do you recognize Castle Rock on South Table Open Space Park?
Construction on the Peaks to Plains Trail continues. This location is called the “Gateway Segment”, it’s just west of Golden. Eventually, you will be able to walk from the Library, the History Museum, or even the Golden Visitors Center, head west along the Clear Creek Trail, cross highway 93, and you’ll be on this portion of the Peaks to Plains Trail, inside the Clear Creek Canyon Open Space Park. The portions that are already open are stunning; we anticipate that this segment will be no less so.
Take 5 minutes and enjoy Scott Grossman as he describes the construction that’s happening at the Gateway Segment.
Miss Mountain Manners reminds you to stay safe during this time of COVID, and even when you’re in the Open Space Parks remember to wear your mask and stay 6 feet away from those who are not in your personal “bubble”. Follow Miss Mountain Manners at @MannersMountain
Last year, Jeffco Open Space Parks received approximately 7 million visitors. This year, with the pandemic, we have seen a drastic increase in people finding much-needed stress relief while enjoying our parks. For several years, Rangers and Volunteers have collaborated to host dozens of Share the Trails pop-up events. What’s a pop-up you ask? A pop-up is a focused low-key event where volunteers and staff talk with visitors at the trailheads regarding various pertinent park issues. For example, if a park has an increase in dogs off leash, rangers and volunteers will staff a Love Em’ Leash Em’ table and talk to visitors about dog safety messages (i.e. leashing, picking up waste, providing for dog safety in hot weather, etc). Over the years, pop-ups topics have covered living with wildlife (rattlesnakes, bears, lions, coyotes, etc), share the trails, dog safety and education regarding park management changes. The goal is to educate visitors BEFORE they enter the park and BEFORE they make a mistake. Feedback from visitors has been extremely positive. They seem to really appreciate the one-on-one contact with representatives of Jeffco Open Space.
As I write this article in mid-November, rangers have already responded to more than 1000 calls for service. Some of these calls have been responding to visitor courtesy complaints on North Table Mountain. While rangers routinely patrol the park, a few of our volunteer equestrian Park Patrollers recognized our stretched staff resources and approached me to request they would like to help out by hosting several Share the Trails events at North Table Mountain. These pop-ups generated 550 conversations with our park visitors. Volunteer Frank Blaha, said “often all of us were fully engaged” in conversations with several visitors. He goes on to say, “many people seemed appreciative of us being out, and a few commented it is good to know Rangers and Volunteer Patrollers were working to keep Jeffco Open Space in good shape.” Special thanks go out to Volunteer Patrollers who were instrumental in moving this series of pop-ups along: Dan B., Frank B., Jack M., Jan K., Lydia M. and Sylvan R. Thanks also go out to the many volunteers who dropped by and who spent over 725 hours in 2020 routinely patrolling North Table Mountain Park. I am privileged to work with such an amazing group of volunteers. Jeffco Open Space truly appreciates all they do to support the Jeffco Open Space mission in caring for our parks!
Shaun Howard, Ranger Lead
Jeffco Open Space
303-271-5909
Miss Mountain Manners extends great thanks to Shaun Howard, JCOS Ranger, for sharing the story about these pop-up events. Communication, cooperation…if everyone tried a little harder, imagine what a great world this could be!
Let’s see what’s happening during the month of November at Jeffco Open Space:
Clear Creek Canyon Park – Stair Construction
Timber stair and retaining wall construction continues on the east side of the wooden flume leading up from the P2P Trail. This is going to be an amazing trail experience for our visitors.
Matthews/Winters Park – Fire
At approximately 5:50 a.m. on Monday, November 9th, Jeffco Sheriff’s Office reported Golden Fire was on scene for a small fire in the area of Dakota Ridge Trail north of the intersection with Zorro Trail. It appears the fire was wind and utility structure related as the top of one of the transmission poles was snapped. For visitor safety reasons, the trail was closed north of Zorro Trail through the day and night to allow Xcel Energy access to the area for repairs. The trail re-opened on Tuesday the 10th at noon.
