Youth Engagement With The Outdoors – Learning About Wildlife

/0 Comments/in /by

Encouraging everyone to learn about and engage with the outdoors is part of the mission of PLAN Jeffco, and if we can capture the imagination of a youngster, get them excited about the outdoors and the critters that live in the wild, we figure we’ll have wilderness and open spaces advocates for a lifetime.

Rachel Martin was helping her class of youngsters understand and appreciate wildlife when they ran across our website and the wildlife articles we’ve posted (https://www.planjeffco.org/experience-open-space_articles.html).

One of her students, named John, was so excited by the find that he went home and did more web searches on his own. He found the website for the International Wolf Center* in Ely, Minnesota and a great wolf-cam page that he shared with Ms. Martin.

We at PLAN Jeffco were very pleased to hear that young John and his classmates had been studying wildlife and open spaces, and when the kids asked if we could add the link to the wolf-cam to our website, we were thrilled. So here it is: “Using Video Surveillance to Advance the Survival of Wolf Populations – A Case Study”

Thank you, Ms. Martin, for helping the next generation know, understand and love nature.

 * The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. http://www.wolf.org/

In Plein Site Artists to Return to Jeffco Sept. 10-16

/0 Comments/in , , /by

SAVE THE DATE! Experience plein air painting and celebrate the beauty of open space in the glorious fall season. Twenty-five select professional artists will be painting in various locations in Jefferson County Open Space parks and along Clear Creek in Golden the week of Sept. 10-15. Their fresh works featuring local scenery will be available for purchase in the Golden Community Center September 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

PLAN Jeffco successfully staged the event for the first time in 2016 and we look forward to doing it again. Everyone is invited to watch the artists as they work and to purchase a work of art. Part of the proceeds benefit PLAN Jeffco.

The following parks will be featured: Lair o’ the Bear (9/10), Alderfer-Three Sisters, barn parking lot (9/12); Elk Meadow – Lewis Ridge parking lot (9/13); Centennial Cone – North trailhead (9/14); Along Clear Creek in Golden (9/15). Artists’ choice on 9/11.

Painting is “Mount Falcon Hills” oil by Robert Moore.

Possible bike link from town of Morrison to Red Rocks

/0 Comments/in , /by

Mountain bikers are working with Jeffco Open Space to create a trail link between Morrison, Red Rocks and Matthews/Winters Park.

 

The Canyon Courier reported March 7 that the Colorado Mountain Bike Association submitted a proposal to build a multiuse trail from the town of Morrison to Dinosaur Ridge and Red Rocks entrance along Highway 93 and potentially north to Matthews/Winters.

 

COMBA is in discussions with the Morrison Town Board and Planning Commission to get a plan approved. Some of the land involved is part of Denver Mountain Parks.

 

For more information on this development see http://www.canyoncourier.com/content/open-space-launches-e-bike-pilot-program

Volunteers needed to build Floyd Hill trail June 9 and beyond

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

  The Mountain Area Land Trust in Evergreen is working with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado this summer on Floyd Hill Open Space trail building projects.

 

Thanks to Clear Creek and Jefferson County open space programs and The Trust for Public Land, a significant portion of Floyd Hill is open to the public and with these projects will eventually offer a number of hiking and biking trails on 108 acres near the I-70 exit.

 

Trail building dates are set for June 9, July 7 and Aug 25

 

To learn more and register see voc.org, Trail Construction at Floyd Hill Open Space, http://www.voc.org/project/trail-construction-floyd-hill-open-space

 

For more information on the Mountain Area Land Trust see http://www.savetheland.org/floyd-hill-open-space

 

Prominent view property saved with conservation easement

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Penkowsky land conserved March 2018, a Conservation Easement on 75 acres in Jefferson County in the center of MALT’s Peak to Peak priority area

Mountain Area Land Trust of Evergreen announced the closing of a Conservation Easement on 75 acres in Jefferson County in the center of MALT’s Peak to Peak priority area.

The property is owned by Greg and Frances Penkowsky. Greg is a MALT Ambassador and the recipient of the 2014 Bud Simon Preservationist of the Year award.

The surrounding terrain and sweeping vistas provide a strong sense of seclusion. From the high point on the Penkowsky property many protected lands are visible, including White Ranch Park, Coal Creek Canyon Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park and a Jefferson County held Conservation Easement.

The Conservation Easement provides additional protection for the Ralston Creek Open Space lands, safeguarding the ridgeline on the south side of Ralston Creek and protecting the viewsheds of thousands of acres of both county and state lands. Building envelopes on the property were sited to ensure the viewshed is forever preserved.

From the high point … many protected lands are visible, including White Ranch Park, Coal Creek Canyon Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park and a Jefferson County held Conservation Easement.

A great deal of ecological and forest restoration work has been completed on the property as well as adjacent lands. Special attention has been given to the retention, recruitment and creation of snags for cavity nesting birds.

Several acres were identified by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program as having very high biodiversity significance, and Red Wind Flower plants (anemone multifida) that are considered uncommon are found on the Penkowsky land.

More information on Mountain Area Land Trust is at SaveTheLand.org

Rocky Mountain National Park allows bicycles on 2-mile stretch in park outside of wilderness

/0 Comments/in /by

By Kyle Patterson
Rocky Mountain National Park Communications

 

As of March 2, bicycle use will be allowed on a 2-mile section of the East Shore Trail within Rocky Mountain National Park.

