Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/04/2012
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Location
Westcreek Rd. & Hill Road
Category(ies) No Categories
Volunteers Invited to Help with Hayman Fire Land Restoration
Local Organizations to Host Restoration Project August 4
WESTCREEK, July 24, 2012 – This year marks one of Colorado’s worst wildfire seasons. It also happens to mark the 10th anniversary of the Hayman Fire, the largest in Colorado’s history, burning more than 137,000 acres. While the land in the post-fire Hayman is slowly healing, even a decade later the devastation continues to impact the surrounding water, plant, and wildlife resources. A team of local organizations, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) and the Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP), is leading a restoration project on Saturday August 4, and volunteers are invited to join the effort.
This will be the second restoration project led by these organizations in the post-fire Hayman area this summer. On June 23rd, 50 volunteers worked on minimizing erosion and restoring an area along Trail Creek, another of the watershed’s tributaries. Volunteers planted over 100 willow stakes in a rehabilitated stream, planted hundreds of pines along the steep Trail Creek hillside, spread seed and erosion control mats, and removed noxious weeds. The National Forest Foundation provided funding support for both projects through its Treasured Landscapes Unforgettable Experiences Fund.
“Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado is honored to be working closely with CUSP to give citizens the chance to be part of wildfire restoration in the Hayman area. Volunteers can play an important role in restoration efforts, as we saw in 2011 during efforts to help re-plant and re-seed the Fourmile Fire burn area, and as we expect to see in the recovery from the devastating fires we’ve experienced this summer,” said Sue Anderson, VOC director of programs.
No experience is needed to volunteer. Volunteers will be supplied with the proper tools and instruction from skilled leaders. Registered volunteers will be treated to a light breakfast and lunch.
When: Saturday, August 4, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Where: The town of Westcreek, approximately 34 miles northwest of Colorado Springs
To Volunteer: To participate, volunteers must register in advance via the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) website at www.voc.org or call 303-715-1010.
The project is a unique opportunity for people to volunteer their time and talent to help the area’s natural resources continue to recover.