COVID-19 – Jefferson County Dial Status, Moves to Level Red
Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) has been notified by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) that Jefferson County is among the counties that will be moved to Level Red on the state’s Dial Framework, effective Friday, November 20th at 5:00PM. As Governor Polis announced, the state has made some adjustments to the Dial and Level Red, especially as it relates to gatherings and spaces where people congregate. We are awaiting final details on those changes, as well as an associated public health order, and will share more information when available.
Major changes include:
o The Dial adds a sixth level, Purple, and revises Level Red accordingly.
o Individuals at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 remain advised to stay in their residence at all levels of the Dial.
o Remote working is strongly encouraged.
What is not changing:
o Our parks and restrooms will remain open.
o Our group size will remain at 10 and we will continue to monitor JCPH for the current information.
Camping Relaunch – Reservations Live in CivicRec
After a hiatus due to COVID-19, we are excited to bring back camping to our visitors. A diverse team of staff came together to figure out how to best provide camping again. In conjunction with only allowing 4 campers per site, the team decided that providing parking hang tags on site in a lock box was the best option over having visitors trying to print and bring them to their site (as too often they forget). Thank you to Parks Services, OSIT, Rangers, Community Connections and others for your hard work and contributions to the re-launching of camping permits. The first reservable date for White Ranch (Sawmill) and Reynolds Park campsites is November 27, 2020.
Mount Falcon Morrison Trailhead – Temporary Parking Expansion
Things are wrapping up at Mount Falcon Morrison Trailhead this week and we are planning on opening the new, temporary lot to the public this Friday, November 13. We will have 56 more spots to offer visitors and the entry road will no longer allow parking on either side. Big thanks to Road and Bridge, T&E, Scott Timmons and Park Services for making this a reality!
South Table Mountain Park – Carl’s Point
Who is Carl of Carl’s Point? If you’ve visited the scenic overlook on the east side of Basalt Cap Loop, you may already know. The trail sign includes a QR code that transports you to Carl’s story. In short, Carl F. Eiberger helped preserve South Table Mountain (STM) and at least 11 other parks in the Golden/Applewood/Prospect area by donating expert legal services. The point of Carl’s Point is to encourage our visitors to pause and think about what they can do to help preserve places and experiences like Basalt Cap Loop on STM. Mary Eiberger, daughter of Carl Eiberger, visited the site for the first time on Saturday, November 7th. She was accompanied by her husband Tito and their two rescue dogs, Lucky and Shadow.
South Table Mountain Park – Trail Construction
Trail construction on Croc Tooth Trail is in the final stages and will be complete before the end of November. This trail will help connect Carl’s Point to Ancient Palms Trail.
Hildebrand Ranch Park – Water Monitor
New water monitoring devices, called stilling wells, are being installed to keep us in compliance with State of Colorado Water Commission requirements. These new monitoring units will more accurately record water flow and use.
Miss Mountain Manners thanks all the staff and volunteers at JeffCo Open Space for the wonderful work that they do and are continuing to do during this time of COVID. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
It ain’t over til it’s over. And it is definitely not over yet. Jefferson County has seen increased COVID-19 cases and is at risk of tighter restrictions. Jefferson County Public Health is calling on residents to stay strong and focused on preventing the spread of this virus. With rising infection rates, clearly many people are not following the rules. Will you??
Miss Manners, remembering earlier times and common fence-post signs for “Burma Shave,” invites you to play the following game and even create your own sign jingles. Match the sign posts with the proper guideline for your Jefferson County Open Space experiences.
| 1. Meet someone?
