Hopefully we’ll see you this Sunday, May 23^rd, between 2-4 pm at the Pub patio to help Kirah and Sebastian Combelic and their two sons, Ezra and Alistair, celebrate the new baby girls due to arrive in early July.  We’ll have cake and ice cream cones for you to enjoy.  We’ll also have a donation bucket for you if you’d like to gift the family.  See you there.  Rumor has it that their little girls will be known as Poppy Elouise and Clementine Iris.   Come have some fun and celebrate with all of us. 

Deb Yeager

deb@nullmountainvisions.net

Dawn Baumhover

Community Center Manager

Town of Nederland

dawnb@nullnederlandco.org

(303)258-9721

Under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), all messages sent by or to me on this town-owned e-mail account may be subject to public disclosure.

From: Armstrong, Katherine -FS <katherine.armstrong@nullusda.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 2:54 PM
Subject: JOINT PRESS RELEASE: Public land agencies remind everyone to recreate responsibly this summer

 Please see this joint press release. We appreciate any and all efforts to help amplify these messages with the public this summer.

NEWS  
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 

 
Public land agencies remind everyone to recreate responsibly this summer 

Know before you go, plan ahead, be courteous on area trails and help protect sensitive natural areas   
 

BOULDER, Colo. – With visitation to Front Range trails expected to increase over the next several weeks, a group of eight federal, state and local Colorado land managers remind visitors to recreate responsibly on area public lands. Recreating outdoors is an important way of life for all Coloradans, and public land agencies need everyone’s cooperation to help them sustain enjoyable outdoor experiences and preserve natural areas for future generations.  
 

Public land agencies with lands along Colorado’s Front Range remind visitors to KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, plan ahead and remember several essential responsible recreation guidelines over Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer, including:  
 

• Enjoy andprotect shared public lands. With visitation continuing to increase, the agencies remind visitors to do their part to help protect land, wildlife, water and plants. Numerous small disturbances can quickly harm sensitive natural resources and have a lasting impact on shared public lands. Remember to “Leave No Trace” and be prepared to pack out all trash and dog waste when receptacles aren’t available. 
   
• Be courteous and inclusive. People visit trails and public lands for many reasons, including emotional and physical well-being and spending time with friends and family members. Visitors of all identities and abilities deserve respect and courtesy while recreating outdoors.
   
• Plan ahead and know your limits. Local public land agencies continue to see sustained high numbers of rescues.Don’t take unnecessary risks. Look at the weather forecast and trail and trailhead information. Visit public lands with a friend or a family member. Tell people where you’re going and when you plan on returning. Make sure to bring food and water. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for cold, wet or changing weather conditions. 
   
• Don’t park illegally at full trailheads and follow all rules and regulations. Have an alternate plan in case the parking lot is full. Parks and trails are generally less crowded on weekdays. Trailhead parking lots are often full early in the morning on weekends. Take shuttles to popular recreation areas, if available. Review agency rules and regulations before heading to the trailhead as individual areas may have special restrictions or guidelines. Rangers will issue tickets for illegally parked vehicles.
   
• Stay on trail and walk through mud. If you need to step off-trail to let others pass, avoid stepping on vegetation. Step back on trail immediately after people pass you. Please don’t travel off trail. Help protect sensitive wildlife habitats by staying out of wildlife closure areas. 

• Continue to follow all public health guidance and requirements. Stay home if you are sick. Remember to “keep the space in open space” by maintaining 6 feet of distance from people not in your household. While no longer required, it’s recommended you bring a face covering with you because it’s not always possible to maintain 6 feet of physical distance outdoors, such as passing others on a narrow trail.
   

The group of public land agencies who participated in this joint release remind residents to access their websites to view critical advisories and trail maps BEFORE planning visits to public lands: 

• Boulder County Parks & Open Space 
• City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
• Jefferson County Open Space
• City and County of Denver Parks and Recreation
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• Larimer County Natural Resources
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management
• U.S. Forest Service

Visitors can also download the following trail apps developed with support from the State of Colorado, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO): 
 

• Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX), available for free in the Appleand Google stores. 
• Boulder Area Trails App, available for free in the Appleand Google stores. 

 
Media Contacts: 

• Vivienne Jannatpour, Boulder County Parks & Open Space, 303-678-6277
• Phillip Yates, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, 303-349-2438
• Jason Clay, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 303-829-7143
• Cyndi Karvaski, City and County of Denver Parks & Recreation, 303-819-0111
• Matthew Robbins, Jefferson County Open Space, 303-271-5902
• Korrie Johnston, Larimer County Natural Resources, 970-619-4561
• Brant Porter,U.S. Bureau of Land Management, 970-901-9581 
• K. “Reid” Armstrong, U.S. Forest Service, 970-222-7607

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

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The Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services Alliance is a gathering of representatives of human services organizations serving the Peak to Peak area of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, coming together to identify needs, expand and enhance services to the residents of the Peak to Peak community, and promote inter-agency communication.
 
