Reminder The Next
Scheduled LCOSI Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 11, 2024
9:00 AM, Room 215,
New Discovery Building, CMC Timberline Campus
LCOSI Meeting
Nov.14, 2023
Attendance
Participants signed in:
Jason Willis, TU
Megan Graham, Climax
Jeff Hammond, CPW
Alan Robinson, GARNA,
S&RT
Harmony Jump, CCC/LCCD
Mayda Silver, CMC
John Smeins, BLM
Pat Mercer, USFS
Jeff Fiedler, Lake County
BOCC
Adam Ducharme, Lake County
Recreation
Mark Miller, Citizen
Domonique Nacaratto, Western
State
Jason Marsden, Director GARNA
Jacob Bauer, Aurora Water
Sarah Mudge, Lake County
BOCC
Adam Beh, PROS
Matt Nykiel, National
Forest Foundation
·
Not all
participants signed in
Facilitator: Michael
Conlin
Previous Minutes:
Previous meeting minutes
were accepted as written. Participants were introduced.
Finance
Jason Willis provided an
update on the fiscal position of the LCOSI general fund. The current balance in
the LCCF fiscal sponsor account is $12,027.00 as of 10/31/2023. Funding was
received from Aurora Water, Pueblo Board of Water Works, AHRA, and the 1% for the
outdoors program.
Youth Outreach
The fall LCHS field trip
to Hayden Meadows was held on October 3, 2023. The LCOSI sponsored event was a
follow up to monitor the test plots planted by students in the spring of 2023, implement
fall seeding of native plants in the remaining test plot, and identifying existing
native pollinator plants in conjunction with the Audubon Habitat Hero Program.
Ms. Nicci Condon’s
environmental sciences class also reviewed contaminated and remediated mine
waste sites contrasting historic damage from mining and the efforts to heal
soils and improve water quality.
Eric Detmer, Climax
Environmental Department, led the discussion on past mining impacts and the current
day mining practices that guard against degradation of land and water
resources.
Meagan Graham, Climax
Environmental Department, filled in for Eric to provide an overview of
objectives and Eric’s observations.
Site Remediation
Jason Willis, TU, provided
an update on the test plots at the Hayden Reservoir irrigated meadow and SA-5 fluvial
tailings remediation sites. He indicated that he was not satisfied with the
results of vegetative recovery from the test plots established in the fall of
2022, which were followed by a period of 50 mph winds that appear to have scoured
the native seed beds. The test plots will be re-planted to provide more
conclusive comparison of soil amendments best suited to the specific site
remediation efforts.
Data Transfer
Mike Conlin reported on
the formats reviewed for archiving and retrieval of 27 years of LCOSI records.
Based on IT
recommendations, hard copy data not accessible in digital format (stored on
floppy or optical media and no longer retrievable) will be scanned into Network
Attached Storage along with digitally stored files to allow file access by signatories
to the LCOSI Cooperator Stakeholders
Partnership Agreement.
Partners will be issued passwords to allow access to the network.
It is currently estimated
that storage capacity to archive the data will be in the range of 16 to 20 terabytes.
PROS has indicated a
willingness to explore the purchase of the hardware to accommodate the archival
process, and potentially provide some staff time to aid in the data transfer.
Mike Conlin indicted that
the current budget for 2024 is insufficient to start new capital projects,
facilitate meetings, and transfer 27 years of data to a digital archive. His
time between now and his scheduled retirement in July of 2024 will be focused
the data transfer and general facilitation duties.
Planning for Wildlife
Mike Conlin, LCOSI
coordinator, and Harmony Jump, CCC liaison to the Lake County Conservation
District, attended the Planning for Wildlife meeting in Buena Vista to explore avenues
of public distribution and potential uses for the Wildlife Habitat Map
developed through the planning process.
The Map Series was developed
to identify habitat values, areas of human disturbance, and areas of remaining high-quality
habitat that should be preserved in order to lessen the impacts of future
habitat loss and disturbance on species of significance to the character and
environmental health of the Upper Arkansas River Valley in Lake County.
Meeting memories from the gathering
included:
- Lake County stakeholders met to develop a "wildlife
strategy" to deploy the planning for wildlife map and to sustain local
wildlife populations.
- The group of about 10 met for 3 hrs. and developed a draft
"wildlife strategy" with action ideas rated by feasibility/difficulty
and impact.
