May 13, 2015 VOLU M E 5 4 | I S S UE 1 9 | 7 5 ¢
PikesPeakCourier.net T E L L E R C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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CDOT, PPACG, WP talk about sharing the road
Moving vehicles, managing pavement, creating nonmotorized-use plans
By Norma Engelberg
Contributing writer
Much of the May 7 Woodland Park City Council meeting centered on highways, streets and trails.
Colorado Department of Transportation
Karen Rowe, region 2 director for the Colorado Department of Transportation, gave a presentation on new protocols for U.S. 24 closures in Ute Pass. Unlike last year when the highway was closed as a precaution based on weather projections, this year there will be team of three people assessing the highway when inclement weather begins. They will be looking mostly for dangerous debris flows especially in the area between Cascade and Chipita Park/Green Mountain Falls. If debris flows are spotted, these three
will be able to close a series of gates to keep traffic out between Green Mountain Falls and the Cave of the Winds exit in Manitou Springs. Media and law enforcement will be notified and information will be posted on electronic message boards. Where possible, Rowe said detours could be put in place to relieve traffic congestion. Councilmember Bob Carlsen asked her about lowering speed limits in downtown Woodland Park to 25 mph and raising them to 60 mph between the city and Cascade Rowe said the speed limit through town must remain at its current 30 mph but that the state could possibly conduct a speed survey east of town to determine if raising the speed limit is feasible. State transportation is also working with the city to adjust traffic signals to make intersections safer and local law enforcement and the Colorado State Patrol are working together on enhanced surveillance at signals to deter red-light running.
Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments’ Transportation Director Craig
Casper and Transportation Planner Emily Lindsey reported on the organization’s Regional Nonmotorized Transportation System Plan, which will cover El Paso County out to Calhan and Teller County up to Divide and stretch out to 2040. Lindsey said the planning goal is to develop infrastructure for biking, walking and other nonmotorized uses that are safe, connected, easy to use, and well-maintained. Creating the draft plan took two years by a taskforce with 45 participants. Some of the highlights of the plan included creating better east-west connectivity throughout the region, creating a way-finding signage system and finish connecting local trails to both the American Discovery Trail and the Colorado Front Range Trail. There will be a Ute Pass Trail public meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on May 20 at the Centennial Building on S. Cascade in Colorado Springs. Casper said nonmotorized trail and open space usage has a big economic impact on the Pikes Peak Region. Citing just one example, he said bicycling alone pumps more than $27 million directly into the economy.
This figure doesn’t include additional indirect economic impact. He encouraged Woodland Park and Teller County residents to visit www.walkbikeconnect.org to comment on the draft plan and make suggestions.
Woodland Park Public Works
Council approved several contracts for city street improvements and construction projects starting this summer: Golden Triangle Construction Inc. will receive about $1.65 million to renovate the city’s Fleet Maintenance Facility. This work would have been funding by a certificate of participation but City Manager David Buttery said that with a generous grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and some rearranging of the budget, the city will be able to pay cash for the work. Complete Koncrete Inc. was awarded $28,175 for assorted concrete repairs in the city. SNS Enterprises LLC was awarded $26,824 for street stripping. Other contracts for street repair work were awarded in April.
INSIDE THE COURIER The Courier celebrates 50 years serving the community. Page 15-26
POSTAL ADDRESS
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet was joined by Sen. Cory Gardner at a Fire and Forestry Summit to receive recommendations from a report Bennet commissioned on steps the federal government can take to better support Colorado’s wildfire mitigation efforts. Photos by Rob Carrigan
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, Navigators’ Derek Strickler and El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark tour Glen Eyrie after the Fire and Forestry Summit.
Senators receive wildfire support recommendations PIKES PEAK COURIER (USPS 654-460)
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P LE A S E R ECYC L E T H I S C O PY
Report centers on collaborative decisionmaking, investing in preparedness By Rob Carrigan
rcarrigan@colorado communitymedia.com Colorado U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner received recommendations from a report Bennet commissioned over a year ago. The report, presented at a Fire and Forestry Summit Saturday in Colorado Springs, suggests steps the federal government can take to better support Colorado’s wildfire mitigation efforts. The senators were presented with those recommendations by more than 40 fire and forestry experts from across the state who worked to compile the report. El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark, representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State University, the Colorado Water Congress, County Commissioners from across the Front Range and West Slope, and other members of the forestry, conservation, and wildfire prevention community all contributed to the development of findings. Following the summit Bennet
RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDED • Focusing on collaborative decision-making processes that advance conversations between federal decision makers and community leaders to address wildfire prevention, forest management, and regulatory processes. • Increasing education and outreach to homeowners and communities regarding their responsibility to mitigate fuels and property conditions and the actual risk of wildfire. • Investing in preparedness, collaborative planning, capacity building, and proactive work before wildfires occur. • Investing federal resources to support community forest health and wildfire prevention leadership. • Encouraging land management agencies to evaluate their current work and develop new methods that focus on effectiveness across the landscape. • Requesting that federal forest planning information be more accessible to local and regional groups engaged in complementary work. toured the Navigators Glen Eyrie property to highlight the post-fire flood mitigation efforts in El Paso County. The Navigators have spent more than $7 million on such efforts. “Colorado has a vast and deep knowledge of forest health and fire mitigation. It’s based on real-world experience and the federal govern-
The Navigators have spent nearly $7 million in post-fire flood mitigation efforts at Glen Eyrie in El Paso County. ment should tap into it,” Bennet said. “Our office commissioned this report to hear firsthand from the experts on the ground about what the federal government can do to improve the health of our forests and prevent wildfires. The recommendations we received today will help us develop effective, collaborative policy to help deal with the growing threat of wildfire. We are thankful to everyone who contributed to this important conversation and came out today.” “Preventing wildfires when possible and preparing for when they do occur is everyone’s job,” Gardner said. “It’s critical for officials from the local level to the federal government to be on the same page, and today’s summit was an important step in ensuring that they are. We must con-
tinue to be diligent in our efforts to prevent these incredibly damaging natural disasters and their equally destructive effects.” In March 2014, Bennet convened a large group of Colorado leaders in forestry and fire mitigation to discuss ways the federal government can best work to support collaborative, on the ground fire protection and forest health efforts. The group spent a day with Bennet and USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie, discussing their real-world experiences working in Colorado forests and communities. At Bennet’s request, the group then worked together to develop a detailed report on the outcomes from that conversation, with specific recommendations for federal policy.