Pagosa Lakes News

PAGOSA LAKES NEWS Summer 2018 • Vol. XXXXIII

Inside: 2018 Notice & Call Department Updates Event & Class Schedules

Photo: Jen Pitcher

plpoa.com

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LIST WITH US NOW LIST WITH to be featured in US theNOW next issue to beoffeatured in the next issue THE PAGOSA MAGAZINE! of THE PAGOSA MAGAZINE!

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I found my dream in Pagosa more than 40 years ago.

ILetfound my you dream Pagosawhether more than 40 or years ago. us help findinyours, buying selling.

Let us help you find yours, whether buying or selling.

Jim Smith Owner & Managing Broker Jim Smith Jim Smith Realty Owner & Managing Broker Jim Smith Realty

Stephanie Hill 970-946-4593 Stephanie Hill 970-946-4593

Mark & Denise Espoy Mark & Denise 970-946-6658 Espoy 970-946-6658

D. West Davies 970-398-0022 D. West Davies 970-398-0022

Carol Ann Peterson Carol Ann 480-213-0511 Peterson 480-213-0511

John Smith 970-946-3147 John Smith 970-946-3147

Jon Johnson 970-946-3112 Jon Johnson 970-946-3112

Debra Zenz 970-946-1887 Debra Zenz 970-946-1887

Pam Barsanti 970-749-5123 Pam Barsanti 970-749-5123

Harold Kelley 970-946-2118 Harold Kelley 970-946-2118

Renelle Bilazzo 970-456-2764 Renelle Bilazzo 970-456-2764

Anita Bowles 512-214-7923 Anita Bowles 512-214-7923

970-264-3200  445 san juan st  www.JimSmithRealty.com 970-264-3200  445 san juan st  www.JimSmithRealty.com

Lana Grey 970-946-7971 Lana Grey 970-946-7971

Our Vision: To be the best POA in the nation by enriching the lives of our residents, protecting property values, providing sound financial management and creating a harmonious, well-maintained and beautiful community.

Our Mission: To protect property values, further and promote community welfare, protect and enhance the civic, social and recreational interests of PLPOA Owners.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bruce Jones Jr., President Joe Margraf, Vice-President Marilyn Stroud, Treasurer Steve Schwartz, Secretary Mike Glick, Director John Janowski, Director

PLPOA COMMITTEES

Finance Committee - Al Jenab, Chairperson Parks, Trails & Outdoor Recreation - Kurt Raymond, Chairperson Lakes, Boat & Fish - Roger Flynn, Chairperson Recreation Committee - Jessica Peart, Chairperson

be now,

plpoa.com • 970-731-5635 Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

be forever in pagosa springs

mls#742814

#luckywelivepagosa 970-731-4065

JANN C. PITCHER

REAL ESTATE

• 2261 eagle drive • pagosa springs, colorado • usa w w w. j a n n c p i t c h e r. c o m plpoa.com

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Notice & Call

2018 Annual Meeting & Election Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse • 230 Port Ave. • Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 Saturday, July 28, 2018 • 9:00 A.M. - Social Hour and Balloting 10:00 A.M. - Annual Meeting Begins

I. Notice and Call The purpose of the meeting is to elect 2 members to the Board of Directors and vote on 2 changes to the Bylaws. One Board Member position is for a 3 year term and the other is to fill an irregular vacancy which will be 2 years. The meeting will also include reports from the Board and its standing committees, and consider other business.

II. Agenda Items Any new business, which the property owners wish to have incorporated into the agenda, must be submitted in writing to the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association by 5:00 p.m. on June 29th, 2018. All submitted items will be reviewed for legality and appropriateness in keeping with annual meeting business prior to being placed on the agenda.

III. Ballot Instructions 1. You may vote in person at the Annual Meeting from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., or vote absentee by going online to http://plpoavote.com with your access code that was sent via email or U.S.P.S. In either case, you must have been a “Member in Good Standing” for inclusion on the voter list certified at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29th, 2018, sixty (60) days prior to the election.

