Wheel in CO? - Help Monitor Conditions to Preserve Trails

[ColoradoTrailPatrol]

Greetings-
Wanted to quickly introduce the Colorado Trail Patrol. We are a straightforward program assisting the land management agencies better manage and maintain our OHV trails. We, as a community are already going to be out on the trails, and can be eyes for them to help direct their resources to the areas that need maintenance.

If you are interested in helping, please email Matt@StayTheTrail.org or simply attend one of our upcoming training sessions. They are mostly Front Range at the moment, but there will be Western Slope times dates soon.

February 16 – 6:30pm. Thornton Ganger Mountain. 9923 Grant St, Denver, CO
February 21 – 6:30pm. Longmont Public Library Meeting Room. 409 4th Ave. Longmont, CO.
March 10 – 10:30 am. Southglenn Library, Centennial. 6972 South Vine Street, Centennial, Colorado
March 29 - 6:30pm. Firestation #8. 3737 Airport Rd. Colorado Springs, CO.

[wakkjobb]

Awesome; I'm gonna try to get a few wheelers from work to come along in March.

[ColoradoTrailPatrol]

I appreciate it! More people the better. If anyone has any questions about the program, please email me at Matt@StayTheTrail.org.

Always happy to talk about the program.

[Brandon]

Hey Matt,

Do you still get monies from the .gov for volunteer hours claimed?

Have you made any revision to the rule about not carrying a gun while 'on patrol'?

[vwfastg60]

Going to try for the Longmont one.

[ColoradoTrailPatrol]

We use volunteer hours as leverage against the total amount we request. For this round of grants, we requested 96k with an additional 60k of "in-kind" support from our low estimations of additional hours our volunteers will log on trails this upcoming year. This allows us to show that the project is not entirely "funded" by the grant alone. Unfortunately, we do not get a reimbursed with cash directly for the hours.

In addition to this leverage, other clubs can use their volunteered time on the trails as leverage for their own OHV grants or TreadLightly! stewardship grants.

The weapon issue is tricky. That policy is a direct repercussion from our program status with the agencies. Essentially anyone volunteering for us is volunteering for an agency. Their policy sees no difference between carrying while at a work party on the trail and having something in the vehicle as you are traveling. At the same time, if an incident were to occur involving one of our volunteers and a weapon, it could essentially shut us down. As a result, we set that policy as a fence to keep anyone out that may want some psuedo-authority on the trail to go and confront people.

YET, we completely understand that carrying can provide additional safety for people. How you as an individual interpret the "rule", is up to you. We are not going to be searching volunteers cars or backpacks. So essentially it turns into a don't ask, don't tell situation where the future of the program and our efforts rest on the volunteers sense of responsibility.

[Yanman]

How often do you plan on having meetings like this?

I was checking all the times and locations and at this point in time I cannot make any of the meetings either due to school or other prior engagements.

[Brandon]

Thanks for the prompt reply. I didn't know that's how the volunteering hours worked.

Welcome to cottora btw

[ColoradoTrailPatrol]

We are going to keep trying to have 2 Front Range sessions a month, possibly more. Should have April and May on the calendar in the next few weeks. We also try to get to the Western Slope every other month. Working on training some volunteer reps out there so our presence will be consistent.

[ike]

Great program. I am going to try and make one in the next few months.

[thenexus]

Gonna try and make the one at the end of march.

[dcpsychobilly]

I'll make the march 10 in centennial I'll just be a bit sick

[dcpsychobilly]

So is the march 10 training session in centennial still happening ?.....anyone going/interested ?

[dcpsychobilly]

Meet turned out well, learned a thing or two but mostly j**pers

[dcpsychobilly]

Originally Posted by 123

Any update on April/May meetings? Cheers.

Just contact matt

[fjcruzer]

Originally Posted by dcpsychobilly

Just contact matt

Okay, now that technical difficulties have been resolved (thank you Shannon!) and I don't have to post under a pseudonym...

No problem, I can check with Matt directly, but thought other folks might want an update as well.