Category Archives: USFS

October 2017 Board of Directors Meeting

FOMP is pleased to announce our October 2017 Board Meeting

Meeting Time:
Wednesday, October 11 at 7:00PM

Location: 
This meeting will be held in the Monument Preserve / Fire Center Classroom. For those of you unfamiliar with the classroom building make the first left into the Fire Center after Mt. Herman Rd. turns to dirt, follow the road (slowly please!) all the way into the administrative area and the classroom building is the first building on your right.

Remember meetings are open to all members and the public, we want to hear from you! You do not need to be a FOMP member to attend, but we sure would appreciate you becoming a member!

Agenda:
  • Tool Shed/Trailer (again)
  • Trail etiquette/right of way discussion (again)
  • Sponsorship and funding
    • Time Watkins gift/donation recap and discussion
  • Membership drive review
  • Membership: Recruiting and retaining volunteers
  • Communications: Newsletters and advance notifications
  • Naming trails and maps and mapping apps
  • Sandy road discussion
  • Summer sessions review and recap
    • Tim Watkins Memorial Trail day recap
  • Homeless camp
  • Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates partnership discussion
  • Other
As a reminder, you can always see a schedule of FOMP’s planned activities on our website calendar page and you can also add our iOS or Google calendar feeds to your mobile calendar, never miss an event again!

https://fomp.org/eventcalendar/

Thanks and we hope to see you there!
FOMP

March 2017 Board of Directors Meeting

FOMP is pleased to announce our March 2017 Board meeting!


BOD Meeting Time:
Wednesday, March 7 at 7:00PM
Location: 
This meeting, as with most meetings in the past BOD Meetings will be held held in the Fire Center Classroom. For those of you unfamiliar with the classroom building make the first left into the Fire Center after Mt. Herman Rd. turns to dirt, follow the road (slowly please!) all the way into the administrative area and the classroom building is the first building on your right.

Remember meetings are open to all members and the public, we want to hear from you!

Agenda:
  • Board election nominations for new term – if you want to be involved this is a great time
  • 2017 Newsletter?
  • 2017 membership drive
  • USFS District Ranger Discussion
    • new security measures
    • summer season plans
  • Summer season 2017 planning
  • Finance update
  • Open forum for any discussion
As a reminder, you can always see a schedule of FOMP’s planned activities on our website calendar page and you can also add our iOS or Google calendar feeds to your mobile calendar, never miss an event again!

https://fomp.org/eventcalendar/

Thanks and we hope to see you there!
FOMP

Reminder: Board of Directors Meeting

(temporary location! La Casa Fiesta!)

BOD Meeting Time:
Wednesday November 16, 2016 at 7:00PM  

This month we will hold the BOD Meeting at La Casa Fiesta in downtown Monument because we temporarily do not have access to the Fire Center Classroom building.

Remember meetings are open to all members and the public, we want to hear from you!

Agenda:
  • Summer season 2016 wrap up
  • Finance update
  • Open forum for any discussion
As a reminder, you can always see a schedule of FOMP’s planned activities on our website calendar page and you can also add our iOS or Google calendar feeds to your mobile calendar, never miss an event again!

https://fomp.org/eventcalendar/

Thanks and we hope to see you there!
FOMP

Bonus volunteer work session!

Bonus volunteer work session!
Wednesday, August 31 at 6:00 PM 

Bonus volunteer trail work session!!!

We are holding an extra session on the very last day of August because our trails need some extra special love before fall (… winter)  sets in! If you’ve been meaning to get out and help now is the time!

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 try to leave a note at the trailhead 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.

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 the corner of Mt. Herman Rd and Nursery Rd at 6:00PM! (map: http://bit.ly/FOMPMeetingSpot)

Thanks and we hope to see you out there!

August Trail Night

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FOMP needs you for this work session!
Tuesday August 12 at 6:00 PM 

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

Note: We really need volunteers to come out even if it is only once per year. We need new faces to help us maintain our trails – have you been out enjoying the trails this year? Please consider spending one evening per year giving back so we can keep the trails open! — Thanks!]

We will be working on trails that desperately need some TLC after a long and busy spring and heavy summer rains – as well as some neglect while we have been working to clean up Mt. Herman Rd after the recent recreational shooting ban. We will also be performing seedling release – this involves cutting back scrub oak growth and removing any remaining root balls that are sticking up that could injure people, horses, or bikes.