2. Article III, Section 6 of the Association Bylaws states: “The ownership of one or more lots shall entitle that ownership to only two votes, no matter how many lots are in that ownership. For each Time Share Unit interval, (1week) there shall be two votes on behalf of all Owners within such Unit interval. Such Time Share Unit interval votes shall be counted as one-fiftieth (1/50) of a regular lot owner. The signature of a Time Share Unit interval Owner in Pagosa Lakes shall be counted as one-fiftieth (1/50) of that of a regular lot Owner for purposes of meeting any petition requirements of these Bylaws, provided that said Owner is in good standing and provided further that in no event shall the cumulative total of signatures of Owners in any Time Share Unit interval be greater than two.

“Voting Privileges - A Member in Good Standing shall have the right to vote at any meeting of the Association. Members of the Board shall be elected by the Association at the annual meeting. The privilege to vote shall be based upon one ownership - two votes, and one Time Share Unit interval - two votes.”

Remember – Each ownership entity receives two votes for each issue posted on the ballot, regardless of the number of properties owned.

IV. Online Elections – voting will be available from 5:00pm Friday, June 29, 2018 through 10:00am Saturday, July 28, 2018 1. PLPOA Property Owners - Email a. If the Association has your email address on file, your voter access code and instructions will be emailed to you. Emails will be sent on June 29, 2018. b. If the email sent to you is not delivered, you will receive a voter access post card via U.S.P.S. a few days later.

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2.

PLPOA Property Owners – U.S.P.S. Mailing a. If the Association does not have your email address on file, a voter access post card and instructions will be mailed to you via U.S.P.S.

3.

Wyndham Timeshare Owners – U.S.P.S. Mailing a. A voter access post card and instructions will be mailed to you via U.S.P.S.

4.

Other Voting options – a. Paper Ballots - PLPOA Property Owners may request paper ballots by calling the toll free number on the voter access post card.

Have you access code available when you call. b. Phone Voting – PLPOA Property Owners may vote by phone by calling (884) 797-4575 (M-F, 7am-4pm, MT) to speak with a Vote-now specialist. Please enter your access code at the prompt. c. Voting on Friday, July 27th will be available online only from your computer or at the Administration Offices from of 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. d. Voting on Saturday, July 28th will be available online only from your computer or at the Administration Offices from 9:00 a.m. – 10 a.m.

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PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENT Existing Bylaw ARTICLE V SECTION 3. Terms of Office - The term of office as a member of the Board shall be three years. No director shall serve more than two consecutive elected terms. Each shall hold office until his successor is determined.

Proposed Bylaw Article V, Section 3 of the Bylaws will be amended to state the following: SECTION 3. Terms of Office – The term of office as a member of the Board shall be three years. The terms of the directors shall be staggered so that at least two positions are elected each year. In order to establish this staggering without affecting the terms of Board members serving as of the date this Bylaw is adopted, the following schedule will apply: (a) 2018 Annual Meeting – one member will be elected for a three year term expiring in 2021 (b) 2019 Annual Meeting – one member will be elected for a three year term expiring in 2022 (c) 2020 Annual Meeting – one member will be elected for a one year term ending in 2021; one member will be elected for a two year term ending in 2022; three members will be elected for a three year term ending in 2023. The candidates with the most votes will serve the three year terms. The candidates with the next most votes will serve the two year term and one year term, respectively. If candidates receive the same number of votes, the candidates may decide unanimously among themselves who will serve each term.

If the candidates cannot agree, names will be drawn for each term.

As each term expires, each member will be elected to a three year term. No director shall serve more than two consecutive elected terms, provided that election to one of the abbreviated terms beginning in 2020 shall not deny that director eligibility to serve two full three year terms.

Each director shall hold office until the successor is determined.

Justification – Over the previous ten plus years the terms of Board members have become bunched-up. The Board will currently have 5 members whose terms will all expire at the same time. This large of a turnover creates inconsistency, inefficiency and slows the ability of the Board to take action. This change will reduce the number of Board vacancies to an appropriate number which is less than a majority of the members.

Existing Bylaw ARTICLE V SECTION 8b. Vacancies (b) Irregular Vacancies (1) The Board shall appoint a Member in Good Standing to serve out the term of the departed director, provided that the term regularly expires at the next annual meeting of the membership.