Don’t frown Slow down MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
a. COVID-19 primarily spreads person to person to person. Because you can become infected from respiratory droplets when a nearby infected person breathes heavily, coughs, sneezes or talks, maintain a minimum six-foot distance. This will also help prevent them from being infected by you. | |
| 2. Be first rate
Communicate MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
b. Keep one ear-bud out. Enjoy the sounds of nature and let others do the same. | |
| 3. Be a knight
Keep right MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
c. As you approach other trail users (particularly from behind), announce your presence in a timely manner, and loud enough for them to hear. Give them time to find a safe place where they can be socially distanced from you. | |
| 4. Be safe
For instance Keep your distance MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
d. The leash is safer for your dog, the environment, and other park visitors who may be afraid of dogs. Your dog is YOUR friend, but not necessarily another park visitor’s friend and certainly not park wildlife’s friend. | |
| 5. You don’t know
What you’re missin’ Unless you listen MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
e. Cyclists: Pedestrians and equestrians have the right-of-way. Slow down and stop if necessary. | |
| 6. Place no bets
Leash your pets MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
f. Respect public lands and waters. Take ALL of your garbage – including pet wastes – with you. Remember: There is no POOP fairy. | |
| 7. Preserve this place
Leave no trace Take it to the base MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
g. The rules of the road apply. Keep to your right. | |
| 8. Heed the call
Keep your group small MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
h. Common courtesy will make things more pleasant for all those participating. | |
| 9. It’s your task
Wear a mask MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
i. You will have less impact on the parks and other users. It will be easier to maintain social distancing guidelines. Do not take up the whole width of the trail; allow others to pass safely with a minimum of 6-foot distancing. | |
| 10. Treat other trail users with respect
No matter how they are decked MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
j. This will lessen the impact on the environment with less driving. | |
| 11. Don’t pull the rug
Walk through the mud Over hill and dale Stay on the trail MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
k. Going off trail to shortcut a switchback or to avoid mud, widens the trail and is bad for trail sustainability. | |
| 12. Horses first
And then the hikers Yielding to all should be the bikers MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
l. Be prepared to cover your nose and mouth when meeting others. Social distancing is required, particularly when passing other visitors on the trail who are not being considerate by wearing a face covering. | |
| 13. Follow your nose
Stay close to home MOUNTAIN MANNERS MATTER |
WE ARE EMPHATIC – – IT’S A PANDEMIC
Clear Creek Canyon Park – Gateway Segment
The south side trail in Clear Creek Park is starting to take shape! We’ve been able to take advantage of the warm weather and pour approximately 1,600 linear feet of the trail. This section connects into the new bridge, has great curves to it and will award visitors with fantastic views.
Mount Falcon – Morrison Trailhead Expansion
The temporary expansion lot at Mount Falcon East is coming along nicely. Road & Bridge was moving dirt at the end of October and is at finished grade. Construction is progressing on the expanded parking area. The asphalt millings, drainage features, and revegetation will be completed by the end of this week. Parking lot striping is scheduled for Sunday and the new lot is scheuled to open to the public early next week. Visitors have already been showing excitement for this temporary parking expansion and we are working hard to get it open next week. Thanks to everyone who had a part in this great achievement!
Clear Creek Canyon Park – Restroom Construction
Construction on the two restrooms continues to make great progress. The electrical in Tunnel 1 restroom is being installed while the Gateway restroom roof rafters and sheathing is going up.
Miss Mountain Manners here…wonder what’s been going on at Jeffco Open Space? Here ya’ go, the latest and greatest, from our Director, Tom Hoby:
Deer Creek Canyon Park – Mountain Lion Incident
Mountain lion, photo courtesy of all-free-download.com
On Friday, October 9th, about 5 p.m., an adult female mountain biker encountered an adult mountain lion on the Red Mesa Loop Trail. The lion emerged from the vegetation and was traveling “about 2 feet away” from her on her right. She immediately dismounted and put her bike between her and the lion. As she shouted and used the bike to clear a safe zone between her and the lion, she made one 11-mintue call to her boyfriend, who coached her to remain strong and continue to fight back while attempting to back away. After that call dropped, she called 911 and a JeffCom dispatcher coached her through an additional 22 minutes of vigilantly keeping the lion away from her while she attempted to back away. The lion would disappear into the shrubland cover and then reappear on the trail. It would also lie on the trail, sphinx-style and make deep, loud purring sounds. At one point, the lion made contact with her bike tire with its nose, but never made physical contact with her. The incident ended when two additional riders arrived on scene, apparently startling the lion out of the area. CPW and JCOS interviewed the reporting party and one thing she indicated was that she “had seen and read the mountain lion signs” and knew mountain lions were in the area and what to do if she sees one.
