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Wednesday, November 27th, 2024 | |
I used to be addicted to Thanksgiving leftovers. I had to quit cold turkey. | |
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New Executive Director for the Trails and Open Space Coalition
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance.” English Writer Alan Watts
"I am about to step away from this amazing dance we call TOSC and make room for new leadership. Glenn Carlson was a two term TOSC Board Member, Board President,
Widefield resident, Colorado College graduate, technology professional/entrepreneur
with a passion for innovation and problem-solving and an excellent fit as the next TOSC
Executive Director. The TOSC Board of Directors voted to name him Interim E.D. beginning January 1st .
We first met Glenn the first time he ran for an At-Large seat on COS City Council. We
were so impressed with his credentials and passion for trails and open space we invited
him to join our Board. Last spring when we needed someone to help out in our office
Glenn put his business acumen to work and pitched in.
I’m eager for you to meet him. He’s the right leader to step in at this point in time and
take TOSC to the next level.
As for me, I’m looking forward to hiking and cycling the trails I’ve worked to preserve
and improve over the past 15 years! And there may be a TOSC project or two where I
can still be of assistance. Thank YOU for 15 fantastic years. See you on the trails!"
-Susan Davies, Executive Director.
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TRAILS AND OPEN SPACE COALITION NEWS | |
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SCHEELS Giving Campaign - Nominate TOSC Now!
This giving season, Colorado Springs SCHEELS will be donating $100,000 to local non-profits in our community within 40 miles of our store! They need your help deciding which non-profits will receive these donations. We would love for you to vote for TOSC!
Here's How to Vote:
1) Visit: https://forms.gle/Hb5yvtqB76n4dWN8A
2) NOMINATE TOSC under the conservation category!
3) Encourage friends and family to vote as well!
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Guess the Park:
One Star Reviews
Can you guess which local park received these one star reviews on Google?
"The dirt road in will bounce your teeth out. At slow speeds, the car shocks took a beating."
"Busy."
This review came from a park that has a 4.7 star rating out of 346 reviews on Google. Over the past 5 years, just 6 one and two star reviews were given. People love this place!
Click here for the answer!
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Season of Giving
GIVE CAMPAIGN: Nov. 1st to Jan. 3rd - The Give Campaign is the Pikes Peak region's largest community philanthropic event. Donations can be made to TOSC anytime during this window of opportunity. Give to TOSC HERE.
GIVING TUESDAY: Dec. 3rd - Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity.
COLORADO GIVES DAY: Dec. 10th - TOSC is participating in Colorado Gives Day this year. Donations can be made HERE.
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Fresh Air Friday Suggestions from Trails and Open Space Coalition Staff | |
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"There's no better way to spend the Fresh Air Friday than enjoying a refreshing urban trail bike ride with family and friends! In the spirit of our #GetOutGetHealthy initiative, I recommend exploring the Legacy Loop and taking in the exciting improvements completed this year.
Highlights of the Legacy Loop include:
- The new northern connection, linking the top of the Shooks Run Trail to Beacon Street and the Pikes Peak Greenway.
- A brand-new bridge over Mesa Creek and a paved segment on the west side.
- The recently opened paved underpass at Mesa Road, making the trail safer and more accessible.
Legacy Loop as of Thanksgiving 2024
(The 9.2 mile completed portion of the Legacy Loop is shown along with the yellow #linktheloop connection that works well right now.)
Pro tip: Need a bike? Grab a PikeRide cycle from one of the many conveniently located hubs around the Legacy Loop."
-Allen Beauchamp (TOSC Community Engagement Coordinator)
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"This Fresh Air Friday, trail conditions will vary across the Pikes Peak region. For snowy fun, try Mueller State Park for snowshoeing and sledding (call ahead for current conditions). In the Springs, the trails in the foothills are stuck in the freeze-thaw cycle. Avoid the mud and ice by going on a 5k walk around Memorial Park or exploring the Crews Gulch Trail in Widefield Community Park. For a further adventure, the Rocky Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Denver is great to visit this time of year."
-Aaron Rogers (TOSC Program Coordinator)
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Fishers Canyon Open Space Update
Community Survey#3 is now ready for your input:
https://coloradosprings.gov/fisherscanyon
Please take time to fill out the survey. It closes Dec 15th. Park Staff want to know your preferences for trailhead parking and miles of trail.
The alternatives are between 5-6 miles of trail or 10-11 miles of trail including a
connection to Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Choices for trailhead parking are
between 33 to as many as 77 spots, or 61 to a maximum of 110 spots. The above link
also shares a 15-minute presentation provided at the second public meeting on
November 19.
The Draft Plan will be available to the public in late January and be presented to TOPS WC and Parks Advisory Board next spring for a vote.
Photo Credit: City of Colorado Springs & Allen Beauchamp
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USFS Target Shooting Range Update
After a multi-year public process, Pike National Forest Staff has released a draft
decision for the Integrated Management of Target Shooting project identifying 6 sites for shooting ranges and closing 73% of the Pike National Forest to dispersed target shooting to improve safety.
The EA and draft DN/FONSI are available for review on the PSICC website at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=57807 or
https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/psicc/landmanagement/projects.
If approved, the plan would close dispersed target shooting areas in phases: areas
previously closed by special order would be closed first, then the remaining areas
closed after sanctioned shooting ranges are created.
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Stratton Open Space: Wildfire Mitigation Update
(From the Friends of Stratton Open Space)
Stratton Springs Path, between Meadows Trail and Ridge Trail, will be closed Mon, Dec 2 to Fri, Dec 13 for fire mitigation work. The crew will be hand-thinning with chainsaws and chipping in the area.
