Rollins Pass meeting

[nuclearlemon]

things to remember...

majority of the road is already passable by two wheel drive right now.

rollins pass restoration society has the money to fund at least the majority, if not all, of the tunnel repairs.

boulder county is the devil.

thank you all that went and supported opening this road!

 

[rover67]

Yeah they were definitely trying to make it out to be a bigger project than it is. The 2wd thing was countered even by the gilpin county commissioners saying "most of the roads in our county aren't 'class 3'". Several of the people who spoke (i *think* including me... i was nervous) mentioned that it was a 2wd road as is.

Rollins pass restoration society reps there also mentioned that they had money to fund the tunnel repair as well as volunteers to help with anything.

 

[Rzeppa]

National Monument designation?

Bump: I was going to start a new thread, but it seems more logical to continue this one.

I have been contacted by the Rollins Pass Restoration Society to attend meetings on applying for National Monument designation! I will follow this post with a copy-and-paste of my emails with them. I believe I have been copying Marco and Tim on this, but I think the entire club should be involved in this discussion.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that National Monument designation pretty much is a death knell for motorized off highway recreation?

 

[Rzeppa]

FYI

Dear Participant

If you are available to attend the 2-4 pm Friday, October 10, 2014 meeting at the Idaho Springs City Hall, please join us! RPRA, Boulder, Gilpin and Grand County Commissioners, the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Preservation, Inc., Mile High Jeep Club, and others will discuss the future of Rollins/Corona Pass, the Needles Eye Tunnel, and the Moffat Road.

There are many designations and agencies to which RPRA and partners may apply to help make our dream come true. Among the many recommendations are: National Monument, National or State Park, National Trust for Historic Preservation, or even remain as we are now. The October 10th meeting attendees must give all options careful consideration upon which we will focus our future work. RPRA’s newest partner organization, Rising Sun 4-Wheel Drive Club has for many years worked with the Boulder Ranger District. This year they re-routed the Jenny Lake Trail so it will re-open to 4-Wheel Drive vehicles.

Thank you all for the many discussions, ideas, recommendations, and suggestions. Juanita and I have enjoyed the pre-meeting discourse.

See you Friday!
Juanita Straight . Su Eckhardt
Co-Presidents
Rollins Pass Restoration Association
http://moffatroad.org/RPRA/RPRA
straight2u@msn.com . seckhardt@q.com
303-750-0004 . 303-979-7799
same fax . 303-979-7788

From: Su Eckhardt
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 10:36 AM
To: Jeff Zepp
Cc: Nakari, Tim ; Marco Capote
Subject: Re: RPRA Meeting

Hello,

RPRA wants to include Rising Sun’s help and ideas. I apologize for the day/time of the upcoming meeting. The meeting was set according to the County Commissioners' schedules. This was the only way we could arrange to get them all to attend any meeting. We will take notes and send them to you for your information. Hopefully, we will get support and approval to move forward with the plan and hold future organizational meetings at more convenient times.

Thank you for voicing your question. It will help as we set schedules. Are evenings or weekends best for your team?
su

From: Jeff Zepp
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2014 9:49 PM
To: Su Eckhardt
Cc: Nakari, Tim ; Marco Capote
Subject: Re: RPRA Meeting

Hi Su,
That is on a weekday during business hours when most people have to be at work. What are the chances of moving that to either an evening or a weekend when stakeholders are able to attend?
Thanks,
Jeff Zepp
Vice Commander, Rising Sun 4WD Club
> On September 24, 2014 at 11:21 AM Su Eckhardt <seckhardt@q.com> wrote:
>
> image
>
> September 12, 2014
>
> Dear Community Leader,
>
> You are invited to join the Rollins Pass Restoration Association (RPRA) on Friday afternoon, October 10, 2014, to learn about the application process for becoming a National Monument. The group will assess levels of interest, support, and begin developing a plan for the Moffat Road, Corona Pass, and the Needles Eye Tunnel to become a National Monument. We will meet at the Idaho Springs City Hall, 17th Avenue and Miner Street, from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm.
>
> Invited attendees include The Commissioners of Gilpin, Grand, Clear Creek, and Boulder, the US Forest Service, the Mayors of Winter Park and Nederland, COHVCO including Mile High Jeep Club, Historical Associations & Societies, Colorado Preservation Inc., and others.
>
> Thank you for your interest and commitment to the preservation and access to the National Historic Landmark and Colorado’s railroading history.
>
> Best Regards,
> Juanita Straight . Su Eckhardt
> Co-Presidents
> Rollins Pass Restoration Association
> http://moffatroad.org/RPRA/RPRA
> straight2u@msn.com . seckhardt@q.com
> 303-750-0004 . 303-979-7799
> same fax . 303-979-7788
>
>
>
> Please RSVP via email or phone call

 

[Rzeppa]

The above does not include what I originally wrote back to her, so I will include that in the following post:

 

[Rzeppa]

Hi Su,

Thank you very much for replying. We understand that not all stakeholder's schedules can be accommodated at any particular meeting.

Rising Sun Four Wheel Drive Club of Colorado Inc. is a non-profit organization of Toyota four wheel drive enthusiasts dedicated to responsible motorized recreation on our public lands. We work closely with the US Forest Service, Tread Lightly!, Stay the Trail, the Colorado Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, and other organizations to promote responsible off highway motorized recreation in Colorado. We have adopted Jenny Creek Trail, very close to Rollins Pass, and have worked with the USFS for many years in keeping the trail clean and well maintained.

We would very much like to help to have Rollins/Corona Pass reopened with the Needle's Eye tunnel for motorized recreational travel, and will be enthusiastic to cooperate with any entity that would share those goals.

We appreciate your reaching out to us and look forward to learning the agenda, participants and outcome of the meeting.

Thanks again,

Jeff Zepp
Vice Commander, Rising Sun 4WD Club

> On September 25, 2014 at 10:36 AM Su Eckhardt <seckhardt@q.com> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> RPRA wants to include Rising Sun’s help and ideas. I apologize for the day/time of the upcoming meeting. The meeting was set according to the County Commissioners' schedules. This was the only way we could arrange to get them all to attend any meeting. We will take notes and send them to you for your information. Hopefully, we will get support and approval to move forward with the plan and hold future organizational meetings at more convenient times.
>
> Thank you for voicing your question. It will help as we set schedules. Are evenings or weekends best for your team?
> su

 

[rover67]

Jeff, thanks for posting this.

interesting meeting for sure... I wish I could go but I can't. I'll see if I can maybe move things but it's not looking good.

also thanks for copying me on the emails.

 

[Jacket]

Yea - that meeting time sucks (but maybe a calculated move?). Any of those designations would likely seal our fate and we'd never see motorized access again. But even it the designation remains unchanged, I don't have any hopes, so....

 

[Rzeppa]

Yea - that meeting time sucks (but maybe a calculated move?). Any of those designations would likely seal our fate and we'd never see motorized access again. But even it the designation remains unchanged, I don't have any hopes, so....

Reading between the lines (and reading what others have posted previously in this thread) it seems that it is the Boulder County Commissioners who are being inflexible regarding meeting time - they will only attend meetings that fit with their schedule, rather than try to accommodate stakeholders who have day jobs the way the USFS respectfully has their public meetings.

Matt, that reinforces the impression I had, that National Monument designation would preclude motorized off highway recreation.