Greater Arkansas River Nature Association - colorado conservation and education

Friends of Fourmile

Year 2010 Activities – Modest But Continuing...

Results of Memorial Day 2010 and other visitor counts

Since 2004, Friends of Fourmile has joined Forest Service, BLM and other volunteers like High Rocky Riders in joint patrols and contacts on Memorial Day. General observations about visitors and where they are hiking/cycling or riding have been made, but only since 2009 have volunteers made systematic efforts to count noses (actually cars, 5th wheels, camper trailers, hikers, cyclists, horses, OHV trailers, ATVs and motorcycles). Not so easy when there are nearly 140 camping sites (see next reports) and over 180 miles of Forest Roads. In 2010 counting was expanded to a “typical” non-holiday weekend (in late June) and a partial count on Labor Day. The short version is that Memorial Day visitation (clearly the peak weekend) has steadily increased since 2004 perhaps to 5 times or more that measured in 2009 and 2010. Year 2010 showed increases but numbers may just reflect better procedures; 2010 counts are probably the most accurate ever made. Highlights: on Memorial Day weekend 2010, 109 of 139 camping sites were occupied by 368 camping “units,” 70% OHV related. Other conclusions (with modest certainty)

Memorial Day is the biggest use weekend, Labor Day second

Typical summer weekends are much less than either

Mid-week use remains low (preferred by local hikers and cyclists)

Motorized use (OHVs) is far more common than hiking, cycling or horseback

Trend towards larger vehicles and group sizes continues

Compliance with riding regulations and route designations by ATV users is good

Motorcyclists are “staying the trail” but excessive speed remains an issue

Peak weekend camping results in more sites, expansions and impacts every year

Typical Memorial Day 2010 campsite group.

Progress on managing expanding camping sites

For several years the Friends has placed priority on managing expansion of campsites, particularly those which grow due to peak weekend use (which invites further expansion). Both the FS and BLM accept in principle the need to eventually designate on the ground sites-and enforce-where camping is allowed (called “designated dispersed camping”) rather than continuing current policy of allowing “dispersed camping” virtually anywhere close to existing roads provided no new disturbance is created. But making this switch involves administrative steps and environmental impact analysis and will take time. Meanwhile in 2010 both our “partner” agencies took steps towards the more restrictive approach. See images. And a major initiative is nearing completion with a series of large posters to be mounted in standard big wood “kiosks” outlining camping regulations and recommendations-these should be in place by spring 2011.

The BLM brought in gravel to Turtle Rock camping site and parking areas at two major gateways to Fourmile. Gravel areas help define these sites and discourage users from constantly expanding them.

The Forest Service, assisted by volunteers from Friends of Fourmile and High Rocky Riders, constructed several hundred feet of buck and rail fences to define the most popular-and most rapidly expanding-camping sites along Forest Roads 315 (Shields Gulch) and 376 (Lenhardy Cut Off).

Major effort to GPS, map all camping areas

With inputs from other volunteers, Lyn Berry is completing a highly detailed location map of all known camping sites, fire rings and other key visitor use features in Fourmile’s 100,000+ acres. Not only does this document a “baseline” as of 2010 for comparison with future years, it also provides for the first time an accurate map of where all these sites are so that volunteers and agency staff can be precise in reporting changes and activities. It also will make routine annual counting much more effective.

Sample section of detailed camping site mapping being completed by volunteers.

FoF participates in school and Outward Bound programs, Conservation Camp

In 2010 GARNA, in conjunction with the Forest Service, BLM and the Salida School District initiated a program to encourage local school students to get out more and better understand Chaffee County’s public lands. In part of this successful pilot project, Alan Robinson (a Friends volunteer) and Dudley Fecht (a Friends and High Rocky Riders volunteer) teamed up to help agency representatives and the Stay the Trail program explain recreation and resource management issues (and how to have fun while treating the public lands carefully) to Salida 10th grade students.

In other contributions to local conservation education activities Friends also helped with the Buena Vista schools annual Conservation Camp, and a BLM orientation/work session with a Leadville-based Outward Bound group.

Other activities...

As usual, Friends volunteers participated in the annual AHRA/GARNA CleanUp GreenUp day in May, concentrating this year on retrieving old tires from Pine Creek and Ark River sections north of Buena Vista.

Also in May several Friends volunteers participated in the third annual Trails Construction and Design training sponsored by the Salida District of the Forest Service. Here the group did field exercises on the Whipple Trail in Buena Vista.

Update submitted by:

Alan Robinson
Publicity Coordinator/Board Representative
Friends of Fourmile Chapter of GARNA
33700 Mt. Harvard Circle, Buena Vista, Colorado USA 81211
Tel/fax: (719) 395-3396 Cell (719) 221-1259
e-mail: robinson@chaffee.net
http://www.garna.org/Friends-of-fourmile.htm

Friends of Fourmile Year 2010 Activities – Modest But Continuing...

Results of Memorial Day 2010 and other visitor counts

Since 2004, Friends of Fourmile has joined Forest Service, BLM and other volunteers like High Rocky Riders in joint patrols and contacts on Memorial Day. General observations about visitors and where they are hiking/cycling or riding have been made, but only since 2009 have volunteers made systematic efforts to count noses (actually cars, 5th wheels, camper trailers, hikers, cyclists, horses, OHV trailers, ATVs and motorcycles). Not so easy when there are nearly 140 camping sites (see next reports) and over 180 miles of Forest Roads. In 2010 counting was expanded to a “typical” non-holiday weekend (in late June) and a partial count on Labor Day. The short version is that Memorial Day visitation (clearly the peak weekend) has steadily increased since 2004 perhaps to 5 times or more that measured in 2009 and 2010. Year 2010 showed increases but numbers may just reflect better procedures; 2010 counts are probably the most accurate ever made. Highlights: on Memorial Day weekend 2010, 109 of 139 camping sites were occupied by 368 camping “units,” 70% OHV related. Other conclusions (with modest certainty)
Memorial Day is the biggest use weekend, Labor Day second Typical summer weekends are much less than either Mid-week use remains low (preferred by local hikers and cyclists) Motorized use (OHVs) is far more common than hiking, cycling or horseback Trend towards larger vehicles and group sizes continues Compliance with riding regulations and route designations by ATV users is good Motorcyclists are “staying the trail” but excessive speed remains an issue Peak weekend camping results in more sites, expansions and impacts every year


Typical Memorial Day 2010 campsite group.

Progress on managing expanding camping sites

For several years the Friends has placed priority on managing expansion of campsites, particularly those which grow due to peak weekend use (which invites further expansion). Both the FS and BLM accept in principle the need to eventually designate on the ground sites-and enforce-where camping is allowed (called “designated dispersed camping”) rather than continuing current policy of allowing “dispersed camping” virtually anywhere close to existing roads provided no new disturbance is created. But making this switch involves administrative steps and environmental impact analysis and will take time. Meanwhile in 2010 both our “partner” agencies took steps towards the more restrictive approach. See images. And a major initiative is nearing completion with a series of large posters to be mounted in standard big wood “kiosks” outlining camping regulations and recommendations-these should be in place by spring 2011.



The BLM brought in gravel to Turtle Rock camping site and parking areas at two major gateways to Fourmile. Gravel areas help define these sites and discourage users from constantly expanding them.



The Forest Service, assisted by volunteers from Friends of Fourmile and High Rocky Riders, constructed several hundred feet of buck and rail fences to define the most popular-and most rapidly expanding-camping sites along Forest Roads 315 (Shields Gulch) and 376 (Lenhardy Cut Off).

Major effort to GPS, map all camping areas

With inputs from other volunteers, Lyn Berry is completing a highly detailed location map of all known camping sites, fire rings and other key visitor use features in Fourmile’s 100,000+ acres. Not only does this document a “baseline” as of 2010 for comparison with future years, it also provides for the first time an accurate map of where all these sites are so that volunteers and agency staff can be precise in reporting changes and activities. It also will make routine annual counting much more effective.



Sample section of detailed camping site mapping being completed by volunteers.

FoF participates in school and Outward Bound programs, Conservation Camp

In 2010 GARNA, in conjunction with the Forest Service, BLM and the Salida School District initiated a program to encourage local school students to get out more and better understand Chaffee County’s public lands. In part of this successful pilot project, Alan Robinson (a Friends volunteer) and Dudley Fecht (a Friends and High Rocky Riders volunteer) teamed up to help agency representatives and the Stay the Trail program explain recreation and resource management issues (and how to have fun while treating the public lands carefully) to Salida 10th grade students.



In other contributions to local conservation education activities Friends also helped with the Buena Vista schools annual Conservation Camp, and a BLM orientation/work session with a Leadville-based Outward Bound group.

Other activities...



As usual, Friends volunteers participated in the annual AHRA/GARNA CleanUp GreenUp day in May, concentrating this year on retrieving old tires from Pine Creek and Ark River sections north of Buena Vista.



Also in May several Friends volunteers participated in the third annual Trails Construction and Design training sponsored by the Salida District of the Forest Service. Here the group did field exercises on the Whipple Trail in Buena Vista.

Update submitted by: Alan Robinson Publicity Coordinator/Board Representative Friends of Fourmile Chapter of GARNA 33700 Mt. Harvard Circle, Buena Vista, Colorado USA 81211 Tel/fax: (719) 395-3396 Cell (719) 221-1259 e-mail: robinson@chaffee.net http://www.garna.org/Friends-of-fourmile.htm