 |
On April 30th, 2000
over 100 volunteer from the motorcycle, ATV, and four wheel drive
community spent a Sunday morning removing trash and spent casings
left by irresponsible target shooters on public lands near Jamestown,
Colorado.
This years event, even with the usual cool weather,
drew a large number of volunteers. There were members of the Northern
Colorado Trail Riders, Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit, Mile Hi Jeep
Club, Trailridge Runners 4WD Club, Big Thompson Four Wheelers, Hobo
Jeepers, Hillbillies 4WD Club, Go 4's 4WD Club, and CSU Big Wheels.
The three main shooting areas along the start of the Lefthand Canyon
4WD road were full of targets and garbage again this year. Our group
began filling the trash bags donated by Honda and loading them into
pickup trucks to be hauled to the large roll off dumpster donated
by Western Disposal. Two groups of 4WD vehicles headed up to retrieve
an abandoned Volvo and a Scout. The Scout has been below ‘five
points' for a few years now, and last years attempt at retrieving
it was not successful. This year the team from Big Thompson 4WD
Club came prepared with torches and cut off saws. After some winching
and dragging, both vehicles were hauled down to pavement to be removed.
By eleven o'clock the majority of the trash had been hauled to the
roll off and lunch was being prepared. Tom Kyle of the Hillbillies
4WD Club was our chef for the day cooking up the hotdogs donated
by The Parts Place in Fort Collins. By noon the roll off was over
flowing and the area was once again cleaned up.
By the end of the day, the "No Shooting"
signs placed at the illegal shooting area had been removed. This
is an indication of the lack of management that this area has received
to date. In a high use area of an urban forest like the Roosevelt
National Forest, the lack of management direction, enforcement,
and signing will lead to resource impacts.
Prior to our cleanup Martha Moran, Recreation Officer for the Boulder
Ranger District, and Jack Placchi, Colorado State Parks Off-Highway
Vehicle program, visited the area and are beginning meetings to
develop a management plan that intends to solve the impacts. The
goal will be to develop a motorized system that incorporates many
different types of challenges while eliminating the trash and proliferation
of illegal hill climbs and user created roads. |