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USDA Forest Service
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Pawnee National Grassland

Find this news online or on Facebook and Twitter @usfsarp

Forest Service targets five areas for dispersed camping closures

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – (May 13, 2021) Five undeveloped areas on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest will be temporarily closed to camping while the Forest explores more sustainable ways to manage these areas. While “dispersed” camping is generally allowed across most of the National Forest, it can have severe impacts, especially when occurring within 100 feet of streams.

Outside of developed campgrounds last summer, National Forest visitors created thousands of new campsites as they pulled off roads and damaged resources, trampling vegetation and compacting soils with tents, campers and vehicles. Visitors built hundreds of new rock campfire rings and negatively impacted municipal water supplies with human waste and trash. Working closely with local county officials, the Forest has targeted the following areas for temporary management changes while exploring long term solutions:

Vasquez Creek and Little Vasquez Creek  

Located just south of the Town of Winter Park, Vasquez and Little Vasquez creeks serve as the drinking water supply for the town’s thousands of residents and guests. It is also a key access point to Winter Park’s famed mountain bike trail system. In recent years, Vasquez (FSR 156) and Little Vasquez (FSR 148), both narrow access roads to the Arapaho National Forest in this area, have become riddled with new visitor-created campsites, crammed between the road, the hillsides and the creek. There are no restroom facilities, trash receptacles or permanent campfire rings in this area. Public concern has been growing about the potential for a wildfire start from an escaped campfire. In addition, campers are impacting water quality by using the ground in this constricted drainage for their restroom. This temporary closure order will prohibit camping within a quarter-mile on either side of Vasquez and Little Vasquez for one year.

Maxwell Falls

Located southwest of Evergreen, the Maxwell Falls and Cub Creek trailheads are enormously popular launching points for a day hike through a dramatic canyon. This area also draws campers and late-night partiers who have campfires that are often left unextinguished. The proximity of residential neighborhoods at the top of the canyon walls and nearby put these communities at great risk of being impacted by an escaped campfire from below. In close coordination with local fire departments, the Jefferson County Sheriff and other local elected officials, the Forest has designated this area as “day use only” for the next five years. It is now prohibited to camp, have a campfire or be in the Maxwell Falls area between sundown and sunrise.

Rainbow Lakes Road

Located northwest of Nederland, Rainbow Lakes Road (FSR 116) serves two major trailheads (Sourdough and Rainbow) and a popular developed campground (Rainbow Lakes). Camping along the road has been steadily increasing, and last year the number of visitor-created campsites skyrocketed, creating an almost continuous line of trampled vegetation and visitor-built campfire rings along the Forest Service portions of road. Most of those campsites are located less than 100 feet from the North Boulder Creek, which is a primary source of drinking water for the City of Boulder. People camping for free along the road overwhelmed the concessionaire-managed campground at the end of the road by dumping trash and using its restrooms while cars parked along the road created emergency access issues. Camping will be prohibited within a quarter-mile of either side of the road for one year. Camping is still allowed in the campground and in the designated dispersed campsites at Caribou.

Ceran Saint Vrain

Located west of Jamestown, the Ceran Saint Vrain trail is popular with day hikers, mountain bikers and anglers. Along this 2-mile stretch of hiking trail, Forest Service staff identified more than 70 campsites created by visitors. Almost all the sites are located within 100 feet of the South Saint Vrain Creek. Trampled areas along the creek, along with human waste, are causing water quality issues in this area. Conflicts between day users who want to access the creek and campers trying to enjoy some privacy are common. Overcrowded parking at the trailhead creates emergency access issues and patrolling the 2-mile stretch of nonmotorized trail is challenging for law enforcement and the Forest’s limited crews. The area is plagued by unattended campfires and is surrounded uphill by private property. The limited size of the area doesn’t support both overnight and day use opportunities. This prohibits camping within a quarter-mile of the creek for one year, allowing the forest to focus on the quality of the day-use experience while giving the area time to recover from previous overnight camping impacts.

Winiger Ridge

Located west of Gross Reservoir, Winiger Ridge provides 26 designated campsites with metal fire rings. Recently, visitors have been pushing closer to the reservoir, creating new campsites along County Road 68J/FSR 68.2B, which is a rough 4WD road that is very difficult for emergency services and firefighters to traverse. In many cases, campsites have been set up on private property due to the fragmented landownership of the area. Issues with unattended campfires, trash, resource damage from off-road driving and trespassing on private property have led to the decision to close this corridor to camping for two years while Forest staff focuses on providing higher quality sites along Winiger Ridge. Eventually, more designated sites may be added along Winiger Ridge to meet higher demand.

In addition to these areas, the Forest still has closures in place for the Williams Fork Fire, East Troublesome Fire and Cameron Peak Fire. As soon as the snow melts, Forest personnel will be focused on assessing and stabilizing the burned areas. These areas are expected to remain largely closed to the public until critical life-safety road and trail stabilization needs can be addressed.

Visitors should make sure to plan ahead and get the most accurate recreation information by checking the Forest’s Know Before You Go webpage. In addition to weather forecasts and road and trail conditions for the area, visitors should be sure to research how to find campsites, know how to properly store their food, and check whether campfires are allowed.

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

From: Boulder County Sheriff <BoulderCountySheriff@nullpublic.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 9:39 AM
Subject: 9-1-1 dispatch centers in Boulder County enhance services and emergency notification with Smart911

Cat

GOLD HILL TOWN MEETING NEWSLETTER

Minutes of the April 12, 2021 Town Meeting

Next Town Meeting is Monday, June 14, 2021, 7:00 p.m. by Zoom

 The meeting was called to order by Chair Emma Dirolf.  Twenty people attended: Emma, Vice-Chair Marielle Sidell, Boyd Brown, Leslie Finn, Richard Roth, Heidi Kessler, Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer, Marcus Moench, Elisabeth Caspari, Member-at-large Dan Maedke, Emily Rose, Peter Swift, Val Crist, Virginia Schultz, Dina Elder, Kent Coghill, Danielle Maida, Bear Carlson, Poppy Copeland, and Jessica Brookhart.

Minutes of the 2-8-21 meeting were approved as published.

Treasurer’s Report – Emma read Martha Knapp’s report submitted by email:

At the previous regular Town Meeting in February 2021 our bank balance was $17,031.32 Our current total cash assets are $16,725.90.

Revenue Summary: none
Expense Summary: $305.42 rom the General Fund for property taxes and report filing fees. Fund transfers: none.

Current fund totals:
General Fund $3321.44; Cemetery $3,205.21; Safe Link (combined funds for SafeSite, AirLink, NeighborLink projects) $2,466.79; Community Planning/Fundraising $300; Forest Management $0 (zero); Community Relief $2,375.20; COVID-19 Response $1,057.26; Water Harvesting/Ag Education Grant $4,000.

Anticipated general fund and other expenses for 2021
$3795 as follows: $1250 for taxes, insurance, report filings, bank fees, office supplies; $525 for website hosting and maintenance, $795 for Town Cleanup; $1600 for fundraising expenses; and $150 for additional misc. expenses.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Mountain Stewards – Virginia reported on a webinar with Maya MacHamer of the Boulder Watershed Collective (interesting fact – Colorado is a total headwater state – all our rivers only flow out), along with Avery Ellis, who spoke about water issues, and Julie Morris from DU who talked about pollinators.  There were 25 participants including students.  All support biodiversity as well as wildfire mitigation and restoration.  Cat Russell is working on renewable energy.  She is in touch with a non-profit in Denver working on bulk purchasing for solar collectors and battery storage. There is a lot of movement happening around renewables and lots of rebate programs look to be renewed.  The EV charging station is on hold for now.

Marcus reported on water harvesting.  They plan on a rain barrel water harvesting event in early May to get rain barrels to people who want them.  Avery Ellis will come up for it.  They’re looking into grants and have written two to the Community Foundation (CF) – one for the fire mitigation event and another for the water harvesting one.  They’re also supporting planting Aspen because they’re fire resistant, and are tied into Maya’s big mitigation project.  The CF grant supports fuel clearing, chipping, slash removal, and big town clean up days.  There will be some financial support for crews to help people.

Jessica Brookhart reported that the Fire Department is working on fire preparedness including a heat sensing drone to identify unattended campfires, etc., and an ATV to get to fires more quickly.  They did some drone testing last week and were happy with how quickly they could get to  various locations.  They’re awaiting news of grants.  There is a possible big grant opportunity from the State Forest Service, but it’s reimbursement based, so they’re not sure.

Virginia got in touch with the fire liaison at Boulder Mountain Fire about their mapping system and aps and sent emails around to Jess, etc.,  They are happy to talk to anyone about it.

Gold Hill School – Dan said there is not a lot to report.  They are not doing the usual big events like the school play because of the pandemic and so are just trucking along.  The kids had their first day outside without their masks and they loved it.

Museum – Boyd reported that since they were not open last summer, they have rolled some exhibits over to this year.  They aren’t sure exactly what will be happing, but are planning outdoor and indoor exhibits – rotating small groups through – scheduling as people come in at 15 minutes in each place, which is about typical.  They have a planning meeting soon – maybe will only be open one weekend day – TBD. For the outside exhibit, Paul and Ania have built an outhouse by the ore bucket – it’s informative and funny – and there are other new exhibits inside.  Every year they do maintenance – painting and cleaning – and if anyone would like to volunteer, please contact Deb Yeager – they would love the help. Will probably happen the third week in May.   The plan is to open Memorial Day unless there is somehow a big spike in COVID.

Community Planning and Fundraising – Dan reported he’s exchanged emails with Josh and the Gold Rush Bike Rally is happening on September 19.  130 have registered already.  They don’t know exactly what the COVID restrictions might be, but Dan thinks, on the Gold Hill side, we should take a step back and maybe just have a booth for beer, merchandise, and food?  Depends.  He will be ordering glasses.  Virginia asked if Maya is still trying to do the running event.  Dan isn’t sure of the timing or of where it may start – maybe west of town near the Ranch?  His plan is to try to be open to eventualities and support these events still depending on COVID.

Cemetery – no report

Community Center – Mari reports there has been a lot of back and forth on how to engage the community.  They have come up with an all-inclusive survey covering what people want, what it would look like, where it should be, and how it would be used.  A draft is circulating among the committee and they hope to get it out soon.  Marcus reports that Denver plans to move from 900 Pine to Jamestown mid-May.

SafeLink/NeighborLink/Foodbank/Emergency Preparedness/Communication/Weed Management – no report

Historic Zoning – Bear reports that Emma and Chris are planning to re-side their place.  They plan cement board in the same style – straightforward – approved.  Also, Steve Barnard, who has been a strong contributor to the Board as well as Boulder County Historic Preservation, is leaving Gold Hill.  He will be missed.  They will need another member – the only qualifications are living in Gold Hill and being interested.  Contact Bear.

Fire Department – Leslie reports that Dave Wilson is their newest officer – he’s the truck officer.  They are always looking for new volunteers.  Firefighters need the 131/190 Wildfire course, work safety and leadership courses.  Training is mostly by Zoom right now, but they have been doing some small truck trainings, too.  There are still some people not vaccinated, so they are still observing the strictest protocols – no in person trainings inside, just outside .  There is still concern about the variants so we need more people vaccinated before relaxing any protocols.

Speed Study – Emma reports that the county is getting ready to hire a couple of traffic interns for the summer to do counts, but waiting for warmer weather to begin.  Do we have any signs missing?  It seems like there are very few around town.  If so, they will be replaced according to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).  If all signs are intact, they will wait until after the speed study so signage doesn’t compromise the data.

Campers Concerns – Here is an email from Chief Chris Finn in response to Emma’s concern that campers west of town have the potential to increase risk of wildfires, attract animals due to food and waste, and can present the issue of improperly disposed of waste materials:

I had a conversation with Jared Smith Recreation Officer from Boulder Ranger District in regards to dispersed camping areas west of Gold Hill.

This year they are trying to get stage 1 fire restrictions to start Memorial Day and go past Labor Day to cut down on the usage of campsites. They are working with the county to possibly get jail crews to help with cleanup (the rec. crew consists of only 3 personnel).

Camping is limited to 14 days within any continuous 30-day period. at any location within the same 20-mile radius. For complaints for trash or staying past 14 days, get license plate number if possible and contact:

Boulder Ranger District

2140 Yarmouth Avenue
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone: (303) 541-2500

Illegal campfires are still the responsibility of Boulder County Sheriff, with fines up to $5,000.00 and up to 6 months in jail.

Chief Finn

Mailboxes – Mari wondered who and how mailboxes get fixed that get damaged.  Gretchen is pretty sure that we’re responsible for our mailboxes.

UPCOMING MEETINGS/EVENTS

Summer Wildfire Mitigation – Monday, April 19 – GHTM & GHFPD in partnership presented Abby Silver of Wildfire Partners and Maya MacHamer of the Boulder Watershed Collective speaking on the importance of wildfire mitigation from greater landscape scale down to individual property.  Topics included: forest health, ecological benefits of mitigation and fire, environmental sensitivity, creating defensible space, and home hardening on larger mountain parcels and in the more “urban” setting of Gold Hill, as well as touching on issues around homeowner’s insurance.

Town Clean Up Day – Date proposed – the last weekend in June – Addendum – it looks like we’ve settled on Saturday, the 26^th.  More info to follow

Wildfire Mitigation Week – Date TBD – Dumpsters for slash, equipment, and skilled crews available to assist Gold Hill residents with wildfire mitigation on your property!  Leslie added that in the Wildland Refresher Course, there are a gazillion videos re risks, etc., and in one town in Washington State, they do a whole mitigation week and have a big banner.  She would like it to be big here, too.  Bear suggested that we could get a banner and put up flagpoles at the intersection to use for that and other town events.

Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary

USDA FOREST SERVICE
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Pawnee National Grassland

Media Contact: Reid Armstrong, 970-222-7607

Link to this news online: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD908227

Know Before You Go: fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/knowbefore

Change is coming! Outdoor enthusiasts need to ‘Know Before You Go’

FORT COLLINS, Colo.  (May 4, 2021) — Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland managers are exploring new strategies to help visitors have safe and enjoyable outdoor experiences this summer while protecting wildlife, clean water and healthy forests. From selling passes online for the most popular developed recreation areas to shifting some of the most visited areas to day-use only, National Forest managers are planning for another very busy recreation season amidst an ongoing worldwide pandemic.

“For outdoor recreationists, the most important message this year is to ‘Know Before You Go,’ said recreation program manager Erich Roeber. “Just like you might plan a family vacation or research a product before purchasing, public lands visitors really need to do their homework this year before they head out on an adventure. Otherwise, they might show up somewhere and realize they needed to buy a pass in advance, or book a reservation, or that they can’t camp in the same exact place where they camped last year.”

2020 brought a 200% increase in outdoor recreation across Colorado’s northern Front Range, with a large number of first-time visitors seeking an escape from the constraints of social distancing. This resulted in long lines and wait times at welcome stations, overflowing parking at trailheads, and cars parked unsafely for miles along county roads, obstructing roadways.

To reduce crowding at welcome stations, restrooms and parking areas this year, the Forest is developing a timed-entry pass system for Mount Evans and Brainard Lake. While the project is still in development, all pass sales will occur online on Recreation.gov and passes are expected to be available to purchase beginning in late May. Mount Evans is tentatively scheduled to open June 4 and the Brainard Lake welcome station is tentatively scheduled to open June 11.

Outside of developed campgrounds, National Forest visitors created thousands of new campsites as they pulled off roads and damaged resources, trampling vegetation and compacting soils with tents, campers and vehicles. Visitors built hundreds of new rock campfire rings and negatively impacted municipal water supplies with human waste and trash.  

To help some of these trampled places heal, the Forest is working closely with local county officials to target a few areas for temporary “day-use-only” designations this year. Recreation staff will use the opportunity to explore more sustainable options for managing these places into the future.

2020 was also a bad year for human-wildlife interactions as bears entered campsites and tents in areas where visitors hadn’t properly stored their food. To help keep Colorado’s wildlife wild and reduce unwanted encounters, the forest is collaborating with Colorado Parks and Wildlife in developing food storage requirements for visitors across the Forest.

Most notably, 2020 was a year during which human-caused wildfires burned 25 percent of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, devastating communities, destroying homes and taking lives. The Forest and our communities are still healing from these fires. Recovery is expected to take years. As soon as the snow melts, Forest personnel will be heavily focused on assessing and stabilizing the burned areas; and the burned areas are expected to remain largely off limits to the public until critical life-safety road and trail stabilization needs can be addressed.

Unfortunately, much of Colorado is still in some degree of drought, ranging from severe to exceptional. While precipitation has improved this spring, it may not bring enough moisture to prevent large logs and trees from catching fire easily. Due to this danger, compounded by the increase in visitors, the Forest is working closely with its state and local partners to determine the best time to implement fire restrictions as temperatures warm up. Regardless of when fire restrictions go into place, the public is urged to be extremely cautious with all potential sources of ignition this year.

More information will be shared in the weeks to come as the Forest works with its community partners and public lands neighbors across the northern Front Range and Grand County to finalize these plans.

In the meantime, get the most accurate recreation information by checking official Know Before You Go resources on the local National Forest website and elsewhere. In addition to weather forecasts and road and trail conditions for the area, visitors should be sure to research how to buy passes, how to find campsites, and whether campfires are allowed.

Please be safe out there this summer. #CareforColorado and #RecreateResponsibly

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

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