Mitigation work around Chutes and Ladders and the area north of there is nearly complete. The contractor mistakenly removed trees along part of Ladders Trail. CS Fire consulted with Parks staff on how to address the problem. The contractor will build buck and rail fence along sections of trail and move in larger brush to help keep people on the trail. That work should begin next week. Lower Chutes could have intermittent closures, for a few hours over several days, as the contractor moves out material.
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Updated: Iron Mountain Trail Washout Mitigation Project
The City of Manitou Springs announced the completion of the Iron Mountain- Intemann Trail restoration project. City staff and the Open Space Advisory Committee conducted a final inspection on Monday, November 18, 2024, and the trail is now open to the public.
This project stabilized a severely eroded section near the base of the summit trail on Iron Mountain, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable experience for all trail users.
Learn more about the Iron Mountain Trail
Learn more about the Intemann Trail
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Urban Trail
Crossings Update
We recently visited three major urban trail crossings currently undergoing significant safety improvements: the Dublin Park Trail crossing at Dublin Boulevard, the Rock Island Trail crossing at Murray Boulevard, and the Shooks Run Trail crossing at Uintah Street. We're excited to share that progress is on track, and all three crossings are expected to be completed by the end of the year. These upgrades will greatly enhance safety for trail users while improving visibility and awareness for drivers.
The City of Colorado Springs Traffic Engineering team has partnered with the Parks Department to design and implement these improvements. A major funding source for this initiative is the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).
These enhancements represent an important step forward in creating a safer and more accessible urban trail system for our community. We look forward to sharing when they are open and ready for use, we’d bet that the Dublin Park Trail crossing will be the first!
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Trail News from Southern Colorado
La Veta Trails Update from Marilyn Russell:
La Veta Trails had a successful trail restoration season this year. Our crews supported the Town of La Veta, U.S. Forest Service, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife on a variety of projects in Huerfano, Las Animas, and Pueblo Counties. We completed 1,291 hours of restoration thanks to 72 amazing Volunteer Stewards who restored 45 miles of trails, cleared 449 downed trees, built steps, removed barbed wire and invasive weeds. We were thrilled to partner with the Rocky Mountain Back Country Horsemen to restore the Bartlett Trail, a favorite of equestrians in the Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness Area. Volunteers also helped the Forest Service re-open a favorite local trail system that had been closed for two years due to a severe windstorm. We also supported the Town of La Veta in funding outdoor recreation priorities in the master plan, the Huerfano County Outdoor Recreation Community Action Plan and the Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition. In 2025, we are excited to join forces with the Rocky Mountain Field Institute and trail organizations in the region to restore 12 more miles of Wilderness trails.
We are participating in Colorado Gives Day so we can double our impact on public lands in 2025. https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/La-Veta-Trails-Incorporated
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Trinidad Trails Alliance Update from Joe Kozlowicz:
Founded in 2021,Trinidad Trails Alliance is a 501c3 non-profit located in Trinidad, Colorado that supports sustainable outdoor recreation through trail building, maintenance, and stewardship of local outdoor spaces. We have had a busy year in 2024 as our organization continues to grow and work together with the City, volunteers, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and other non-profits.
We are thrilled to have organized and participated in providing 625 volunteer hours this season. We also won our first CPW non-motorized trail grant in March to plan two new trail miles at the municipally-owned Wormhole Trails. Other highlights include monthly Second Saturday work-days, assisting both Trinidad Lake and Fishers Peak State Parks with trail maintenance, implementing a "Summer Cash" paid work opportunity for local youth throughout the summer, and finishing construction on a new 0.5 mile trail to provide access to a professionally-built beginner mountain bike area on Army Corps of Engineers land.
In 2025 we plan to launch our first ever membership and a large-scale fundraising campaign as we take the next step in our evolution and begin taking on sizable trail construction projects, in addition to ongoing trail maintenance and continued lobbying for a connected trail network in and around Trinidad.
TTA welcomes anyone who would like to be involved in trails and outdoor spaces in the region. Whether you are a seasoned trail crew leader or a total newbie to maintenance, you can learn more and get involved at www.trinidadtrailsalliance or follow on Facebook.
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Christmas Tree Permits
US Forest Service
Pikes Peak Ranger District: $20 per tree permit with a limit of five per family. Tree permit sales run Nov. 29th through Dec. 2nd.
-More Information from USFS-PSICC
-Permit Information
-Fox21 Article
*Fourth-grade students with an Every Kid Outdoors pass can apply for a free Christmas Tree permit through the online system with Recreation.gov by selecting the option and then entering their voucher or pass number when prompted.
Bureau of Land Management:
Royal Gorge Field Office: $10 per tree. Permits on sale through Dec. 24th.
-More Information: HERE and HERE
-Map
-Planning Guide
Friends of Cheyenne Mountain State Park: Fresh Christmas Tree Sale
Pick up your fresh Christmas Tree. The trees will be cut from the park as part of the fire and wood mitigation program. All proceeds from this sale will go to support trails, programs and improvements at CMSP. The earlier you arrive, the better selection you will have. Cost is $65 per tree regardless of size. There will be volunteers on hand to help with tree cutting if necessary
Nov. 30th: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Dec. 1st: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Dec. 6th: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dec. 7th & 8th: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Cost: $65 (all sizes)
-More Information
Eastern Plains Alternative: The Southern Plains Land Trust is selling juniper trees that were harvested from some of their managed land on the plains. More Information and Pre-order/Registration Information
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Community & Volunteer Events | | | | |