JCOS closed the Park while CPW officers conducted an investigation. The Park re-opened on Tuesday with enhanced safety signage, enhanced safety messaging on social media and a schedule of ranger and volunteer-staffed mountain lion safety and awareness education pop ups for the trailhead.
Clear Creek Canyon Park – BCC/Advisory Committee Tour
As part of their yearly meeting the Board of County Commissioners and the Open Space Advisory Committee toured Clear Creek Canyon Park to check out progress on the Gateway Segment. It was great to showcase all the progress we have made on the project thus far! Check out Commissioner Dahlkemper’s Twitter feed for pictures of the tour.
https://twitter.com/LDahlkemper/status/1311813207590232065
Mount Falcon – Morrison Trailhead
Road and Bridge broke ground at the Mount Falcon – Morrison Trailhead last week and they are currently grading the site for the temporary expansion lot. There will be no parking along the stretch of Vine Street that is on our property, or between the neighborhood and the existing parking area, for the duration of the project AND moving forward. The completion of construction is scheduled for the end of October/early November. Big thanks to Park Services, Road and Bridge and Transportation and Engineering for coordinating another inter-divisional project.
Cathedral Spires Park – climbing access trail
Cathedral Spires Park- Climbing Access Trail Constructed
Front Range Climbing Stewards (FRCS) completed contract work for 2020! Stone steps and plenty of rock work help formalize a climbing access trail. The JCOS Trails Team also performed tread work and stone walls on switchbacks to clean up the access trail and make it more sustainable.
Lot Spot: Additional Parks
Over the last 1.5 years or so, many visitors and staff have enjoyed using the Lot Spot application to see how many parking spaces are available at specific parks. This application is a great tool for our visitors to help plan their visit before they leave home.
We currently have 7 parks that have Lot Spot cameras installed. Open Space will be adding the following 10 parks to Lot Spot:
Stay tuned for more information to come on when the installation will begin on the ground!
Miss Mountain Manners again — I hope you’re following Park regulations for safety and distancing while you’re enjoying the Open Space experience. As always, fellow visitors, stay well, stay safe.
It’s Miss Mountain Manners again. Lots has been happening behind the scenes at our Open Space program. Here’s the word from our Director, Tom Hoby, in his own words:
South Valley Park, South Trailhead restrooms.
COVID – KN95 Masks Are Now Available for Staff
Please stop by the shop and see Dave Smith, our Shop Coordinator, who will gladly provide you a new mask. The KN95 is the cousin to the N95 and both masks are rated equal in capturing micron particles.
South Valley Park, South Trailhead is Open!
The trailhead is open to the public as of Wednesday morning, September 23rd! This is a great example of what Open Space, Road and Bridge and Transportation and Engineering can accomplish when we put our heads together. Great partnerships and team collaboration! A big shout-out to Buildings & Historic Sites, Park Services and Ranger Teams, as well as Region Coordinators, Daniel Rubenstein and Scott Timmons for all the help to complete this project swiftly.
North Table Mountain Park – Mud Lab Complete
North Table Mtn Park mud lab.
The Mud Lab Extension on North Table Loop is officially complete! If you’re at NTM, give it a ride, run or walk and let us know what you think.
Clear Creek Canyon Park – Gateway Restroom Foundation Poured
The foundation has been successfully poured at the CCC Gateway restroom and soon it will be out of sight and out of mind once the walls start going up. What lies beneath will be ½ mile of in-floor heat pipe and over 2 tons of reinforcing steel (which is more weight than Mary Ann’s Mini & Pedro combined!).
Firewood Sale – Last Weekend
Preparations are underway to host the last firewood sale of the year. The team will be logging a few hours this weekend to help residents remove the remaining wood.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
With the increased news and cultural conversations around equity and racial justice, many staff members recognize that it is past time that we bring these conversations to JCOS. The ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are important to our staff, volunteers and visitors in the parks. A new JCOS DEI Committee is being established with the goal of fostering a diverse visitor base that feels empowered to be lifelong stewards of the outdoors and a workplace that is comfortable and welcoming for everyone.
What is diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Do you want to join the JCOS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee? Contact Lilly Bock-Brownstein –
lb******@je****.us
All are welcome, whether you are committed to helping long-term or are just curious and want to sit in on one meeting! If you have any specialized skills, education, or experiences that may help in this effort, please mention it, but it is not required.
