Clear Creek Ranger District Letter of Support

[Red_Chili]

Brant Wobig, the excellent OHV ranger in Clear Creek with whom we have worked, requested I send a letter of support for a grant request they are making for work on Yankee Hill. All that is involved at this time is a letter of support indicating the OHV community backs it. Here is the info:
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Please consider submitting a letter of support for the Clear Creek County/U.S. Forest Service grant application to provide resources for the inventory of trails in the Madd Creek and Mill Creek drainages. Below is a description of that project.



Background: Located 35 minutes west of Denver, Clear Creek County has become a popular destination for motorized and non-motorized recreators, offering hundreds of miles of challenging trails throughout its backcountry. However, as pressure on our public lands has greatly increased over the past several years for a variety of reasons, the trails in Clear Creek County remain largely unidentified, and fail to be appropriately managed. Clear Creek County desires to become responsible stewards of motorized and non-motorized trail recreation by identifying the trails within the County, the appropriate use across them, and making available related trail maps to the public.



Project: Mad Creek and Mill Creek Trail Inventory. This project will be the first phase of developing a county-wide travel management plan for Clear Creek County and the Arapaho National Forest. Specifically, it will entail developing an inventory of all existing trails in the Mad Creek and Mill Creek drainages. That inventory will lead to the identification of motorized and non-motorized trails that will be mapped, and appropriately signed. Inventory will be completed using GPS to map unclassified roads, trails and areas. Data will then be entered into GIS and INFRA



Grant request: $20,000 for staff fieldwork to perform inventory.



Please send letter of support to:



Tim Mauck

Open Space Coordinator

Clear Creek County

P.O. Box 2000

Georgetown, CO 80444

(p) 303.679.2305

(f) 303.679.2440



But address them to:



Ms. Lori Collins Malcolm

Colorado State Parks – Trail Program

13787 S. Highway 85

Littleton, CO 80125

 

[Red_Chili]

I thought I would go out on a limb and compose a letter. Brant needs it by tomorrow, so time being of the essence I thought I would ask for forgiveness rather than permission (at least from a formal club meeting). But in the spirit of getting the club's input, here is the content of my letter (proof at least, Brant will let me know if I need to rephrase anything to keep from making a stupid mistake that might cost them the grant or something).

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Bill Morgan

Rising Sun Land Use Coordinator

Rising Sun 4x4 Club

c/o <address omitted>

Littleton, CO 80120

October 27, 2005



Ms. Lori Collins Malcolm

Colorado State Parks – Trail Program

13787 S. Highway 85

Littleton, CO 80125



Dear Ms. Malcolm:

My name is Bill Morgan, and I am the Land Use Coordinator for Rising Sun 4x4 Club, a group of Toyota 4x4 enthusiasts who believe deeply in contributing to the environment and caring for the land we enjoy. We have an Adopt-a-Road agreement with the Clear Creek Ranger District of the Arapahoe National Forest, among other agreements with Front Range districts of the USFS. We have worked closely with Brant Wobig of the CCRD in the past year, and are thrilled with the substantial amount of work he and his team have accomplished in the Argentine Pass Area, as well as near Idaho Springs and Empire. His work has truly enhanced the OHV experience in Clear Creek, and safeguarded and stabilized legitimate motorized routes in the area.

We have become aware of the Clear Creek Ranger District’s request for grant monies to inventory and sign routes in the Mad Creek and Mill Creek areas including Yankee Hill. Despite intensive usage, this area is currently poorly mapped and inventoried, and needs additional signage so that the motorized recreationists who frequent that area can determine legitimate routes and stay on them. Also, it is difficult to enforce USFS OHV management policy in the area due to confusion regarding these routes. Clear Creek’s request for the grant to fund trail work in this area will go far to extend the excellent work being done in the district, and we as a club would like to go on record as enthusiastic supporters of this grant request.

Thank you for your time and your consideration of Clear Creek Ranger District’s request for grant money. We look forward to continuing to participate in making the OHV experience in Colorado both high quality and environmentally responsible, in partnership with the excellent staff of CCRD.

Sincerely,



Bill Morgan,

Rising Sun 4x4

Land Use Coordinator

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Okey Dokey?

 

[Red_Chili]

Brant's feedback:

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That is perfect, please sign and fax to us. We are frantically trying to get this together. Still working on the Hillbillies to get a letter to us, also, Colorado Quadrunners. If you have any friends in low places like the aforementioned groups or other groups and can get them to write a similar letter get 'em to me. Sorry this is such short notice but we have been waiting on Clear Creek County and besides Patti has several other grants she is working on. With our budget much lower for '06 we will rely heavily on grants like this to fund projects and personnel. Thanks for your help.

Good Luck Hunting. Brant
fax # 303-567-3021


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SO send in your letters!

 

[Rzeppa]

Hey Bill, are you on the State Association's EXEC TALK email list? This should go on that so all the State Association clubs can get in on this too. MHJC, Go4s, TRRs, etc.

 

[Red_Chili]

Well, I get emails from Gene but don't seem to be able to send stuff. Is that what you mean? Could you send it out? Deadline is very soon, and Brant is on a two week layoff come end of business today (that's how the government does vacation for rangers on a tight budget.... sheesh).


By the way, if C and D do not pass, the Colorado Trails grant budget gets SLASHED next year. Food for thought...

 

[Rzeppa]

I'm not sure if I am or not. I don't have any saved here where I can try sending a test message by hitting reply. When I was Commander, and we had no Land Use Coordinator, I was actively on the list. After you came on board I asked to be taken off, but I still get stuff from time to time. You might try emailing Shelly Surface direct, or Gene, and ask one or the other about it. Ige might know something too.