(2) If the term thus filled does not regularly expire at the next annual meeting, a special election shall be called to fill the unexpired term of the departed director. This special election shall be held at the annual meeting along with the regularly scheduled election of directors.

(3) If the vacancy occurs within 90 days of the next annual meeting, the special election in Section 8(b)(2) above shall be held at the following year’s annual meeting, unless the vacated term regularly expires at that meeting.

(4) The person appointed in accordance with Section 8(b)(1) above may be a candidate in the special election in the manner set forth in these bylaws for candidate in regular election.

(5) Election to an abbreviated term in a special election shall not deny that director eligibility to serve two full consecutive elected terms (ref. Article V, Section 3) immediately following the abbreviated term.

Proposed Bylaw Article V, Section 8(b) of the Bylaws will be amended to state the following: (b) Irregular Vacancies – Vacancies on the Board caused by any reason other than removal by a vote of the Members may be filled by appointment by a majority vote of the remaining directors at any time after the vacancy occurs, even though the directors present at that meeting may constitute less than a quorum. Only a Member in Good Standing may be appointed to fill the vacancy. Each person so appointed will be a director who will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. Appointment to fill the vacancy will not deny that director eligibility to serve two full consecutive terms (ref. Article V, Section 3) immediately following the appointed term.

Justification – If an irregular vacancy occurs, the Board will be able to fill it without having to wait for an election. This will help the Board keep an odd number for voting purposes and be able to continue with business without delay.

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Meet the Candidates Candice KellyCandice has lived in Pagosa since 2012. During that time she has served as a volunteer in a number of community organizations including PLPOA Environmental Control Committee.

As a Committee member she has learned a great deal about the diverse neighborhoods in the Association as well as how the Association functions and what each department oversees.

She feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know the staff.

The BOD's has recently approved a strategic plan to guide future decisions. Candice has read the plan and will participate in making decisions that are aligned with it. She looks forward to enhancing current revenue streams while developing new ones to cover expenses avoiding raising dues.

Prior to retirement Candice was an office manager of an international landscape architect firm. She was awarded an Associate position. Candice has a Master's degree in Education.

Sasha KingSasha King recently relocated from San Diego, CA after concluding an award winning twentyyear career with one of the largest Real Estate Management and Development Companies in the United States. Since starting at ground level as a Leasing Consultant, Sasha was quickly promoted to a Senior Level Investment Manager position due to her exemplary service.

It’s always been a dream of Sasha’s to embrace small town living while become a valued and key contributor within her community. Currently she is satiating her entrepreneurial spirit by creating her own Property Management Company. It’s Sasha’s intent to combine her formalized expertise with down home quality customer service and production. She intends to apply decades of expertise in the areas of Asset Management, value add maximization, interior/exterior renovations, new construction, lease ups, acquisitions and underwriting, and land settlement/stabilization projects to accomplish this goal.

Sasha holds a Bachelor Degree in Administration of Justice from Northeastern State University, and an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Rogers State University. She currently holds a California Real Estate License since 2004 and is working on her Colorado Brokers License, Colorado Property Management Certification, and Colorado HOA Management Certification.

Sasha’s hard work, ethical moral foundation, and dedication to her clients has led to recognition within the multifamily industry on several occasions. She is a recipient of the following prestigious accolades: Excellence in Dedication, Property of the Year, Investment Manager of the Year, and Outstanding Performance Property of the Year.

Alynette FarleyAlynette loves horses, her mini Aussie Quincy and her 1 year old grandson Elijah. She discovered Pagosa Springs 15 years ago while attending a Parelli clinic and instantly felt a connection to the town. She and her husband Chuck now live in Pagosa full time and have owned real estate in the PLPOA for about 10 years.

Mrs. Farley has 30 years’ work experience in the telecommunications industry; primarily in corporate real estate acquisition. She held positions with MCI as Manager of Right-of-Way and Site Acquisition, Route/Site Feasibility Manager, Permit Specialist and Lease Contract Manager. Many of the projects she worked were nationwide in scope. She became a specialist with environmental, federal, state and local permitting requirements. She is knowledgeable with complex construction and real estate contracts, survey and legal aspects of real estate, and managing large scale construction budgets.