East Shore Trail is an existing hiking and equestrian trail on the west side of the park near the town of Grand Lake in a non-wilderness designated area.

Trail proponents, including the Headwaters Trails Alliance, will be responsible for completing work on the trail before it opens to public bicycle use. Part of the trail is to be rerouted. The timeline is still being negotiated.

The decision was reached after extensive public involvement. For details see www.regulations.gov. Search for the regulation identifier number “1024-AE31.”

For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park information office 970-586-1206.

 

Jeffco launches trial e-bike program on Open Space trails

/0 Comments/in /by

Jeffco Open Space is piloting a program that allows electric bicycles (e-bikes) on Jeffco Open Space managed trails.

• Class 1 e-bikes are allowed on natural surface trails within the parks

• Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed on paved trails within the parks

During the pilot year, Jeffco Open Space will gather and log feedback specific to e-bikes as well as monitor for trail damage that could be attributed to e-bikes. This year-long trial will allow staff to re-assess official e-bike policy at the end of the 2018 pilot.

An e-bike is a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor not exceeding 750 watts. A Class 1 e-bike is a low-speed, pedal-assisted bicycle equipped with a motor that activates only when the rider is pedaling, and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches 20 miles per hour.

A Class 2 e-bike is a low-speed, throttle-assisted bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches 20 miles per hour.

Colorado state regulations, currently allow Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes on paved trails. In April, 2017 Colorado state legislators passed HB 17-1151, which defined three different classes of e-bikes, required manufacturers to label e-bikes by class, defined e-bikes as non-motorized vehicles, and allowed the use of Class 1 and 2 e-bikes on bike or pedestrian paths where bicycles are allowed to travel. This bill gives local land management agencies the ability to determine e-bike use on trails under their jurisdiction.

Allowing Class 1 and 2 e-bikes on paved trails is consistent with Jefferson County Traffic and Engineering regional bikeway plans.

Learn More About e-Bikes in Jeffco Open Space Parks or www.jeffco.us/3618/e-bikes

Seasonal Wildlife Closures Begin Feb. 1

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Centennial Cone Park. Elk Range Trail at Centennial Cone Park, including the interior of the park, is closed from February 1 through mid-June to protect elk during their calving season. All other trails are open.

Clear Creek Canyon Park. Portions of Clear Creek Canyon Park near Mile Marker 270 are closed to all public use uphill of US Highway 6 from February 1 through July 31 to protect raptor nesting territory. This closure includes the following rock climbing sites: Bumbling Stock, Stumbling Block, Skinny Legs, Blonde Formation and Ghost crag. The Fault Caves are also included in this closure.Portions of Clear Creek Canyon Park, near Tunnel 2, are closed to all public use uphill of US Highway 6 from February 1 through July 31 to protect raptor nesting territory. This closure includes the following rock climbing sites: Highlander, Evil Area, and Tetanus Garden.

North Table Mountain Park. Rim Rock Trail at North Table Mountain Park is closed from February 1 through July 31 to protect raptor nesting territory and ground-nesting bird habitat.

Cathedral Spires Park. Cathedral Spires Park is closed from March 1 through July 31 to protect raptor nesting territory.

Crown Hill Park. The Crown Hill Park National Urban Wildlife Refuge is closed from March 1 through June 30 to protect nesting and brooding waterfowl.
Each year Jeffco Open Space uses seasonal wildlife closures at the parks to protect species at sensitive times in their life cycles.
Seasonal wildlife closures apply to all park visitors and all types of visitation. (Source: Jeffco Open Space)

Owner gives 41 acres in Kittredge to land trust

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

 

The Mountain Area Land Trust has received the largest land donation in its 25-year history of saving ranches, natural areas and other scenic resources.

Bob Meade, who retired in 1996 after working for the U.S. Geological Survey for many years, gave a 41-acre parcel north of Kittredge to MALT for the benefit of the community.

Meade said he had enjoyed managing the property he has owned since 1980 but his days as a volunteer forester had come to an end. He said he was delighted to give the land to MALT at this point and walk away, knowing that MALT would be taking good care of it, according to a press release. Meade enjoyed the property with his wife, Mereth, who died in 2013.

“We are truly humbled and grateful for his generous donation, said Jeanne Beaudry, executive director of MALT.

Based in Evergreen, MALT has protected 21,404 acres, mainly in the form of conservation easements, but this is the largest donation of raw land both in terms of size and monetary value, according to Linda Besler, MALT communications director.

MALT also owns some land on the side of Pennsylvania Mountain in Park County.

The Meade land is north of Kittredge between Kerr Gulch and Quartz Valley. It includes ponderosa forests, open grass and shrub meadows and rock outcroppings. It embodies conservation values of open space, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and migration corridors.

Info at savetheland.org.

Rattlesnake activity closes Cottonwood Canyon Trail

/0 Comments/in , /by

Jeffco Open Space closed the Cottonwood Canyon Trail in North Table Mountain Park Oct. 20 due to rattlesnake activity.  The 1-mile-long trail is accessed from the bottom of the mesa on the east side of the park. For information on closures, see https://www.jeffco.us/964/Parks

In a separate incident, a hiker who was bitten by a rattlesnake while hiking in Mount Galbraith Park on Saturday, Oct. 7, died the next day at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood. The 31-year-old was about 1 and 1/2 miles from the trailhead when he was bitten, according to the Denver Post. A friend called for help and emergency responders hiked in to help him.

Andrew DuBois