Category Archives: FOMP

November BOD Meeting

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Tuesday November 13, 2011 at 7:00PM  
Update: CMC’s Tom Mowle will present their proposal and answer questions at this evenings BOD meeting. Please plan on attending if you would like more information.
BOD Meetings are held in the Fire Center Classroom. For those of you unfamiliar with the classroom building make your first left into the Fire Center after Mt. Herman Rd. turns to dirt, follow the road all the way into the administrative area and the classroom building is the first building on your right.  [google map: http://bit.ly/UBc4aN]
Agenda:
  • Financial Review
  • CMC Rampart Roadless Area Wildeness Plan – FOMP position discussion
  • Other
Thanks and we hope to see you there!
FOMP

Rampart East Wilderness Area Project

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FOMP Members we are passing this information from CMC along as a courtesy for those of you that may be interested.Thanks
FOMP BOD======The Rampart East project is entering a new and exciting phase, one which creates an opportunity for more support!

To briefly summarize:  over the past 5 (!) years [even longer counting the earlier scouting and mapping done by the Denver Group], we have
    – mapped every route within the Roadless Area
    – gotten the official boundaries expanded, with part also designated as “Upper Tier Roadless”
    – moved or removed some roads from the inventory, with prospects for more to be closed
    – arranged for the publication of “pocket pals” maps of recommended trails
    – greatly increased public awareness of the area
We have decided to advance the project in two directions.
1.  The Colorado Mountain Club core of the group has decided to initiate a campaign to have a Wilderness designation cover as much of the area as possible.  We will be meeting in the Community Room at the Safeway on South Wilcox in Castle Rock at 6 pm this Wednesday, November 7 to begin developing a strategy for that campaign.  If you would like to help, please attend.  If you cannot attend, don’t worry:  this is likely to be a 10-15 year effort, and there will be plenty of future chance to help.
2.  On Thursday, we will asking the Palmer Lake Town Council to give final approval for a CMC stewardship project, rerouting the lower portion of the Ice Cave Creek trail into a safe and sustainable alignment.  If you live in (or have influence in) Palmer Lake, please attend the Council meeting on November 8 (worksession at 6, voting at 7) in the Town Hall.  If you would be interested in volunteering to help with the trail project next year, please let me know so I can tell the Council that there is indeed interest in the project.
You have been included on this email list due to past interest expressed in the Rampart East project and our goals. Emails will be infrequent; if you would like to get OFF the mailing list, please respond to me.  If you are not already a fan of our Facebook page, please visit it at Rampart East Roadless Area or
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rampart-East-Roadless-Area/172964769399699.   Also learn more about the CMC and the Roadless Area on our website atwww.cmc.org/rera.
Thank you,
Tom Mowle
Colorado Springs co-chair
CMC Rampart East project

Hunting In The Monument Preserve

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As the area around the Preserve has grown over the last 20 years we have seen increased reports of hunters on the Preserve every fall hunting season. This season is no different although we are hearing about this more frequently.

Recently we have had reports of both bow & arrow as well as rifle hunters in full camouflage near the main parking lots.

According to the Division of Wildlife and the USFS hunting is allowed all throughout the Preserve except for the 35 acre administrative Hot Shot area.  Target shooting is not allowed.

Many member of the Friends of Monument Preserve are pro-hunting and hunters themselves; however, we are all in agreement that the Preserve is an inappropriate place to hunt – much of the “Urban Interface” has too much human traffic and really should not be hunted for safety reasons, yet some hunters do not feel the same as we do (at least 1 BOD member pulls licenses for Elk and Deer every year themselves).

We have also received the following report this week:

“Yesterday morning, I found a cleaned doe dumped in the scrub oak at the main trail head (in the scrub oak right where the two parking lots join).  Full neck and head, cleaned rib cage, legs with flesh on them, and cleaned skin.  A mountain biker who is a veterinarian confirmed that the animal had been recently killed because the tissue was still fresh.  There were no entrails.”

The BOD finds this unacceptable from any hunter or any other Preserve user. Dumping trash of any kind (including shoveling horse manure from trailers) is illegal. Take your trash with you, clean your horse trailers at home, and pick up after yourself if you hunt.

