Share the Trail COVID Campaign Off To A Good Start – Shaun Howard

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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!

Miss Mountain Manners-PLAN Jeffco

 

 

Open Space Update 11/22/2020

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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

Carl's Point on South Table MountainWho 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 ConstructionTrail Building on South Table Mountain

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

water monitor at Hidebrand Ranch

 

 

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!

Miss Mountain Manners-PLAN Jeffco

 

Female park ranger cartoon

MISS MOUNTAIN MANNERS CHALLENGES YOU

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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

Miss Mountain Manners-PLAN Jeffco

Open Space Update 11/06/2020

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Clear Creek Canyon Park – Gateway Segment

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-PLAN Jeffco

Open Space Update 10/18/2020

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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

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

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:

    • Pine Valley Ranch
    • Deer Creek Canyon Park
    • Crown Hill Park
    • Lookout Mountain Nature Preserve
    • Matthews/Winters Park
    • Elk Meadow Park
    • South Valley Park
    • Meyer Ranch (South Parking Lot)
    • Flying J Ranch
    • Apex Park

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.

Miss Mountain Manners-PLAN Jeffco

 

Tom Hoby, Director of Open Space

Open Space Update 9/17/2020

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Tom Hoby, Director of Open SpaceMiss 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?

  1. If no, the only action needed is for the potentially infected employee to go home for the required symptom-free period. The symptom-free period is 72 hours without medication, or ten (10) days since the first symptom.
  2. If yes, identify the coworkers and explain the circumstances of the close contact:
  • Was the close contact in an indoor or outdoor setting?
  • If indoors, was the area enclosed or ventilated?
  • Did one or both of you have face coverings on?
  • Was there physical exertion or a lot of animated conversation?

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.

AEnchanted Forest Trail Signpex 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 Park, undesignated trail restoration 2020sepSouth 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-PLAN Jeffco

 

 

 

LET’S GET SERIOUS ABOUT FIRE

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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.

Elephant Butte wildfire near Evergreen, CO 7/13/2020. Photo courtesy of Jeffco Sheriff Dept. 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.

 

Open Space Update 8/27/2020

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The week’s news from Tom Hoby, our JeffCo Open Space Director:

All Team Meeting – Tuesday, September 1, 2020 4PM to 5PM

This will be a different kind of meeting – one with no set agenda – an open forum that will be most beneficial with your participation. It will be another opportunity for me to hear what’s on your mind, how you are doing, what needs you have and your suggestions. We’re going to, actually Karey is going to, do her best to make it easy for you to participate whether you are tech savvy or not. There will be options for you to call-in and video-in via WebEx. We will also have all conference rooms available for people to join in without having to deal with technology (limited space available to provide proper social distancing). You will also be able [to] email, text, chat (WebEx) or carrier pigeon or cup n’ string (ok, the last two are lies) your thoughts, concerns and suggestions. More details coming on Monday. We will start with a few clarifications and perspectives about pace, workload, adaptability and our recently adopted Conservation Greenprint and then move to your questions, comments and suggestions.  By now, you should have received an invitation to our All Team meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 1st from 4pm to 5pm. Please take a minute to write down your questions, concerns and suggestions and feel free to send them to Karey prior to the meeting.

Volunteers Support the Apex Park Management Change 

As we move closer to the September 10th date, a group of volunteers have been preforming pop-up events to educate and inform visitors on the upcoming change.  They are also collecting data on the following: interactions, assessment of visitor knowledge of changes and which tools are most useful when communicating with visitors.  A special thank you to everyone who has helped support this initiative.

Visitor Surveys 

Visitor Surveys were conducted from July 22nd to August 12th at Mount Galbraith and Van Bibber Parks where JCOS requested feedback on access issues at Mount Galbraith and the potential of a trail connection at Van Bibber between Indiana Street and [the] Fairmount Trail.  The summary response report for each survey is available at:

Mount Galbraith Visitor Survey Summary Response Report (also available on our website at Mount Galbraith Park)

Van Bibber Visitor Survey Summary Response Report (also available on our website at Van Bibber Park)

In addition to receiving feedback on access and trails, respondents also provided insightful comments on facilities, regulations and enforcement and general experiences about the parks. Much of this information was provided in the open-ended response questions that are available for review in the following documents.  Please consider taking some time to look over this feedback.