We will also hold our monthly BOD meeting in the parking lot prior to the start of activities.

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 try to leave a note at the trail head parking lot or you can call 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 the corner of Mt. Herman Rd and Nursery Rd at 6:00PM! (map: http://bit.ly/FOMPMeetingSpot)

Thanks and we hope to see you out there!

Mt. Herman Road Cleanup

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FOMP needs you for this work session!

[Note: new dates – Saturday and Sunday July 19th and 20th – please see the details they have changed a little bit – Thanks!]

When:

Saturday , July 19 at 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM (at the 4.5 mile marker where you will find the dumpster)  

Sunday , July 20 at 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM (at the 5 mile marker just past the dumpster)

This month instead of our regular trail work session FOMP will be working on Mt. Herman Rd to cleanup the mess left at some of the now closed shooting sites. Have a look at this photo from Saturday morning’s cleanup effort (courtesy of Bill Benson):

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The main area we will be working is approximately 4.5 miles and 5.o miles from the main parking lot up Mount Herman Road (MHR).  If you are unclear where this area is , just wear leather gloves and sturdy footwear (there will be broken glass and other similar hazards), bring a rake and personal water supply (bug spray is also good idea) and head up MHR until you find us.  Show up for the entire time if you can or just an hour or two, every little bit helps!

FOMP and USFS will provide any other 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 as appropriate. We meet rain or shine unless there is lightning active in the area.

If you have any questions about the cleanup effort please contact Jon Nordby (719.640.1347) or Chris Tirpak (719.439.8865). Large groups are welcome so rally your group and come join us. 

Mt. Herman Rd. Cleanup

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USFS Closes Mt. Herman Road to recreational shooting!

The USFS has listened to and stepped up for the community and closed Mt. Herman Rd and many of the spur roads between Monument and Rampart Range Road to recreational shooting.  It is time for us to support them in this decision and help clean up and restore Mount Herman. Information and maps about the closure are linked below.

More importantly we need you to come join us and help with the cleanup and restoration efforts.

FOMP is organising trash cleanups at the recently closed shooting areas on Saturday July 12th from 8am-noon and Tuesday July 15th 6pm-dusk (this will replace our regularly planned trail work and seedling release work session).  The main area we will be working is approximately 4.5 miles from the main parking lot up Mount Herman Road (MHR).  If you are unclear where this area is , just wear leather gloves and sturdy footwear (there will be broken glass and other similar hazards), bring a rake and personal water supply (a hat, bug spray and sunscreen  are also good ideas) and head up MHR until you see us.  We are purposely only going half a day because this cleanup, involving up to 16 distinct areas all the way to Rampart Range Road, will take the rest of the season to get cleaned up and restoration started.  Show up for the entire time if you can or just an hour or two, or even just bike-hike-run-horse ride on through and fill a bag up on your way. Every little bit helps!

If you have any questions about the cleanup effort please contact Jon Nordby (719.640.1347) or Chris Tirpak (719.439.8865). Large groups are welcome so rally your group and come join us. 

Additional Information on the closure can be found on these posts on the website:

Recreational Shooting Closure Maps and Order
https://fomp.org/2014/07/09/recreational-shooting-closure-maps-and-order/

Recreational Shooting Closure Implemented on Pikes Peak District
https://fomp.org/2014/07/08/recreational-shooting-closure-implemented-on-pikes-peak-district/

Thanks and we hope to see you out there soon!
FOMP

Recreational Shooting Closure Implemented on Pikes Peak District

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FOMP is glad to see the USFS taking action to make the area safe for all forest users!

FOMP will be sponsoring a cleanup day soon, please stay tuned!

Release Date: Jul 7, 2014

Contact(s): Barb Timock, Public Affairs Officer, 719-553-1415

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO., July 8, 2014…Effective July, 7, 2014, the Pike National Forest – Pikes Peak Ranger District has issued an Order closing a 9,567 acre area in El Paso County to recreational shooting. The Order is necessary to provide for public safety and to protect natural resources and facilities. It prohibits discharging a firearm, air rifle or gas gun in the designated area.

Erin Connelly, Forest and Grassland Supervisor of the Pike & San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) said, “My focus is on ensuring public and resource protection while more than 94 percent of the PSICC remains open to this sport. This closure will improve the overall safety for visitors to the PSICC.”

