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Arkansas Headwaters Wilderness Partners GARNA Chapter
Arkansas Headwaters Wilderness Partners Chapter - posted 26 April, 2008
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OVERVIEW Inaugurated in February, 2008 GARNA’s newest volunteer chapter is the Arkansas Headwaters Wilderness Partners-AHWP. It was formed in response to an initiative of the Leadville District of the San Isabel National Forest, the office which has lead responsibility for managing some 250,000 acres of designated wilderness within three districts of the San Isabel: Leadville, Salida and South Park. Faced with a mandate to increase its level of management to meet a national Forest Service program named the Ten Year Wilderness Challenge, Leadville District officials recognized that involving volunteers was a good option since their own staff and budget for wilderness work are stretched very thin. Over the past two seasons, several Chaffee and Lake County volunteers informally participated in wilderness management in the Buffalo Peaks WA, and in late 2007 the Forest Service encouraged them to consider developing a formal group. It was decided it would be most efficient if such a group become associated with an established non-profit organization, which could handle financial and administrative tasks. Since its geographic range includes the Arkansas River corridor from Leadville to Pueblo, and with its natural resource based mission (see www.garna.org) and partnerships with public land managers, GARNA was a logical choice. AHWP was formed specifically to assist in meeting the Ten Year Challenge - http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/superior/bwcaw/documents/10yearwildernesschallenge.pdf This program requires that each wilderness manager address priority issues such as fire management, invasive species, air quality, visitor education and information, and control of camping impacts, among others. Volunteers, after proper training on standardized approaches and under the direction of Forest Service staff, will spend time each summer season inventorying campsites and consolidating or eliminating certain sites, mapping the extent of invading plant species, installing or maintaining trailhead and directional signs, and minor trail maintenance. This is not a trail building or litter clean up or regulation enforcement group, nor is it a lobby group for expanded wilderness; it is simply a service group helping the Forest Service meet its new challenge.AHWP will start its first season with a training session Saturday June 28, 2008 and hopes to attract at least 10 volunteers who will commit to that session and to 5-6 additional days during the summer, with the first priority being work in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Area. Potential volunteers-hikers or horse users-should already be very comfortable hiking, riding and backpacking in wilderness areas; the training will not be on wilderness skills but on specific data-collection techniques (like GPS location and mapping), photography, record-keeping and safety. After training volunteers will be allowed to set their own schedules and complete their tasks without being accompanied by FS staff, provided they follow the program set by the Leadville District and subsequently provide observations and data they have collected. Off-season there may also be need for volunteers to help enter information in a convenient spread-sheet or data-base format. Interested in being a wilderness volunteer?
Download more information in a White Paper. Buffalo Peaks - http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/recreation/wilderness/ldv_spk_bp_wild.shtml Collegiate Peaks - http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver/recreation/wilderness/collegiatepeaks/index.shtml Mt Massive - http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/recreation/wilderness/ldv_mass_wild.shtml Holy Cross - http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver/recreation/wilderness/holycross/index.shtml Contact us for a direct response or phone conversation by e-mailing arkheadwaters@gmail.com |
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See below for some pictures and descriptions of wilderness areas and work which volunteers will be doing….
Off trail ... The Buffalo Peaks Wilderness will be the focus of the Arkansas Headwaters Wilderness Partner’s first season. This lesser-visited and lower altitude 43,410ac wilderness will likely be snow-free earlier than the others.
As the program expands AHWP will begin work in other wilderness areas within the San Isabel’s management responsibility: Collegiate Peaks, Mt Massive and part of Holy Cross.
Among other tasks, Wilderness Partner volunteers will…
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