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May 28, 2014
75 cents | Volume 49, Issue 19 Tri-Lakes Region, Monument, Gleneagle, Black Forest and Northern El Paso County A publication of
tri-lakestribune.net
Wildlands project meets resistance ‘Motorized’ community fears restricted access By Rob Carrigan
rcarrigan@colorado communitymedia.com
Dandelions contrast with the blackened trees in the burnover area, Wednesday, May 21. Photos by Rob Carrigan
Picnic aims to help rebuild, recover, restore, reconnect Long range recovery meeting also set for May 28 By Rob Carrigan
rcarrigan@colorado communitymedia.com A community picnic, with a theme of “Rebuild, Recover, Restore, Reconnect,” marking the one-year anniversary of the devastrating Black Forest Fire is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on June 11, the same date that the fire began last year. Live music, food, ice cream and children’s activity have been planned for the event at Black Forest Regional Park. An update on the Black Forest Community Picnic will highlight the next Black Forest Fire Long Range Recovery Planning Committee meeting scheduled for May 28. Picnic continues on Page 5
Many trees have been cleared and stacked in areas throughout the Black Forest burn area.
Annual FireWise Community Day set June 21 By Rob Carrigan
rcarrigan@colorado communitymedia.com Woodmoor’s Annual FireWise Community Day will be held on Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Wood-
moor Barn, 1691 Woodmoor Drive, Monument. The theme is “Protecting Our Homes from Wildfire Burning Embers“ and experts will be on hand to give information and demonstrations on what preventative steps can be tak-
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en to protect homes from this main cause of home ignition in a wildfire. Exhibitors include Home Depot (who will also have a drawing for a chainsaw), the Rock Yard, Timbertech, Green Branch Garden Services, Tri-
TRI-LAKES TRIBUNE
Lakes Monument Fire Department, Embers Shield, El Paso County Emergency Services and Woodmoor’s FireWise advisors.
An initiative proposing to protect 30,000 acres in nearby Rampart Range met with animated resistance Tuesday, May 20, as members of the Colorado Mountian Club explained their efforts in front of standingroom only crowd at Palmer Lake City Hall. “The crowd seemed to be mostly from the motorized community and they are very knowledgeable and passionate about the Rampart Range. They asked good questions but over the course of the meeting their concerns became the focus of the meeting to the exclusion of other opinions. Some local residents and other with different opinions felt overwhelmed by the audience and therefore did not speak up,” said Phil Kummer from Colorado Mountain Club. When asked if he was surprised by the reaction: “I was surprised that the motorized community came out in such numbers.” George Pennington, a Palmer Lake resident attending the meeting, said he feared that the proposal “threatens to restrict our access if they turn it into wilderness,” and described the efforts as “allowing the camel’s nose under the tent.” Suggesting that efforts would lead to even greater restrictions. “Soon, the entire camel is in.” Kummer says it doesn’t really change their overall efforts. “The Rampart Range Wildlands Project will continue to seek other partners and stakeholders in order to better manage and protect the Rampart East area. That includes the motorized community, mountain bikers, local residents, and hikers. We will endeavor to to communicate better and be better prepared to work with other groups so that they too can achieve their goals concerning that general area. We will continue to recreate in the Rampart East area.” For the future: “We will be conducting a BioBlitz with numerous local scientists and volunteers in June to ascertain what kind of threatened, sensitive or endangered species, both plant and animal, are in the Rampart East,” Kummer said.
DISTRICT 38 GRADUATION COVERAGE NEXT WEEK Because of early press times related to the Memorial
Day holiday, Palmer Ridge, Lewis-Palmer and The Classical Academy graduation photos are online NOW and will appear in next week’s paper.
Fire continues on Page 5
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