The FOMP BOD has repeatedly brought the issue of hunting in the Preserve up with USFS management and we will again at our next opportunity.

Any unsafe, or potentially illegal issues: such as shots towards houses, over roads, over occupied trails, poaching, etc.  needs to be reported to the DOW (DOW Website Contact page) , local law enforcement (El Paso County Sheriff — 719.520.7333), and Tom Healy (USFS’ sole law enforcement office for the district — 719.477.4204) ASAP.  This includes the Preserve itself and any surrounding areas such as Mt. Herman Road.

Thanks and please be careful out there!

 

Board of Directors Meeting Reminder

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Tuesday October 9, 2011 at 7:00PM  

BOD Meetings are held in the Fire Center Classroom. For those of you unfamiliar with the classroom building make your first left into the Fire Center after Mt. Herman Rd. turns to dirt, follow the road all the way into the administrative area and the classroom building is the first building on your right.
Agenda:
  • El Paso County parks master plan update
  • Financial Review
  • Summer Project Review
  • Other
Thanks and we hope to see you there!
FOMP

REMINDER – Waldo Burn Area is CLOSED to access – $500.00 Fine!!

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[Via Medicine Wheel]

We have been asked by the land management agencies to remind everyone that

the areas affected by the Waldo Canyon fire are completely CLOSED to any
public access. This includes Rampart Reservoir, Waldo Canyon, Shubarth
Trail, Williams Canyon, Stanley Canyon, etc. While the original closure
order was valid through October 1, 2012, we have been told that it will be
extended through at least May 1, 2013, at which time it will be reevaluated.

You can find a map of the closure area by clicking here
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5380581.pdf

And a copy of the closure letter by clicking here
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5380580.pdf

Anyone found violating the closure will be fined $500.00, so please respect
the closure. We understand the area is being actively patrolled.

While no decisions have been made about the future uses of the area, MWTA
has the issue on our radar and we’re offering to help the Forest Service
with any trail reconstruction or new trail building over the next few years.

Thanks!

Last Chance for 2012 – FOMP needs you!

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Tuesday September 11 at 6:00 PM – Trail work.

FOMP is pleased to be holding a our final volunteer trail work and tree trimming work session of the 2012 season!

 

FOMP and USFS provide all necessary tools. Volunteers should wear appropriate clothing for performing outdoor landscaping type of work. Volunteers should bring leather gloves, a personal water supply, eye protection, sunscreen, and bug repellent. We meet rain or shine unless there is lightning active in the area. In the event that you are joining us late we always leave a note at the trail head parking lot or you can call Jon Nordby (719.640.1347) or Chris Tirpak (719.439.8865) to find out where in the Preserve we are working that evening.

 

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 interest 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.

 

Meet at the main trailhead parking lot at 6:00PM! (map: http://bit.ly/FOMPMeetingSpot)

Thanks and we hope to see you out there soon!

FOMP

Tuesday August 14 at 6:00 PM – Trail work.

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FOMP is pleased to be holding a volunteer trail work and tree trimming work session!

FOMP and USFS provide all necessary tools. Volunteers should wear appropriate clothing for performing outdoor landscaping type of work. Volunteers should bring leather gloves, a personal water supply, eye protection, sunscreen, and bug repellent. We meet rain or shine unless there is lightning active in the area. In the event that you are joining us late we always leave a note at the trail head parking lot or you can call Jon Nordby (719.640.1347) or Chris Tirpak (719.439.8865) to find out where in the Preserve we are working that evening.
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 interest 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.
Meet at the main trailhead parking lot at 6:00PM! (map: http://bit.ly/FOMPMeetingSpot)
Thanks and we hope to see you out there soon!
FOMP

Cancelled: Trail Work

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Cancelled: Trail Work

At the last volunteer work session FOMP Volunteers discussed holding an extra trail work session this evening (Tuesday July 24, 2012) to get some additional work completed.

We are cancelling that work session due to work conflicts.

Thanks and stay tuned, we will have more to come!

FOMP