She also served on the Planning and Zoning Commission in Leander, Texas for nearly 5 years while the city was modifying its building Ordinance for a Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Leander now has a commuter rail to downtown Austin and a thriving TOD. Alynette also served on the City of Leander Charter Review Committee and the Parks Commission.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Pagosa Pines HOA.

Association Taking on Big Tasks

By Allen Roth, General Manager

The Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association has taken on many large tasks in the continued focus to better our community of Pagosa Lakes.

These consist of the establishment of a first ever strategic plan, renewed discussions with Wyndham in acquiring the greenbelts, updating of the Reserve Study and of course the possible purchase of the golf course property.

The Board of Directors have just approved the final version of the Strategic Plan. This plan is necessary for the Association to focus on short and long-term goals and objectives. This document provides direction for operational, reserve and capital needs of the community and establishes goals and objectives that are important to the Owners and Community. The Plan serves as a guide for creating consistency. So, as new Board Members and staff become involved in the Association, they can refer to this document to continue toward the desired goals and objectives. The Strategic Plan is not a document which is completed or ends on a particular date, rather it is a working document in which changes and additions can be made to reflect new priorities, changing conditions and to remain current. The strategic plan will contain many goals which require the creation or updating of other important documents. Some of these consist of the creation of a Financial Strategy, updating the Recreation Master Plan and the 7-Year Parks and Trails Master Plan and the identification of financial and staff resource allocations. The Association will now have a path to follow for community success rather than wandering through the forest.

The Association has renewed their discussions with Wyndham Vacation Resorts to gain ownership and control of roughly 825 acres of greenbelts that meander throughout Pagosa Lakes. Wyndham took control of these areas as a result of the Fairfield bankruptcy back in 1997. These areas are of interest because of their recreational potential such as parks, trails and playgrounds. It will also provide the Association complete control to maintain them for fire mitigation to ensure community safety. Although the greenbelts can only be used for recreational purposes and open to the members of the PLPOA, Association control will protect these properties from private ownership with uncontrolled recreation activities such as the stables.

On another note, the association hired a professional reserve study provider to conduct a reserve study for the PLPOA. The Association hired Reserve Advisors, a company dedicated to providing this type of study to homeowners associations.

The reserve study is a complex document that projects when numerous major components—like a roof, furnace or piece of maintenance equipment—will need to be replaced, what they will cost and how much the Association needs to set aside each year to pay for the various components at the necessary time. Preparing it requires a unique combination of specialized engineering knowledge, a keen understanding of financial projecting and savvy investing skills.

Updating this study will benefit PLPOA by providing more consistent budgeting, deter or minimize special assessments, reduce long-term costs of maintaining common property and increasing curb appeal. The study update also fulfills the board’s fiduciary responsibility, supports board decisions on replacement projects and saves hours in budget meetings regarding reserve replacements. You can find the Reserve Study document on the Pagosa Lakes website, plpoa.com.

The last item of mention, is the possible purchase of the golf course. The Board of Directors has shared with owners that the opportunity to purchase the golf course property would not be on the Annual Meeting ballot in July. There is not enough time for the Board to perform its due diligence to determine if this is a good feasible option for the Association to put to member vote. The Board plans to spend most of the remaining year acquiring information on the golf property, performing research and evaluating the feasibility and appropriateness of the purchase. If the Board decides to proceed with putting the purchase to member vote, a special meeting will be called for the sole purpose of the ownership voting on the purchase of the golf property. Before the special meeting vote, a series of PLPOA owner meetings will be held to provide information and answer questions.

The Board is also in discussions regarding bringing in a third party to go through a pre-purchase evaluation. The third party would be a golf course consultant who is an independent golf industry expert who will evaluate the golf course in its present condition, capital needs, local/ regional golf market and net cash flow potential.

In order to keep-up with the latest happenings in PLPOA, please be sure to register for weekly e-mail blasts via our website. Updates include Association business, fun events, activities and clubs; you will also learn of various seasonal services that are available to you throughout the year.

COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE Community associations like ours have a lot in common with municipal governments. As members of a governing body, our board members meet regularly to discuss and vote on important community issues, like paying the association’s bills, funding our reserves and contracting with vendors to keep our community amenities in good repair.

