Yankee Doodle Lake Project, Phase Two!

[Red_Chili]

Now that we've completed the post-n-cable around the wetlands near Yankee Doodle Lake (formerly a very ugly mud bog), we will be replanting the bog with willows and plugs of native vegetation. This will be a joint project with the Sierra Club (nope, I'm not kidding) and the USFS/Boulder Ranger District. If you wanna play in the mud and have it look BETTER after you're there, come on up with us!

So far, we stand a very good possibility of outnumbering the non-OHV folks. It would just be too cool if we swamped their numbers and kicked this project out even faster than the post-n-cable.

Here's the details:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED​

Help Plant Willows in damaged wetland​

Yankee Doodle Basin--near Rollins Pass west of Rollinsville​

Sept 2, 9 AM - 6 PM​

If you can attend, please respond to:
Roz McClellan 720 635-7799, mcclelr@colorado.edu[/EMAIL">mcclelr@colorado.edu"]mcclelr@colorado.edu

And to Forest Service hydrologist Terry Savery - tsavery@fs.fed.us[/EMAIL">tsavery@fs.fed.us"]tsavery@fs.fed.us

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
​

The project is a wetland restoration project where people have gone off the designated route into wetlands.​

We'll meet at Yankee Doodle Lake at 9 am and we plan to work until 5 or 6 pm. We'll be working in wetlands along Jenny Creek Trail (Trail 808) and the historic Rollins Pass Road / Moffat Road. We'll be using McClouds, rakes and shovels to reshape the vehicle ruts [EDIT: guess what, we already did that, there ain't none!] before planting and while some folks are working on the ruts other folks will be working on willow cuttings for willow wattles and willow stake bundles. We'll be using post - hole
diggers to make the holes for the willow stake bundles to be put in and shallow trenches to put the willow wattles in. We'll let people switch up
on the jobs. This is part of the Lakewood Pipeline off-site watershed mitigation work. We'll be working in the S. Boulder Creek Watershed.
Everyone should bring lots of water, lunch & snacks, sunscreen, layers of clothing for rain, sun & changing temperatures, water proof boots above the ankle (if they have tall rubber boots tell them to bring them too), and work gloves. The FS will provide hard hats and the tools.
We need between 20 and 25 volunteers.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Theresa Stevens Savery (Terry)
South Zone Hydrologist

Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests

Boulder Ranger District

2140 Yarmouth Avenue

Boulder, CO 80301

Phone #: 303-245-6414 Fax #: 303-443-1083

Email: tsavery@fs.fed.us
​

​

 

[Red_Chili]

Here is the volunteer flier sent by Theresa Savery, with more info:
Work Date: Saturday, September 2nd

Car-pool Info: Meet at the eastern end of the East Portal Parking Lot near the Forest Service vehicles (Blazers, Expedition, etc.) at 8:30 am.

We’ll start to car-pool up in the Forest Service vehicles between 8:45 and 9 am. You’ll be able to ride up in the FS vehicles. We’ll need everyone to sign volunteer agreements at the parking lot before we head up.

Things to Bring: Lunch, Water, & Extra Snacks. Layers of clothes - make sure to have long pants and long-sleeved shirt and a t-shirt, raincoat, fleece or sweatshirt, and a baseball hat or a hat with a brim to protect you from the sun and/or rain.

Bring work gloves, sunscreen, and sturdy boots and if you have rubber boots bring those along incase you’re working in the deeper water.

Extra Tools: If you have these and would like to bring them along feel free to bring: trowels, pruning clippers or loppers.

We will have extra gloves, rubber boots, and tools so if you don’t have these don’t worry.

We really appreciate your willingness to volunteer. We’ll show you our appreciation on September 2nd. We hope that you enjoy your day up at beautiful Yankee Doodle Lake!!!

If you have any questions please contact Terry Savery at (303) 245-6414 or at tsavery@fs.fed.us.

Thank you again.

Terry Savery

 

[Red_Chili]

Well, the OHV community was not as represented as I would have liked (my wife and myself makes two...), but enough volunteers showed up to gitterdun. We transplanted native willows and spread seed and mulch over the entire wetlands area (formerly a very ugly, very public mudbog).

Most of the volunteers were greens, but they definitely have noticed our project in the area and applauded it - literally, broke into clapping. We had some good conversations and found a lot of common ground and reasonable thinking. All in all, it was a very good experience.

The national organizations are what they are, but my experience with the rank-and-file Sierra Clubbers, Wilderness Society folks, etc. is that we share more with them than we differ (about 8 out of 10 times at least). None of us want to see areas get trashed. If we keep stepping up to the plate and handling it, and self-enforcing responsible use, it makes arguments for closing trails weaker.

Our real enemies are those among us who go off trail, drive closed routes, leave trash, operate noisy and leaky vehicles, and generally end up leaving permanent impacts to the areas we love - and those among us who look the other way instead of saying something.

I'm working on that last part personally. OK, sermon mode off.

Great project made possible by the efforts of a lot of 4x4ers! Thanks!

 

[Uncle Ben]

Bill,


THANK YOU for going up there and sharing your time! I wish I could have made it.