2012-Jim Creek Trail Restoration

Start Date-End Date: 07/14/2012-07/14/2012 Land Manager Office: USFS - Sulphur Ranger District Land Manager Contact: Paul Saarela Funding Partner: National Sports Center for the Disabled Programmatic Partner: Summary: Help restore the popular Jim Creek Trail, just southeast of Winter Park. Trail was destroyed from pine beetle kill removal projects and was re-established by the volunteers. The trail was re-established in guidelines with ADA standards. Description: STEWARDSHIP SITE The Jim Creek Trail is a popular, short trail just southeast of Winter Park. It is located next to the Jim Creek campground, used by the National Sports Center for the Disabled for their recreational programs. VOC volunteers planted trees and constructed ADA trail in the campground in 2011. VOLUNTEER PROJECT - WHAT & WHY Help restore this popular trail which was affected by logging of dead lodgepole trees destroyed by the mountain pine beetle. Volunteer work will involve reestablishing crusher fine gravel trail, as well as raking and possibly re-seeding logging roads used to access forests and clear trees. Other work will involve clearing brush, raking, and piling foliage that has collected from clearing trees. PARTNERS National Sports Center for the Disabled U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Sulphur Ranger District National Forest Foundation Pizzal Pedal'r OTHER FUN STUFF Meals: light breakfast; lunch will be generously provided by Pizza Pedal'r Latitude/Longitude: 39.91618728637695, -105.810302734375 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 30 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 22 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 17 Total Volunteer Days: 39 Total Unique Volunteers: 39 Total Volunteer Hours: 328 Staff Hours: 24 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: Volunteers reestablished two sections of trail by clearing debris from pine-beetle slash, laying weed cloth, and finally adding and compacting crusher fine. Volunteers worked efficiently to avoid afternoon showers that hovered nearby late morning, and finished both sections before the downpours arrived. 1. What were the most significant areas of achievement on this project? Two goal areas of trail restoration were restored and done so before weather hit. 2. What areas need improvement from this project? More importantly, what constructive ideas do you have in order to improve these areas? What can VOC’s committees and staff do to implement these improvements? Potentially having more crew leaders would have been helpful…but VOC has been conscious of not spreading their volunteer leadership too thin this year. John Scott has been busting his butt this year; must listen carefully to crew leaders while on project to ensure they aren’t being overworked – not necessarily on a particular project, but throughout the project season. 3. What did you try new on this project that worked better than on prior projects? N/A 4. How much work was completed? If not 100%, when will it be completed by the agency? Did the agency provide everything they agreed to in the MOU? 100% 5. How did the agency feel at the end of the project? National Sports Center for the Disabled appeared content with the amount of work done. Though Paul seemed a little quiet towards the end. I think it may be because we got “done” early just as weather started upon us…so while the goal for the day was achieved, perhaps he would have liked some additional work done. 6. Could the agency have better supported the team’s efforts? How? NCSD help supply some additional tools for the project and bobcat – this helped with limited space in VOC vehicles for tools. Other than that, VOC supplied all resources (breakfast, coffee, lunch, tools, volunteers, etc.) 7. Was this project a good volunteer and crew leader experience (i.e., did the volunteers enjoy themselves and did everything appear seamless)? How might we further enhance their experience? Yes, I think the volunteers had a great time and it was a good project because of the dramatic before/after effect of this trail restoration. As mentioned, we may have been better off having one more crew leader, but with John Scott’s experience I think he was confident in his skills (because I know I was) - - so, beyond perhaps a bit more oversight required on behalf of the crew leaders we had, I think they were happy and had a good time. 8. Any Crew Chef issues -- was there enough food and was it on time? Pizza donation was a little thin, but everyone got 2 pieces and then there were some left over. We also had leftover food from a training earlier in the week, and made a “fancy” salad (according to volunteers) – which they really liked. 9. Any Crew Leader issues -- sufficient number, consistency in work? Did any Crew Leader Trainees graduate? Could have had one more, but it worked out just fine. 10. TA issues? Were construction notes clear and expectations explained to everyone? Were the notes provided at orientation? Were the TAs readily accessible to CLs and Project Team members? John Scott took the lead on this, and was amazing. Gary Nelson also assisted in the oversight of one section of trail and completed it with high quality work. John Scott was able to “float” because Sally Hardin (intern) was there to help Crew Lead when John needed to assess various sections of the trail for quality control. 11. TM issues? Did you have sufficient help with the tools? Will you have any Project Team members helping at the next tool maintenance? Had plenty of tools – and the right ones. Perhaps we should have thrown in some mallets for the cloth staples, but other than that – we did a good job planning.