The board makes decisions about these and other important topics using a democratic process.

Also like a government, our association board has the legal authority to enforce rules and regulations—somewhat like laws—and to collect assessments, like a government collects taxes, to pay to maintain shared amenities like the recreation center, lakes, clubhouse, trails and to pay the association’s bills.

Our association also has the authority to take legal action, if necessary, if a homeowner fails to meet his or her obligations that we all agreed to when we purchased in this community. These obligations include paying regular assessments on time, abiding by architectural or design policies, and observing community rules.

HELP YOUR COMMUNITY CONSERVE WATER! Many residents have heard or read from different sources the concerns for the amount of domestic water in the Pagosa Area. The total precipitation levels for the water year (October 1 – September 30) have been measured at 51% of average from October 2017 to today. The low snowpack has led to a decrease in the runoff in which the Pagosa Area Water & Sewer District (PAWSD) is able to capture to fill the reservoirs.

Raw water storage consists of five reservoirs. Four reservoirs are located with the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association. They are Hatcher Lake, Lake Pagosa, Village Lake and Lake Forest. The other reservoir is Stevens Lake. The Uptown District (District1) which includes PLPOA receives its water from Fourmile Creek through the Dutton pipeline. The Fourmile Creek diversion is what fills Hatcher Lake. When the Stevens Reservoir is filled, it spills into Lake Pagosa, then Village Lake and then into Lake Forest.

Early this spring, PAWSD has already lost its ability to obtain water from the Fourmile Creek diversion due to senior water rights. This is three weeks earlier than normal and eight weeks earlier than last year. Stevens Reservoir was 29 inches below full when the diversion was lost. This means that the Hatcher Lake water level will begin and continue to drop through the summer season in order to supply District 1 customers and with no current ability to refill the lake. The San Juan Treatment Plant is incapable of meeting all customer needs in District 1, thus depends on the Hatcher Plant. Also, PAWSD is working on upgrading the San Juan Water plant per state mandate with a UV disinfection system which will increase the plant’s capacity.

Archuleta County has been declared in a state of drought and with that PAWSD, has revised its previous Drought Management Plan. This plan’s stages are outlined below. Here at PLPOA, and throughout Archuleta County, the summer months is when the population is at the highest and of course the demand for water increases. The focus of the plan is to reduce irrigation and other outdoor water uses. Please be aware of what level of water regulation the community is currently under. PLPOA encourages all owners to do their part and conserve water. Here is a helpful list of actions you can take to do your part in conserving our precious resource.

1. Reduce your frequency for watering your lawn and plant drought resistant lawns, shrubs and plants 2. Use soaker hoses and install a rain water catching system according to PLPOA regulations.

3. Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets and couplings 4. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks 5. Refrain from washing your vehicle 6. Turn off water after you wet your toothbrush 7. Install an adjustable toilet flapper or a ULF (ultra-low flush) toilet which will use only 2 gpf 8. Use Clothes washer for only full loads 9. Take shorter showers & install water saving showerheads 10. Rinse your razor in a couple inches of water in the sink instead of letting the water run

Join us at the Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse at 230 Port Ave. PLPOA CANDIDATE FORUM Thursday, June 21, 2018 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Meet the Board Candidates and take the opportunity to ask them questions 2018 ANNUAL MEETING & ELECTION Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Saturday, July 28, 2018 9:00 a.m. Social Hour & Balloting 10:00 a.m. Annual Meeting Begins 8

Drought Stages

Demand Reduction Goal

Demand Reduction Focus Option

Focus

Level 1 Voluntary

0-10%

-Public education and awareness

Encourage responsible water use

Level 2 Low

10-20%

-Irrigation allowed from 9 PM – 9 AM

Keep all landscapes elements alive and flourishing

Level 3 Moderate

20-30%

-Irrigation allowed from 9 PM to 9 AM -Odd/Even watering days based upon address -Drought Surcharge may be applied

Preserve landscape elements such as trees, shrubs, gardens, and turf grass

Level 4 Serious

30-40%

-Irrigation allowed from 9 PM to 9 AM 1 day per week based upon address -Drought Surcharge may be applied

Sustain certain landscapes elements such as trees, shrubs, and gardens while allowing turf grass to go dormant

Level 5 Severe

40-50%

-No irrigation of outside landscapes -Drought Surcharge will be applied

Recognize that landscape die- off may occur

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Pagosa Springs Deborah Archuleta 970-903-2817 deb@exitrealtypagosa.com

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Christie Calderwood 970-946-6856 christie@exitrealtypagosa.com

Horse Properties are my Specialty!

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Lance Eaton 505-695-0442 lance_eaton@ymail.com

Shellie Hogue 970-759-8109 shelliekh@centurytel.net

Darlene Peterson GRI 970-946-5119 propertyinpagoasprings.com darlene@exitrealtypagosa.com

OWNER Debbie Selbe 970-846-5968 debbie@exitrealtypagosa.com

Pam Eaton-Scott 970-946-9959 pam@exitrealtypagosa.com

2383 Eagles Drive 970-731-4040 Fax: 970-731-4044 www.ExitRealtyPagosa.com plpoa.com

Barbara Swindlehurst SFR CNE 303-618-7423 barbara@exitrealtypagosa.com 9

News From the Department of Community Standards

By Community Standards Manager, Karen Katsos As a general rule, a well-maintained exterior leads to a higher home value, while a run-down appearance, unkept flora with peeling paint, rust, and/or cracked walls can cause valuators to mark down the home value in a blink! Thank you to these neighbors for keeping neighborhood home values high.

We want to thank all of our owners who have submitted applications and used our Environmental Control Committee (ECC) review process to receive approval for exterior home projects. We also want to thank our ECC members who volunteer considerable time to review the project applications. Their contribution is greatly appreciated. This year we have noticed a marked improvement to several subdivisions including, but not limited to, Vista and Pines I. We want to thank all owners and residents who helped improve these areas and all owners in Pagosa Lakes who maintain and take pride in their properties and homes.

Highlands

Please remember that all exterior changes or improvements need to be reviewed before you proceed. If you are unsure you need a permit, please call our office (970-731-5635), we are happy to help you.

The most common improvements completed without first getting approval for a permit are changing the driveway material or painting exterior elements of a home. There are a few things that do not need permits and some permits are free. Permits are available in our office and online.

While we are out doing regular neighborhood inspections, the most common issues of non-compliance we see are: parked vehicles and trailers on the grass or in areas not approved for parking, complaints about dogs running at large and barking, and improper storage of items on properties (items left out in view of the roads or neighboring properties that do not belong in these areas). Simple solutions: 1) Park your vehicles, trailers, RVs in your driveway, garage or on ECC approved parking pads. 2) Keep your dogs in your yard or house, on a leash, or under voice control at all times. Take your dogs for regular walks and if you have a barking dog, please contact us or contact a veterinarian and investigate your options to discourage your dog from barking excessively. 3) Please put your items away‌ inside your home, shed, garage, or garbage can. The only things left out should be items that customarily belong in a yard, on a patio or deck, or in a driveway.

Your neighborhood will be more attractive and your neighbors will appreciate you.

To protect wildlife and keep our neighborhoods looking clean and nice, please ensure the garbage cart lids are snapped closed when putting them out on the street the morning of your garbage pickup. Bear resistant carts should be available through your garbage collector, or they may have a suggestion to help contain your trash.

This prevents bears, dogs and birds from getting into the garbage and scattering it. Please help save the life of bears and possibly your neighbor by keeping your garbage contained at all times, so that bears cannot access the garbage‌in a garage, shed or behind a sturdy fence.

Please take all bird feeders in at night, including hummingbird feeders.

Bears will return to where they find food and if that is your home, they will return and could become accustomed to humans, become a hazard and then destroyed. Let us all enjoy seeing the wildlife without feeding the wildlife. Our bears, deer, foxes, skunks and mountain lions need to eat their natural diet.

As of the end of April, there have already been 46 wildfires in Colorado this year. It is already very dry and comparable to 2002, one of the driest years on record in the Southwest. We encourage you to read the article about Wildfires and What We Can Do. Please do what you can to be safe and protect your property.

Lake Forest

Vista

Chris Mtn

W i ldfires a nd What We Can D o Archuleta County and surrounding areas are currently in drought conditions. It appears that we are in for a very dry year. The vegetation in this area is already extremely dry and very combustible. Our hearts go out to all those who have lost their homes, businesses, pets, and loved ones in the past year’s wildfires. We hope that this will never happen here, but this is unrealistic. It is not a matter of IF a wildfire will happen here, it is a matter of WHEN. Pagosa Lakes and Pagosa Springs are considered to be wildland-urban interface areas, where structures and other human development meets or intermingles with wildland or vegetative fuels. The original Ponderosa forest was cut down when the railroad first traversed this area. Our forest is second growth and has not seen a serious fire in most of this area since it started to regrow. A healthy mature ponderosa forest has about 25 trees per acre. Here, we have approximately 200300 trees per acre. Because the trees are too close together, they are competing for survival, thus are weak, susceptible to disease and insect infestations, and make great wildfire fuel. Fire can easily travel from one tree to the next..

Wildfires can be caused by many things including lightning strikes, campfires, a dragging chain on a trailer, a chainsaw used without a spark arrester, or a house fire. A large fire here could move very quickly in windy conditions. There are times when even the firefighters must retreat. A fire like this is likely to take lives, destroy many homes and businesses, and discourage tourist visitation, further damaging our economy. If the fire is really large, we could lose our electrical service for weeks to months in some areas. Rebuilding is difficult when you lose your power and your income stream at the same time. This scenario is frightening.

If we do not act proactively, we are upping our chances of a larger devastating fire. If we are open to changing how we do maintenance or replace materials on our existing homes and create defensible space around our homes, we can make a big difference. New homes can be designed with wildfires in mind and use less combustible materials to build a more fire adapted home. Your actions affect your property, your neighbors and your community. Your actions can affect property a mile or more away from your home. Most homes catch fire in a wildfire from embers blowing onto roofs, decks, under decks and into materials stored up against homes. We live in this forest together.

What one owner does or doesn’t do affects us all.

• • • •

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THINGS TO DO: · Regularly clear your roofs, decks, home perimeters and under your decks of combustible materials. (Pine needles, leaves, piles of items that embers could ignite) · Create and maintain defensible space around all of your structures. · When choosing materials for your homes, find out how combustible they are. · Seal your vents and under your decks with 1/8 inch wire mesh to keep embers out. · Choose landscaping that is not highly combustible to plant around the perimeter of your home. Consider removing junipers from against your homes. · Be sure your homeowner’s insurance properly covers you if your home were to be lost to a wildfire. · Create an evacuation plan and pack an evacuation kit.

(Where would you go to meet family members, who would you all call to check in, what would you take, what would you do with your pets and larger animals?)

For more information on fire adapted construction, how to create defensible space and other helpful links, visit our website, www.plpoa.com.

Click on the top title “Living in PLPOA” and follow the link to “Wildfire – Protecting your Property”.

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www.exitrealtypagosa.com Broker & Owner 11

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E NV I RO ME N TA L N E W S

By Property and Environment Manager, Larry Lynch

Fishing in Pagosa Lakes

Town to Lakes Trail

The 2018 fishing season has been in full swing over the past few months and we’ve had some good reports from owners and families this past spring who have been enjoying successful days out on the lakes. We held our annual Kids Fishing Derby in May on a somewhat windy morning, but the kids had a great time and we saw several 18 inch rainbows and a 22 inch largemouth bass that proved to be winners that day. The lakes have all been stocked heavily with an assortment of rainbow trout and we plan to bring in a couple more loads in early and mid-June. That will probably be the last of the stocking for the summer, once water temperatures get up into the 70’s it can be difficult and stressful to stock trout during those times. We plan to bring in additional trout stockings sometime in September and again in October once things cool down a little.