Camping Will Resume November 27
The current plan is to resume camping at Sawmill and Idylease campgrounds beginning November 27. Additional enhancements include a minimum seven-day reservation window and improved method for campers to secure hangtags. More information will be available as we move closer to the date.
Park Ranger Mark Oline Retirement
Following 37 years of exemplary service as a Resident Ranger (Elk Meadow) and Lead Ranger, Mark Oline retired yesterday. To say that Mark was an institution is understated. His dedication to service, compassion, wisdom, and stewardship set the compass for the Jeffco Ranger culture as it is today. His work will continue in the daily accomplishments of the Jeffco Ranger Team.
As part of his retirement send off, this is the script that JeffCom dispatch read yesterday when Mark went end of watch for the last time. This message reached all law enforcement and first responders throughout Jefferson County.
“End of Watch for 1-Ranger-2. Thank you for 37 years of exceptional service to Jeffco Open Space as a leader, mentor, and friend. You will leave a lasting legacy with your commitment to protect the residents of the community, our natural resources, and heritage. You will be missed by everyone that had the honor to work with you. We have the watch from here. Happy Retirement!”
Mount Falcon Park – Parking Expansion at Mount Falcon – Morrison Trailhead
Mount Falcon parking lot expansion
Temporary expansion of the parking lot at Mount Falcon Park – Morrison Trailhead will start early next week. Following in the success of the South Valley Park South Trailhead expansion, this is another Open Space, Road & Bridge and Transportation & Engineering special. The project will take 2-3 weeks and once complete, will roughly double the available parking spaces to 113. We hope to relieve the neighborhood parking on Vine Street before we design and construct a new entrance from Highway 8.
Alderfer/Three Sisters Park – Boardwalk Complete
The new boardwalk construction is complete and is receiving a lot of positive feedback from park visitors.
Alderfer/Three Sisters Park – Overflow Parking
To help with congestion at the East Trailhead at Alderfer/Three Sisters Park, JCOS finalized a parking agreement with Jeffco Schools that allows visitors to park at Wilmot Elementary School during non-school hours. Visitors can now park at the school and take a 10-minute walk along the Wilmot Trail to access the Park.
Deer Creek Canyon Park – Visitors Report Mountain Lion Activity
The following are excerpts from actual reports submitted through the Human-Wildlife Interactions portal on our website:
Thursday, September 24th: “Running on Red Mesa Loop. Ran up onto cat on blind corner past the tight switchback. I think it surprised the both of us as the cat initially had its back to me. Roughly 10ft distance. Cat spun around and crouched down and had its ears back. I started throwing rocks and yelling. Cat didn’t move until I made contact with a rock then it slowly walked off the trail to the north. It walked off trail maybe 30ft around me. I kept throwing rocks and yelling, but it didn’t move away further. Through the entire encounter, the cat didn’t make any noise or show teeth. I continued clockwise down the loop but walking sideways to keep an eye it. It didn’t seem to pursue me, at least not that I saw.
Mountain lion, photo courtesy of all-free-download.com
Thursday, September 24th: “I was descending Red Mesa Loop, after the first switchback. The trail bends to the left and I heard a rustling in the bushes next to me. Out of my peripheral I saw brown on the trail between the bushes and at first, I thought it was a squirrel. Then it jumped and landed just behind me, within 1-2ft. My first thought was could this be a lost dog? Should I stop? I looked over my shoulder and saw the cat with a big tail. Between looking back and realizing what it was I almost crashed in a small rock garden, but I saved it and kept riding. I looked back once and still saw it. I started yelling and screaming at the top of my lungs and pedaling harder. I knew I couldn’t outrun it and if I looked back one more time and saw it, I would have to stop, lift my bike up to make myself bigger, and face it. I didn’t see it so I kept going as fast as I could, pedaling and looking over my shoulder over and over.”
Sunday, September 27th: “Two different sets of hikers reported that a trail runner told them she had encountered a mountain lion while running on the Homesteader Trail at about 7 am. According to both sets of hikers, the runner reported that the lion was about 100 yards off the trail and went away after being spotted.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) responded to the Park on the evening of the 24th, on the 25th and again on the 27th to monitor the situation. JCOS placed a mountain lion advisory sandwich board at the trailhead and Open Space Rangers hosted mountain lion safety and awareness pop ups throughout the weekend. CPW determined that the animal did not act aggressively, and the behavior may have been due to a kill site or cache being located near the trail.
Do you know what to do if you encounter a mountain lion? Stop. Make yourself look big. Shout forcefully at the lion. Slowly back away. Do not turn and run. If approached, wield a walking stick, throw rocks or use your bike to create a zone of safety. If attacked, fight back.
3rd Annual Colorado Trails Symposium
JCOS staff played a key role in helping to plan and organize this year’s virtual event. The symposium was held on September 30th and included fifteen land management agencies from across the state. Participants heard an array of topics including: Rebuilding the Historic Notch Trail, Best Practices for Partnering with Land Managers, Design & Construction for Resilient Vehicle-Accessible Trails and a Roundtable Discussion on COVID and Trails. By all accounts, this was a big success.
Exploring the Hiwan – Denver Art Museum Connection
In case you don’t know your Hiwan history, Eric’s House was built for Frederick (Eric) Douglass, grandson of Mary Neosho Williams, who purchased the original barn that has transformed into the Hiwan Museum.
In 1929, Eric Douglass joined the Denver Art Museum (DAM) as Curator of Indian Art, with an objective to define the manner in with American Indian objects were re-contextualized in a museum setting. Eric was considered the contemporary expert in Indian Art and Culture. Eric served as curator until 1946 and went on to be the Director of the Museum from 1940-1942. He was also a Trustee of the museum and in 1947 became curator of Native Art, until his death in 1956. Eric acquired thousands of objects with his own funds and most were given outright to the DAM. Through his efforts, Eric created “a whole new and universal approach to the subject of art, Native American peoples and the necessary contextual relationships between societies. He utilized the resources of his Native American relationships and the depth of the DAM collection to reintroduce historical skills and pride in material culture.” (Friends of Native Arts, DAM) Eric would often spend months re-educating the women of a reservation on how to create traditional beadwork with the help of the authentic examples of beadwork provided by the museum. Want to learn more? Visit the indigenous arts page https://denverartmuseum.org/collections/indigenous-arts-north-america
Congratulations to the Advisory Committee Reappointments
On Tuesday September 29th, the Board of County Commissioners took action to reappoint the three expired term Open Space Advisory Committee members. Congratulations and thank you to John Litz, Kathleen Staks and Sarah Gomach.
2020 National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort. This past Saturday, JCOS hosted 24 volunteers along the Clear Creek Trail where we were able to remove over 900 lbs. of trash, spread over 60 yards of crusher fines and trim back 1,024 feet of vegetation to improve line-of-site for our visitors. A huge shout-out to the Trails and Park Services Teams for keeping our volunteers safe and providing stellar leadership.
Now that you know how hard our dedicated Open Space staff, volunteers and partners work to make these parks such special places, the next time you see a Ranger, Park Host or Patroller, take a moment to say “thank you”. And don’t forget your mask!
Miss Mountain Manners here. It’s time to catch up with what’s been happening behind the scenes in our beloved Jeffco Open Space Parks. As park visitors, it’s hard to envision all the hard work and planning that goes into making our Open Space Parks the wonderful places that they truly are. Here’s some insight from Tom Hoby, our Jeffco Open Space Director:
More COVID-19 Info
During our [Jeffco Open Space] All Team meeting last week most of the questions and comments pertained to COVID-19. This shows our ongoing awareness and commitment to prevention and that we are not succumbing to the pandemic and letting our guard down. For that, I applaud all of you and encourage your continued commitment to prevention and following safety protocols.
As an additional resource, we are preparing a short video on prevention and response. I hope you view this periodically to refresh your memory about best COVID practices and protocols.
In the event of a suspected or confirmed COVID case in the workplace, supervisors and managers will begin the process of contact tracing to determine which, if any, employees have been in close contact within the last 48 hours with the person in question.
What constitutes close contact? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines close contact as: a person that has been within six feet of the infected person for greater than 15 minutes.
So, what is Contact Tracing? It is this simple process of asking questions of employees that have been in close contact with the person or persons in question to gather information including:
Were you closer than six feet for more than 15 minutes with any of your colleagues/coworkers with or without a face covering?
If you must be closer than six feet to anyone, keep the time you are close to fewer than 15 minutes. This will mitigate exposure risk considerably. You can further mitigate exposure risk by wearing a face covering, opening windows, propping doors open, and reducing strong or animated conversation.
2020 Conservation Awards Canceled
The tough decision was made to not host the Conservation Awards this year. Rather, we will be developing a celebration video to be shared with all Staff, Volunteers and Partners.
A
pex Park – New Trail Management Implementation Begins Today [September 10,2020]!
With the new management change at Apex Park happening today, several JCOS teams braved the cold weather earlier this week to replace 20 trail signs and infographics to reflect the updates as well as cleared hanging branches and drains in preparation for what will likely be a busy weekend. As a reminder, you must now know the calendar date to safely use the Park.
[Bikes in the restricted segments of trails only on even-numbered days; no bikes on odd-numbered days.]
Centennial Cone Park Travois Trail – BLM Right-of-Way
Since 1995, the County has leased two parcels of land totaling 240 acres from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) north of Highway 6 in Clear Creek Canyon. The JCOS Centennial Cone Park Travois Trail traverses through portions of the property.
During the lease term, BLM policies changed, and these parcels now fall under BLM’s Right-of-Way (ROW) permit system. JCOS worked with BLM to establish a permanent, 25-foot-wide ROW permit along the length of the Travois Trail.
South Valley Park: South Trailhead Scheduled to Open the week of Sept. 21
We are on schedule to have the trailhead completed and open the week of September 21. Towards the end of last week, the concrete flatwork around the kiosk and restroom was poured and the curb and gutter were completed by Road & Bridge’s contractor. Due to the weather this week [it snowed], asphalt paving will be pushed back to next week, along with striping and revegetating the site.
Cartegraph Asset Management – Pavement
The Cartegraph Implementation Team has reached a major milestone with the launch of a new Open Space asset into the test environment. The preliminary footprint of the Open Space Pavement Asset covers over 2.4M sq. ft. equaling 57 acres. Assets like pavement are crucial in providing visitors and staff safe and sustainable access to the Open Space system. Big shout out to Christy Bouchard, Cory Marusin, Rob Thayer, Sean Perkins, Park Services and Building & Historic Sites for getting this asset and its data to where it is now.
Governor Polis Provides Update on COVID-19 Response (9/15/2020)
Please see the press release below from the Governor’s office. On Tuesday, the state announced a new format for the reopening plan, called A New Dial for Protect Our Neighbors, Safer at Home and Stay at Home. This tool will provide transparency and predictability for local governments and allow for a visual representation of a county’s success in suppressing the virus.
https://covid19.colorado.gov/data/covid-19-dial
Dinosaur Ridge – Crocodile Creek Stairs Project
Phase 1 construction at the Crocodile Creek Stairs project at Dinosaur Ridge has been completed. Improvements include rock scaling and stabilization, along with the installation of storm water diversion structures and concrete piers. The piers will serve as the foundation for future stairs and a viewing platform to be installed in Phase 2, once fundraising is complete.
If you are interested in helping Dinosaur Ridge bring this project to completion, you can find out more information here: https://dinoridge.org/support-dino-ridge/
South Table Mountain – Undesignated Trail Restoration Begins
This week, undesignated trail (UT) restoration work began at South Table Mountain. The UTs will be chewed up using a mini excavator then a native seed mix will be put down. Once completed later this month, approximately 1.4 miles of undesignated trails will be closed. The goal is that by next spring these UTs will be officially restored.
