June 15, 2013
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Corral Bluffs
Garden of the Gods
Red Rock Canyon
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Trails and Open Space Coalition, Colorado Springs
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 The 19th annual Heuberger Starlight Spectacular was one to remember. Never has the weather been better, the costumes more creative, the bikes lit so brightly or the riders, volunteers and sponsors more cheerful and generous.
All in the shadow of one of the most difficult weeks any of us can remember. We mourn for fire-ravaged Black Forest and the many residents without homes. Regional parks and open spaces in northern El Paso County will take years to recover. As information becomes available about the extent of the damage and plans for restoration, we will share with you.
Why did we decide to ride? While sensitive to the losses that have been sustained by some of our friends and neighbors, we felt that coming together as a community was important, now more than ever. Considering the tremendous turn-out, you agreed.
We heard of a couple who lost their home to fire but had saved their bicycles and rode with us. If they contact us, not only will they ride free this year, but we'd like them to be our guests next year too.
Thanks to those of you who brought canned goods and donations for Care and Share. We'll make sure they are delivered quickly because the need is great.
And thank you for supporting Trails and Open Space. We are grateful for you.
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Dear Friends of the Trails and Open Space Coalition,
We have been getting calls asking whether we will cancel the Starlight Spectacular bike ride this Saturday, June 15th, because of the Black Forest Fire. As it stands now, we will ride as scheduled!
We're sensitive to the losses that have been sustained by some of our friends and neighbors, and feel that coming together as a community is important, now more than ever. As long as we can provide a safe event; as long as our police support and ambulance backups are able to participate, and air quality on the west side continues to be acceptable, we will ride.
Watch this space for updates as we get closer to the event.
Thank you for supporting the Trails and Open Space Coalition, "dedicated to the preservation of open space and parks, and the creation of a network of trails, bikeways and greenways for the Pikes Peak region."
Update: Police and ambulance services are confirmed as of Friday 2 pm. We will ride!
Note: Walk-In Registrations are available at the event, beginning at 9 pm at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center. Visit http://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/starlight-spectacular/ for details and FAQs.
(Updated Friday, June 14th, 2:35 pm)
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Great news today from Trust for Public Land. They released their “2013 ParkScore” rankings of city parks systems, and Colorado Springs ranked 14 out of 50 – ahead of Denver, Austin and Oklahoma City! All of us are very proud of our parks and parks staff and we're very excited that we were ranked so highly against cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and Dallas.
We did particularly well in the overall acreage of parks category, and number of playgrounds per capita category. We were also ranked well in the proximity to parks category--what percentage of the population lives within a 10-minute walk to a public park.
Where did we fall down? Not surprising – per capita spending for parks. We only received 6 out of a possible 20 points in this category. According to the report, we only spend $61.67 per person per year in support of our city parks. Denver spends $131.33 per person per year. It’s great to know parks staff are carefully watching every nickel and dime spent, but with city sales tax revenue rising, it's time to consider increasing the parks budget proportionally and get it back to where it was 5-10 year ago. Our parks, trails and open space are our “crown jewels.” They are worth the investment.
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Are you interested in the future of trails, open space and parks in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region? Would you like input into the important decisions that will be made in the next few years around our public spaces?
Please apply for one of three openings on the TOPS Working Committee. Deadline for applications has been extended to May 31st.
The TOPS Working Committee helps develop the vision for trails and open spaces, initiates steps for conservation, reviews applications for open space acquisitions and make recommendations to the Colorado Springs Parks Board. The group meets once a month (in the early morning) depending on the volume of applications or projects. Occasional field trips are offered to explore sites that are in the application process.
If you are interested, curious or have questions, call Trails and Open Space Coalition at 719-633-6884 and ask for Bill, or email
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Below: Gov. Hickenlooper with Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance Chief Business Development Officer (and TOSC Board Member) Dave White.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper was in town recently to speak at a Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance luncheon focused on health and wellness. The governor asked businesses and citizens to join in an effort to promote healthy behaviors like staying active and eating right.
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What a great turnout for our Earth Day hike and Trail Cleanup with UpaDowna and the Trails and Open Space Coalition on Sunday, April 21st! About 30 people of all ages met in the morning at Red Rock Canyon Open Space. We closed renegade trails in the area, hiking up Lower Hogback trail and closing portions of trail between the top of hill and the fence. The kids had a great time finding rocks in the field just to the east and branches from some newly cut down Siberian Elms to use for blocking the unsustainable trails. We also added debris to other side of the boarded stop sign (just to the south) to prevent use, and picked up a lot of trash.
After the cleanup, we took some time for a delicious healthy snack (thanks, UpaDowna!) and then took a big loop hike through the center of Red Rock Canyon. It was perfect weather and a gorgeous place to get ourdoors.
Thanks to the City of Colorado Springs and the Friends of Red Rock Canyon for supporting this fun event.
(Please note: Ranger Mike with the city cut down the trees and left them for us to use in blocking social trails. We did not cut down any trees. We work with our Park Rangers to find projects that they need done in our parks).
If you would like to volunteer on a project, visit http://openspacevolunteers.org and click on our volunteer calendar to find an opportunity.
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 The Waldo Canyon fire damaged 18,247 acres in Pike National Forest. 40% suffered light damage (Green), 40% had moderate damage (Yellow) and 20% of the damage was severe (Red), most vegetation is gone. The National Forest lands inside the fire perimeter are closed indefinitely.
The green fingers on the east side show the fire incursions into Mtn. Shadows and Blodgett neighborhoods in Colorado Springs, where damages to residential properties were severe.
Damage to Colorado Springs public spaces totaled 179 acres in Blodgett Peak Open Space, Mountain Shadows Open Space and along Foothills Trail. These photos show the extent of the damage, and they show how rapidly nature begins to send out shoots of new life and rejuvenation.
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