Mount Galbraith Survey123 Full Results

Van Bibber Survey123 Full Results

Clear Creek Canyon Park: Gateway Segment

As you know, there’s lots of great work happening in Clear Creek Canyon!  Check out Anne Friant’s latest update video to see the progress Buildings and Historic Sites has made on the Tunnel 1 restroom, the new bridge during the day and the custom-made high line the contractor created to ferry equipment and materials across the creek to repair the wooden flume. https://youtu.be/lLtucYCQSjw

South Valley Park: South Trailhead

We are on the final stretch of construction with Road & Bridge working to prep the area around the restroom and kiosk for concrete flat work.  The trail will be closed to the north, at the intersection of Coyote Song and Prairie Falcon, during the final weeks of construction when concrete and asphalt pavement will be installed.  We plan to open the trailhead the week of September 21st to accommodate revegetation efforts and striping.

 

Virtual Learning for Spanish Speakers

As the Ranger Team adapts to virtual education programs, the Communications Team is taking the extra step to have the videos translated into Spanish.  Utilizing a County contract with A&A Languages, the ESI: EcoSystem Investigation videos, designed to replace the cancelled fourth grade field trips, will now reach an even larger group of future land stewards. In fact, JCOS is partnering with the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, E-movement, and Thorne Nature Experience, to share this curriculum in classrooms throughout Colorado to increase environmental literacy and build a stewardship ethic within today’s youth.

Open Space Update 8/20/2020

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Lava Loop Trail 

On Saturday, we hosted our first public volunteer project at South Table Mountain.  A total of 30 enthusiastic volunteers were able to finish 1,200 feet of the new Lava Loop Trail alignment.  A big thank you goes out to the Trails Team for successfully leading our volunteers and implementing our new COVID protocols, which kept everyone safe.

  Apex Park – Gate Installations 

With the September 10th management change at Apex Park on the horizon, the Team has been hard at work installing gates to accommodate the new odd/even day requirements.  Rock solid work, team!

Clear Creek Canyon Park Trail Improvements: Gateway Segment

In order to make the necessary repairs to the wooden flume we need to bring lots of materials and equipment onsite.  There is one major problem though, Clear Creek stands in the way!  Our contractor has come up with ingenious, custom solution to this problem.  Take a look at the high line now crossing the creek approximately where our suspension bridge will be located.  Built out of lots of pieces of parts that run off of a skid steer and a generator, this beauty can haul upwards of 2,000 pounds.  What was the first thing sent across the creek?  The wheels for the drill that will make the structural repairs to the flume.

Mental Health First Aid Training

The Ranger Team completed mental health first aid training this week.  This is a required training that is refreshed annually.  Facilitated by our very own in-house instructors Maria S. and Shaun H. This training better prepares the team to deal with visitors in the park that may be in a mental crisis.  This could be due to illness, substance abuse, depression, suicide etc.

 

P2P Bridge to close Highway 6 near Tunnel 1

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Clear Creek Canyon Trail Gateway Segment, in preparation for the new bridge.

US Highway 6 through Clear Creek Canyon is scheduled to close at 6 p.m. Monday, August 3rd for a period of about 12 hours while a bridge is set in place east of Tunnel 1 over Clear Creek. This is about 1 mile west of the Colorado Highways 93/58 intersection in Golden. Highway 6 will be closed from this intersection to Colorado Highway 119 at the top of the canyon. Drivers will need to take Interstate I-70 to Highway 6 to detour around this closure.

While the highway is closed, a 163-foot-long bridge will be delivered in three sections for onsite assembly. The structure is designed to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists on the Gateway segment of the P2P Clear Creek Canyon Park trail.

The 450 and 500-ton cranes that will lift the bridge will also be erected during this closure.  It will take an estimated two hours to place the bridge east of Tunnel 1.  Once this is done, the cranes will be removed, the site cleaned up and then Highway 6 can reopen for travel Tuesday morning Aug. 4.

If weather conditions Monday night aren’t conducive, the work it will be rescheduled for Tuesday night.

For additional information about this project, visit the project website at Jeffco.us/p2p.

You can also reach the project team at pe**********@***il.com or 720-893-1313. Please share this information with anyone who might need to know about it.

—  By Jefferson County Open Space

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