- The group prioritized three areas and worked on ideas of
next step actions on those ideas
1) Land Conservation/ Acquisition,
2) Enforcing Seasonal Closures, and
3) Supporting recreation management).
- A standing body of "Wildlife Professionals" from the
region who meet regularly to help advance the Chaffee County Wildlife Strategy
met last week to review the plan and
they added a few more priorities related to wetland habitat enhancement and tapping
wildfire treatments for maximum benefit to wildlife.
- As a next step this plan will be shared with the Lake County
Team working on Rec Management (led by Adam Ducharme) for future action
planning and implementation.
It was suggested that if
greater participation from Lake County was desired, future technical team and
public outreach meetings should be held in Lake County. It was reported that
the map is already being used by the County in recreational and development planning.
Hayden Reservoir:
Handbook
Mike Conlin shared a
document prepared to chronicle and archive the LCOSI site selection criteria, master
planning, environmental studies, permitting, funding, engineering, water rights
procurement, inter-agency agreements, partner contributions, construction elements,
and the sequence of building the Hayden Meadows Reservoir and its subsequent transfer
into Lake County ownership as a community water storage vessel and recreational
amenity.
With the advent of PROS
and their assumption of maintenance and operations of the Hayden Reservoir,
Mike has been meeting with Adam Beh to transfer personal knowledge gained as
project manager for the project as it pertains to past and future operations
and maintenance.
A cursory examination of
the finished reservoir today hides many of the details crucial to understanding
its operations and maintenance and its compliance with state and federal
regulations, (e.g. under-drain system, GCL liner, outlet works etc.) which are buried
under the soil or submerged beneath its waters.
The purpose of the
Handbook is to identify project components, document compliance with
engineering and environmental permitting requirements, preserve its history,
and to synopsize the various puzzle pieces under one document for the benefit
of future management.
Preparation of the
document is part of the preservation and transfer of data to the LCOSI archive
and captures the institutional knowledge and personal experience of the project
manager for the benefit of future generations of planners and resource managers.
Copies of the document and appendices are available to LCOSI partners upon
request.
PROS Update
Adam Beh provided an
overview of actions and activities of the Lake County Parks, Recreation and
Open Space (PROS) Department. Much of the current effort revolves around
staffing up the department, including the posting of the position of Deputy
Director of Open Space which will open on December 4, 2023.
PROS has assimilated the Get
Outdoors Leadville Program and is working with Adam Ducharme on the Friends of
Lake County project to build community volunteer capacity. They are also
developing a corps of trail stewards and working on trail connectivity north of
Leadville, and working with CCC and the Lake County Conservation District to
incentivize conservation of private lands and incorporate the principles. “Leave
No Trace”
Adam indicated that three
firms have been short listed to take on the task of Master Planning the
Arkansas River Community (ARC) Preserve along the main stem of the Arkansas
River between the Hayden Ranch and the Lake/Chaffee County line. The consultant
selection process will close on November 22nd.
It was recommended that
the selected consulting firm be invited to present and solicit LCOSI stakeholder
input at the January 11, 2023, LCOSI meeting. The Public Engagement Process for
the project will close on June 24th.
LCOSI was awarded $1.8mm
in NRDA funding in 2010 that targeted gathering public input, identification,
and prioritization of conservation acquisitions to protect habitat and compensate
for the loss of or damage to environmental resources resulting from historic
mining impacts within the California Gulch Superfund Site.
The parcels within the ARC
Preserve were identified and prioritized for acquisition, exchange, or
conservation easement as part of that process, and LCOSI has provided support
for the Central Colorado Conservancy’s efforts to secure the properties.
GARNA Report
Alan Robinson provided an
update on GARNA activities and the ongoing work of the Friends of Four Mile,
including the efforts to re-introduce beavers and use beaver dam analogs as a
tool for restoring wetland health, improving water quality, and establishing wildfire
resistant corridors.
Alan also indicated that
GARNA has submitted a GOCO Grant for interpretive and public education
messaging along the Stage and Rail Route. Per authorization at the September
meeting, LCOSI provided a letter of support for the grant.
It is noted that the Stage
and Rail Route is subject to the current issue of private landowner liability
for public use of trails traversing their property. The issue has resulted in
the closure of trails to the summits of several 14ers and the requirement for
liability waivers for participants, organizers and the public attending the
Leadville Trail 100 race series.
