2020-CANCELLED: Campsite Inventory & Restoration @ Lost Creek Wilderness

Start Date-End Date: 06/05/2020-06/07/2020 Land Manager Office: USFS - South Platte Ranger District Land Manager Contact: Brandon Mitchell Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Friends of Mt Evans & Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado Mountain Club Summary: Hike through beautiful Wilderness while collecting data and restoring unsustainable campsites. Description: Project photo by Matt Enquist. Where You'll Be: About an hour's drive from either Castle Rock or Colorado Springs, the Lost Creek Wilderness is one of the most accessible wilderness areas from these ever-growing urban centers. The Wilderness has kept its remote feel and offers a variety of landscapes and stunning views of unique red rock formations in its 119,00 acre expanse. The Goose Creek Trail is one of the area's most popular hikes, boasting prime backcountry camping and fishing opportunities. What You'll Do: Spend a weekend hiking along trails in the gorgeous Lost Creek Wilderness as you help collect data on, and restore, illegal and unsustainable campsites. In doing so, you'll benefit the natural environment and provide the U.S. Forest Service with essential data needed to prevent the future creation of illegal sites and establish permanent, sustainable campsites in their place. Meals and campsites will be provided; please note this project will require hiking about 4 miles each day. Why It Matters: Campsite proliferation is having a significant impact on the Lost Creek Wilderness area's ecology due to the influx of backcountry users who fail to follow the 7 Leave No Trace principles and existing wilderness regulations, such as camping 100 feet away from water and trails. The Goose Creek Trail has become an area of critical environmental concern, and volunteers' effortswill help to improve resource conditions and the visitor experience. Need-to-Know Details: Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or olderon overnight projects. VOC will provide all equipmentincluding tools and work gloves. Cancellation:Our partners rely on VOC volunteers to accomplish critical stewardship needs, and our projects often have wait lists. If you need to cancel, pleaseemailKendall Coxor call 303-715-1010 ext. 116 as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and have a full workforce. About Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is the state's oldest, largest, and leading outdoor stewardship nonprofit organization. Founded in 1984 to motivate and enable people to become active stewards of Colorado's natural resources, VOC has engaged nearly 125,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $25 million. Through award-winning youth and volunteer programs, leadership training, capacity-building programs, and collaborative efforts with nonprofits and land management agencies, VOC is an invaluable resource in Colorado, especially as our outdoor stewardship needs are approaching near-crisis levels. For more information, visitwww.voc.orgor call 303-715-1010. Latitude/Longitude: 39.226313, -105.288035 Additional Information: Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Moderate, Difficult High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 30 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: Total Youth Volunteers Attended: Total Volunteer Days: Total Unique Volunteers: Total Volunteer Hours: 0 Staff Hours: 0 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: