The USFS has informed us that they’re performing some road maintenance on Mount Herman Rd for the next 2 weeks (Mon May 17th thru Fri May 28th), and the road will be closed during the duration.

• There will be road grading on Rampart & Mt Herman, weather pending.
• They will also be doing some slope stabilization and drainage work on Mt Herman. This is going to affect recreation and other access up there, due to the road closure during the work. Lower Trail 715 may have to be closed near the road, to ensure the safety of any trail users, due to rockfall.

Here is the official propaganda from the USFS

Repairs Close 5.2 miles of road at Mt Herman

PUEBLO, Colo., May 14, 2021— The Pike and San Isabel National Forests Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Pikes Peak Ranger District is performing road construction work on a segment of Mount Herman Road, National Forest System Road 320 and will close 5.2 miles of the road to all uses for public safety starting this weekend and continuing until May 28, 2021.

The segment of the Monument Trail (NFST 715) located downhill from the project area and National Forest Land within 100 feet on either side of the restricted sections of Mount Herman Road and the Monument Trail will also be closed.

Crews will be installing rock on road fill slopes and cleaning existing drainage features to improve the safety and function of the road. Because of heavy equipment working on the road and above the trail, there will be a potential for large boulders or other hazards to be dislodged onto the trail. 

For more information on this project please contact the Pikes Peak Ranger District at 719-636-1602.

Tuesday, May 18th at 6:00 PM

FOMP is pleased to be holding our second monthly volunteer trail work maintenance session for 2021.  We’ll be under COVID-19 protocols, including social distancing, smaller groups, and facial coverings. If you are sick, please stay at home.

Special COVID-19 Safety Protocols:

• We will distribute Self-Screen and Risk Assessment documents to all volunteers, prior to beginning any work
• FOMP and other trained resources will provide safety briefing on trail work practices, and new COVID-19 related distancing guidelines
• Workgroups will be limited to 5 or fewer people, with multiple groups deployed to separate work areas
• Volunteers will follow measures highlighted in the Risk Assessment to including following all Local, State, and CDC guidelines for small group sizes (5 or fewer per workgroup), maintaining enhanced distancing guidelines of 10 feet, wearing a facial covering, and avoiding carpooling with nonfamily members

Please meet at the main parking lot at Mt Herman and Nursery https://goo.gl/maps/rdJuhbbQWEx

Check the website too! http://www.fomp.org

The rest of the info you need: FOMP and USFS provide all the necessary tools. Volunteers should wear appropriate clothing for performing outdoor landscaping type of work. Volunteers should wear long pants and sturdy shoes, and bring leather gloves, a hat, a personal water supply, eye protection, sunscreen, and bug repellent. We meet rain or shine unless there is lightning active in the area.

We make every effort to accommodate volunteer preferences and abilities at each event. Generally, we perform activities such as water bar building or renovation, trail renovation, maintenance, and trimming, etc. So, pretty much everything from trimming back scrub oak or digging lots of dirt to moving boulders. We assign duties based on interests and capabilities. Kids are welcome to join their parents; however, we do ask that you evaluate whether this is an appropriate activity for your child or not.

Be aware all participants will need to sign a waiver before than can begin any trail work.

Thanks, and we hope to see you out there!

FOMP

This is the upcoming list of FOMP events through the end of the year. Please come out for our trail work nights and help maintain the trails that we all use and love.  

There might be some slash pile burning occurring over at the Monument Fire center over the next couple of days. Whenever snow covers the ground, and the USFS has piles of wood that need burning, they’ll do a prescribed burn.

Please do not report the issue to the fire department, police, or USFS.

Thanks,
FOMP

FOMP is pleased to announce our March 2021 Board Meeting

Meeting Time:
Tuesday, March 9th at 7:00 PM

NOTE:

Due to COVID guidelines we are doing a Zoom meeting. If you wish to attend please RSVP to info@fomp.org and further login details will be provided.

Board Member Updates

• President and Vice President update.
• Secretary and Treasurer update.

Topics

• USFS Updates.
• Town of Monument workday updates.
• Tri-Lakes Chamber.
• Sign updates.
• Apex Race.
• Sasquatch Run.
• Working with Medicine Wheel, Routes, and Trails End.
• Workday discussions.
• Elections.

Open Discussion

You Are Invited to Review the Draft
Santa Fe Open Space Master Plan!
 
 
El Paso County Parks invites you to download and review the draft Santa Fe Open Space Master Plan.  The plan addresses conservation, trails, open space, recreation, and cultural services needs, so El Paso County Parks can continue to provide the facilities and services that citizens value.  The Master Plan provides guidance for the next seven to ten years for capital improvements, construction of open space amenities, implementation of educational programs, and operations and maintenance.
The draft Master Plan is available to download in Adobe PDF format at the following online locations:

• Direct Link:  https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/Parks_Planning/SFOS-Master-Plan-Web-DRAFT.pdf
• Santa Fe Open Space Webpage:  https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/parks-and-recreation/santa-fe-open-space/
• Park Planning Webpage:  https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/parks-planning/

 
Please send your comments to Ross Williams, El Paso County Community Services Park Planner via email at rosswilliams@elpasoco.com by Wednesday, February 17^th.  Thank you!

Thanks,
FOMP

FOMP is pleased to announce our February 2021 Board Meeting

Meeting Time:
Tuesday, February 9th at 7:00 PM

NOTE:

Due to COVID guidelines we are doing a Zoom meeting. If you wish to attend please RSVP to info@fomp.org and further login details will be provided.

Board Member Updates

• President and Vice President update.
• Secretary and Treasurer update.

Topics

• Public Comment Period for target shooting, and latest virtual public meetings.
• Discuss/agree on weekday work date for Town of Monument employees, follow up to Madeline VanDer Hoek call.
• Tri-Lakes Chamber.
• Sign research and order planning.
• Apex Race.
• Sasquatch Run.
• Review/discuss revised Trailforks based work plan; outline projects, degree of difficulty, priorities.

Open Discussion

Thanks,
FOMP

The scoping period begins for the Integrated Management of Target Shooting (open until Feb 21st). This project will affect recreational shooting on the Pikes Peak, South Platte, and South Park Ranger Districts. The Pike National Forest encompasses more than 1.1 million, and our little local Pikes Peak Ranger district covers 230,000 acres.

The existing rules for Target Shooting may have been fine on the USFS land when El Paso county population was small, but with the city/county exploding to 1 million people, this is no longer feasible. The inherent risks to public safety, wildfires, resource damage, and trash accumulation from Target Shooting are unfortunately no longer tolerable. We are not advocating anything extreme, only to have Target Shooting in designated areas and not on mixed-use trail areas that we use recreationally for hiking, running, biking, equestrian, etc. We can only bike or drive a motorized vehicle in designated areas/trails/roads, so why not the same for target shooting? The USFS needs to have a system-wide answer to the issue, not just the current band-aid closure methodology.

We have no issues with Target Shooting in specifically designated areas, just not on heavily trafficked trail areas.

So please comment on this crucial topic: Integrated Management of Target Shooting on the Pike National Forest #57807

Thank You,

FOMP