The Order affects the area surrounding Mount Herman Road (Forest Service Road 320) from Monument, Colorado west to the Teller County line. This area does not provide for safe or reasonable recreational shooting due to the steep terrain and concentrated public use. The area surrounding Mount Herman Road is particularly rugged and contains a variety of recreational opportunities. Due to the proximity of this area to Denver and Colorado Springs, the volume of recreational shooting has increased substantially in recent years.

Hunters are unaffected by this Order.  The Order does not impact individuals with valid State of Colorado hunting licenses who are actively involved in hunting during an open season.

More details may be found @: http://prdp2fs.ess.usda.gov/alerts/psicc/alerts-notices(Scroll to Closures).

Note: above link should probably be: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/psicc/alerts-notices

Oil and Gas Leasing in the Rampart Range

Take Action by Today, Sunday June 30, 2013!

FOMP would like to make you aware that the USFS is conducting an environmental impact study to develop new policies on oil and gas leases in the Pike NF, including in the Rampart Range.  At the moment, the area immediately behind Palmer Lake and Woodmoor Mountain is shown as the highest likelihood for future leasing, though this seems to be based on the land being leased right now (Map – Figure 7 of this USFS/BLM document on page 100 shows the existing leases in PSICC study area, of which the leases here in Palmer Lake are among the largest).

Almost all the current leases in the area, except the one on Sundance Mountain, expire next year unless productive drilling occurs before that.  Any new leases would be subject to new policies, which are still under development. Dyad Petroleum, holder of many of the leases, has continued to express interest in developing the area for natural gas extraction should natural gas prices rise.

The current proposed alternative by the USFS contains language in it that is an improvement over current policy — it would have no surface occupancy for leases in “upper tier” roadless areas, which includes the area from Storm Peak north to Perry Park, and would restrict new “road” building in the rest of the roadless area.  “No surface occupancy” means that the resources would need to be extracted using directional drilling from pads located in less sensitive areas. FOMP’s Board of directors believes it would be better to have no surface occupancy or oil and gas drilling here in the Rampart Range as well as the upper tier areas. This area is already a large urban forest interface zone and needs to be protected. 

The full forest service proposal can be viewed at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/psicc/landmanagement/projects/?cid=stelprdb5418254.

Regardless of whether you agree with the FOMP Board, you should comment back to the USFS by June 30, 2013. Please comment back to the USFS via email at psicc_oandg@fs.fed.us or via their web site form.  Using your own words in comments is more effective than copying the talking points, but anything is more effective than doing nothing! Please keep in mind, the outcome of this EIS will effect the Rampart Range and your local recreation for generations going forward, so now is the time to act.

If you would like to see a sample of comments and thoughts opposing further oil and gas drilling in the area you may visit Wild Connections web site. (FOMP is not affiliated with Wild Connections). We have not found an example set of comments in support of expanding oil and gas development in the area.

Thanks,
FOMP

Waldo Canyon Burn Area Re-opening

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Just in time for Memorial Day weekend!

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The U. S. Forest Service (USFS) announced Tuesday that it expects to open over 40 percent of the Waldo Canyon Burn Area to visitors Friday, May 24, 2013.

The opening will include the Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area trail, campgrounds, picnic sites and National Forest System Roads 307, 311 and 313 (also known as the Schubarth Road).

According to District Ranger Alan Hahn, “Since the Waldo Canyon fire, we have accomplished a considerable about of work at the recreation sites and the trail around the Reservoir. Our goal is to provide a safe environment for forest visitors.”

Next Spring, forest managers will re-evaluate and determine if additional acres can be open to the public.

The remainder of the Waldo Canyon Burn Area will be closed until further notice.

The Waldo Canyon Trail #640 is not open because the steep valleys pose public danger during a major rain event which could trap visitors in low lying areas, according to the USFS.

Small water craft with electric motors can be launched from the shore at Rampart Reservoir. Visitors are cautioned that the water level at the Reservoir is expected to be low and the boat launch and ramp will be closed. No boats or motor vehicles will be allowed to cross the dam. Nichols Reservoir, south of the dam, is empty and is included in the new Closure Order. Stanley Canyon Reservoir is also empty.

Public safety is a challenge because of the Burn Area’s proximity to Colorado Springs and heavy visitor use in the past.

Violators are subject to a maximum fine of $5,000.

The revised Waldo Canyon Fire Closure Special Order and map will be located on the web at:http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/psicc/alerts-notices/?aid=14836.