The Town of Pagosa Springs, in cooperation with the County and PLPOA constructed Phase I of the Town to Lakes Trail last fall. This is the new segment of 10-foot wide asphalt trail that runs adjacent to Highway 160 between Pinon Causeway and the Wal-Mart area in the Aspen Village commercial park. The PLPOA paid for the Pinon Causeway segment of the trail, which is the new paved trail that connects Village Drive to Highway 160 (near Colorado Cafe). This trail was paid for partly from the Association Parks and Trails fund and also by a portion of the Colorado State Trails grant we received in 2017. This first phase of the Town to Lakes Trails is part of a master plan to connect the more heavily populated community of Pagosa Lakes to downtown Pagosa Springs where much of the historical district, businesses, schools and parks are located. The next phase will be constructed next year, 2019, which will commence up to the top of Putt Hill to Harmon Park and the Piedra Road intersection. This segment is in the final design stages and is fully funded. A couple of key easements and more funding (and time) will be needed before the trail will fully connect to downtown, but progress is being made and hopefully within the next few years more segments will be completed and the vision of this trail will be realized.

As we move into summer we want to remind anglers to be extra careful when releasing trout. Trout are especially sensitive to warm water conditions and are easily stressed. A couple of tips to a successful catch and release is to avoid playing out a fish on the line, bring the fish in as quickly as you can before safely releasing.

Handle the fish as little as possible and keep the fish in the water while releasing it gently utilizing needle nose pliers to remove the hook. Avoid bringing the fish up onto the rocks and shoreline, keep a pair of needle nose pliers handy in your pocket or vest.

Taking just a minute to crimp or file the barbs off of hooks can make releasing fish much less stressful on the fish and quicker, giving you more time to work on catching your next fish.

I am passionate about fitness because it changed my life and it is my goal to make YOU passionate about it too! Fitness passion doesn't mean unrealistic diets or endless hours in the gym. Everyone is uniquely special and fitness passion means discovering what is best for you while achieving your athletic and exercise potential. By providing professional guidance, I teach proper technique and form and develop guidelines to maximize your workouts. Whether it is to gain strength, mobility, flexibility, coordination and balance, or a nutritional plan, I am here to help. My Body Sculpt and Functional Fitness classes are designed to give you the opportunity to reach your athletic goals, prevent injury and disease, and enhance your everyday life to MAKE TODAY COUNT! It was an honor to receive the 2016 AAAI-ISMA Trainer of the Year Award. I have been a group fitness instructor and personal trainer for the last 16 years. I have written multiple health and wellness programs over the years, hold over 12 national certifications. I not only teach group fitness, but am also the Director of Coaching for a global women's weight loss company. I have years of experience with injury rehabilitation and prevention, aging, weight loss, and life coaching.

I have been a certified Personal Trainer since 2002, working first in Texas, then relocating to Pagosa in 2006. In my previous Corporate career I found out first-hand how an unfit lifestyle & stress can subtract quality years from your life and make you feel old! Work with my clients includes: body balance & strength, pre & post-surgery strengthening and range of motion, athletic performance, body fat/weight loss and nutrition counseling. The techniques I employ depend on the individual, and change as my client progresses. My specialty is full-body functional training and injury prevention. My classes include Spin, Pilates/Yoga/Core (S.P.Y.C.E) and Total Body Fitness. An avid outdoorswoman, I understand that you want to enjoy life, be confident in your athletic pursuits and/or just be able to get up and down off the floor when playing with your grandkids!

Call me - I would be happy to discuss your particular needs.

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My name is Eileen Anderson. I have been visiting family and friends in Pagosa Springs for over 25 years and relocated here from California permanently in 2016.

I have been a personal trainer for over 25 years and enjoy teaching new ideas to clients. My spin classes and group “throw down” classes are fun and energetic. I bring a “fresh fun” into workouts that will ignite your interest and energy. Please contact me for personal training and classes. Join me for fun and new found energy.

I moved to Pagosa Springs in 1982 from California. In 1984 I started my very first Aerobics program in downtown Pagosa. The popularity quickly grew, and soon after, I opened "Total Fitness Concepts", a full facility in the old Adobe building. I became certified in fitness in the early 80's and have continued for many years, mostly here in Pagosa Springs.

My expertise is a wealth of knowledge from 30 years’ experience of working with every type of injury, weight and nutritional issues, and athletic performance for those that need the push and guidance. I have worked with every age and size- young and old. I have a genuine connection to the outdoors- I am also a ski instructor of 15 years at Wolf Creek. My passion for skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking the Divide is what keeps me motivated to train people to utilize Pagosa Country, with stamina and strength to safely enjoy our "magic place".

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