Heritage Square Land Exchange
On Tuesday morning [9/14/2020], the Board of County Commissioners approved the Heritage Square Exchange Agreement with Martin Marietta Materials (MMM), which proposes to exchange approximately 64 acres of the Matthews/Winters Park property for approximately 131 acres of MMM property located in the vicinity of Heritage Square. MMM will now submit an application to Jeffco Planning & Zoning requesting that the 64 acres be rezoned to permit mining, a process that will take 9-12 months. If the rezoning is approved, JCOS will request approval to proceed with the land exchange in late 2021.
Flying J Ranch Park – Firewood Sale Begins
This past weekend [9/12 – 9/13] kicked off our annual firewood sale and approximately 100 cords of wood were removed. This is a great start and we have two weekends left to continue chipping away at the log pile.
23 Volunteer Group Projects will be Completed by Month’s End
By the end of the month, Volunteers will have completed 23 group projects including a women’s only trail runners volunteer project, three light trail maintenance projects with NREL and a project with Life’s Too Short fitness. Thanks to all of those who helped facilitate these valuable projects.
Now that you know how hard our dedicated Open Space staff, volunteers and partners work to make these parks such special places, the next time you see a Ranger, Park Host or Patroller, take a moment to say “thank you”. And don’t forget your mask!
Miss Mountain Manners here. I want to talk to you about something very important, and I want you to pay attention. Wildfire!
The elements are all here. We live in an arid region, and the wildland/urban interface is known as the geographic “red zone” for wildland fires. It predominates in the foothills of Jefferson County, where most of our beloved Jeffco Open Space Parks are located. Evergreen and Conifer are #1 in Colorado and in the top 10 nationally for risk of property loss to wildfire. Due to our recent persistent dry weather there is an increasingly potent risk of wildfires.
Currently there are four major fires in Colorado. With over 56,000 acres of Open Space Parks in Jefferson County, we must all be ever alert to prevent wildfires here. Nearly 85 percent of U.S. wildfires are human caused.
Recent events: The fire at Deer Creek Canyon Park in August of 2019 burned 20 – 25 acres and was human caused. It required evacuations and six fire agencies to fight the blaze. In July, 2020, the “Elephant Butte Fire” west of Alderfer/Three Sisters Park, due to lightning, burned about 50 acres. A heavy rain helped that firefighting effort. In April, 2020 the “560 Fire” in the Pike National Forest in Jeffco burned at least 83 acres in the Hayman burn scar. Looking further back, in 2012, the “Lower North Fork” fire turned deadly, claiming 3 lives and torching thousands of acres in the Conifer area. We probably all remember the massive Hayman fire in 2002, which burned 138,114 acres across four counties including Jefferson. It can happen again.
The increased use of our Open Space Parks due to persons seeking COVID-19 relief increases wildfire risks. Many park visitors are unfamiliar with (and/or are disinclined to familiarize themselves with) the park regulations, and are not mindful of the close proximity of the parks to home developments.
Here are the rules:
* It is unlawful to smoke or use an electronic smoking device on Open Space Lands, except within an enclosed vehicle or on a portion of a parking lot or developed trailhead that is devoid of all vegetation.
* Any fires are unlawful except liquid or gas fueled grills or camp stoves in designated camping and picnic areas.
* It is unlawful to ignite or discharge fireworks or other explosive or incendiary devices. (From Jefferson County Open Space Lands Rules and Regulations C.12.a. &b.)
Please be sensible and comply with these very logical restrictions. Also, when you encounter someone violating park regulations, call the Jeffco Dispatch non-emergency number, 303-980-7300 to report it. It is the best way to get a park ranger on the scene in a timely manner.
Wildfire mitigation work (careful forest thinning) has been ongoing at Jeffco’s Flying J Ranch Park since 2019. Fire mitigation work along Buffalo Park Road has been completed. (JCOS Director’s Report, 9/3/20) This 34-acre project will create safer ingress and egress for firefighters and evacuees in the event of a wildfire. The Conservation Greenprint 2020-2025 has $3 million dedicated to Forest Health by reducing tree density and fuel sources on 1,000 of JCOS 17,000 acres of forested lands. Priority parks are Reynolds, Alderfer/Three Sisters, Elk Meadow, Meyer Ranch, White Ranch, Lookout Mountain Preserve and Coal Creek Canyon Study Area.
Now it is your turn. Do your part and fire won’t start.