Transition Team
In preparation for Mike
Conlin’s retirement as coordinator of LCOSI in July of 2024, a Transition Team (TT)
was formed and has been working on the job description and protocol for soliciting
potential independent contractors to respond to a Request for Proposal to fill
the position.
Jason Willis, TU, has been
working with the TT on a draft of the RFP, which was forwarded to the LCOSI
Participant List for review and comment prior to the November meeting.
As proposed, the RFP solicitation
schedule would be:
RFP Released – 4/1/2024
RFP Due – 5/1/2024
Award Contract - 5/15/2024
Begin Position – 6/15/2024
Patric Mercer, USFS, asked
if that provided sufficient time to re-submit the RFP prior to Mike’s
retirement if a suitable candidate was not identified in the first-round
solicitation.
Mike Conlin indicated that
his retirement date is not set in stone, but was announced to stop the moving
target of when it would occur and start the ball rolling on the transition
process. If additional time is required to find a suitable replacement, he will
remain in the position until a replacement is found.
Jason Willis then
distributed copies of a short survey intended to identify characteristics and
skills the group would like to see in the next coordinator. The participants
broke into four groups to respond to the questions.
The Questions:
1) What traits or characteristics
would you like to see in a coordinator?
2) What skills are important
in filling the coordinator role?
3) What previous
experience would be helpful?
4) Where should the
coordinator’s efforts be focused?
Takeaways from the
breakout groups included, but were not limited to:
·
What is the
management structure of the potential contractor? – LCCF acts as fiscal
sponsor, but does not function as a management organization – what management
experience do they bring to the table
·
Should there be a
steering committee to whom the contractor responds and reports?
·
The contractor
should exhibit entrepreneurial skills – act as a catalyst for bringing groups
together for collaborative planning
·
Many new groups
have been formed since LCOSI started in 1997, with many overlapping agendas.
LCOSI should initiate a “Gap Needs Assessment” to improve inter-group communications,
reduce overlap and redundancy, and focus the use of its limited financial
resources
·
Coordinator
should be a self starter – self sufficient and skilled in public facilitation
·
Coordinator
should live in Lake County or in Central Colorado
·
Coordinator
should prioritize projects that have strong stakeholder interest and provide the
ultimate benefit to the landscape.
·
Coordinator
should be flexible to change and evolution of the group and its needs
·
Coordinator
should promote public education and identify effective outreach opportunities
·
Coordinator
should campaign to increase participation in the 1% for the Outdoors Program and
equitable distribution of funds
·
Coordinator
should be a solution oriented, logical thinker, with a bias toward consensus decision
making
·
Coordinator
should have an investment in and a willingness to know the community
·
Coordinator
should have proven grant writing skills
·
Coordinator
should have the capability to work remotely or incorporate a flexible work
environment – LCOSI does not maintain office space
·
Coordinator
should have “Bureaucratic Familiarity”
·
Ther is a need to
identify the base level budget for the part time position that can be enhanced
by contractors grant writing skills or other means of increasing the budget for
specific projects above and beyond general facilitation
Based on input gathered at
the meeting, Jason has revised the coordinator’s position description
(Attached) for your review and comment. The final version will be discussed at
the January 11, 2024, meeting.
As a reminder, the January
LCOSI meeting will be held in Room 215 of the New Discovery Building on the
Timberline Campus of Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, starting at 9:00
AM on Thursday January 11th, 2024. The meeting will be held in a
hybrid format allowing for remote participation – the link to which will be
forwarded with the final meeting reminder.
Agenda items will include a
presentation and input solicitation from the contractor selected to prepare the
Master Plan for the ARC Preserve, an update on water issues as they relate to
the Hayden Meadows Reservoir, delivery system and Lake County’s water
augmentation plan, and updates of ongoing projects.
We will also review the
final draft of the coordinator position RFP (Attached) and request consensus to
proceed as directed in the project timeline.
If you have any additional
items you would like to see discussed, please forward them at your earliest so
that they can be added to the agenda.
Also, a thanks to
individuals who donated almost $4,000.00 to LCOSI through Colorado Gives day,
including but not limited to:
Alan Robinson
Jay Gingrich
Lance Baller
Rebecca Thomas
Diana Kelts
Kelly Sweeney,
Conlin Family Trust
And those who gave anonymously
Hoping that you can join
us to kick of a new year with an appreciation for the past and focus on the
future.
Happy New Year, may it
bring you peace and prosperity.
Respectfully,
Mike Conlin, Coordinator
Lake County Open Space Initiative