2017-Chautauqua Park Fence Construction

Start Date-End Date: 08/17/2017-08/17/2017 Land Manager Office: City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Land Manager Contact: Beau Clark Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Construct fencing with the famous Flatirons as your backdrop. Description: About the Stewardship Site: Chautauqua Park is a National Historic Landmark and iconic to the City of Boulder. The area is host to some of the most beautiful scenery in Colorado with the famous Flatirons as its backdrop. The Bluebell Mesa rises above Chautauqua and is truly the definition of where the plains meet the mountains. The geologic history of this area can be seen not only in the Sandstone Flatirons that rest behind Bluebell Mesa, but also throughout Boulder as stone from this area was harvested in the late 1800's to construct sidewalks and buildings from Boulder to Denver. The Fencing project will take place along the Bluebell Mesa Trail that overlooks Chautauqua. This project is important to help keep users on designated trails, preventing them from creating new use trails in the pristine Chautauqua meadow. There will be a mile hike with a few hundred feet in elevation gain to get to the project site. About the Volunteer Project: Volunteers will arrive in the morning and enjoy coffee and breakfast before setting out for the project site. Although this is a moderately sized project of about 50 people, volunteers will be split into groups of about 8 to 10 while working. During the day, volunteers will be constructing pin and rail fencing which will involve digging holes for posts and assembling rails and wires to add stability. The use of hand tools and some light power tools will be required; plus a mile hike with a few hundred feet in elevation gain to get to the project site. This project is best suited for volunteers comfortable with a high level of manual labor. About the Overall Impact: The need for fencing along the Bluebell Mesa is very high. In recent years, many new undesignated trails have developed due to hikers exploring the meadow below or leaving the trail toget back to Chautauqua faster.This, coupled with record high numbers, have generated the need to restore and keep the beauty of the area as it once was. The fencing will also serve as a reminder to "leave no trace" and conserve Chautauqua for future generations to enjoy. NOTE:MINORS ON VOC PROJECTSYouth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on single-day projects. Latitude/Longitude: 39.9996038, -105.2825692 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Moderate High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 40 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 42 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 2 Total Volunteer Days: 44 Total Unique Volunteers: 44 Total Volunteer Hours: 360 Staff Hours: 20 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: 44 volunteers spent the day at Chautauqua Park to help close and restore undesignated social trails. The popular park in the heart of Boulder sees extremely high levels of use, and off trail hiking damages park resources. to help alleviate this, volunteers constructed 450 feet of fence to help keep hikers on the trail and closed and restored 1,000 feet of social trail. Successes and Challenges: Pretty easy and straigtforward day. Always receive lots of support from Boulder OSMP, including about 8 staff to help lead the project. Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: