2022-Trail Construction @ North Fruita Desert Recreation Area: Mike O'Brien Memorial Project

Start Date-End Date: 09/24/2022-09/25/2022 Land Manager Office: BLM - Grand Junction Field Office Land Manager Contact: Ross Mittelman Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Colorado Plateau Mtn Bike Trail Association, Inc Summary: Celebrate National Public Lands Day by building a new multi-use trail. Open to volunteers ages 12+! Description: Project photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management Where You'll Be: Less than an hour's drive from Grand Junction, the North Fruita Desert Recreation Area sits in the foothills of the Book Cliffs, a range of desert mountains and cliffs that stretch hundreds of miles from Colorado to Utah. The area is rapidly becoming a national destination for mountain bikers, though equestrians, trail runners, and hikers also enjoy these trails, which wind through desert scrublands, grasslands, badlands, and pinon-juniper forest. The North Fruita area in particular is one of few local areas that is suitable for beginner and intermediate mountain bikers. Anyone that attends a VOC volunteer opportunity in August, September, and October will be entered in a drawing for the chance to win a $300 SCHEELS Gift Card. The more opportunities you attend, the more entries you will earn. Good luck! What You'll Do: Celebrate National Public Lands Day by breaking ground on a brand new trail! Volunteers ages 12+ are invited to spend the weekend on this fairly large project of approximately 80 people. The terrain is fairly flat with only some scrub brush and small boulders and rocks to remove, so this project is a fantastic introduction to trail-building for beginners or for experienced volunteers who enjoy basic trail construction. It's also a great way to meet people and discover new recreation areas in the state! Campsites will be provided along with meals from our volunteer Crew Chefs. There are also plenty of mountain biking trails nearby for those looking to ride after the work day. Why It Matters: The North Fruita Desert has evolved into a mountain biking destination over the past few decades, and these trails are a keystone element in the economic development of Western Slope communities like Fruita. 80,000 people visited the area in 2017, and that number has only continued to increase! To help address visitor usage, the Bureau of Land Management developed a master plan for the area in 2019 that identified 32 miles of new trail. The trail you help build is part of that plan and will expand sustainable recreation opportunities in the area. 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 128,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $26 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, visit www.voc.org or call 303-715-1010. Latitude/Longitude: 39.3222072, -108.7125745 Additional Information: To organize carpooling please visithttps://www.groupcarpool.com/t/0s9aec Please determine the following amongst yourselves: 1. Pick up location 2. When you leave 3. Vaccination status 4. Mask usage VOC suggests coordinating carpooling in the safest way possible and encouraging a mask friendly policy in your cars. If you have any issues finding a rider or a ride, please feel free to reach out to myself. Happy volunteering! Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Easy, Moderate High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 75 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 60 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 60 Total Unique Volunteers: 34 Total Volunteer Hours: 488 Staff Hours: 0 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Volunteers constructed 4000 feet of brand new trail open to all non-motorized users, although it was built mainly for mountain bikers. The weekend had great weather and great food from crew chef Lisa and her helpers, including a delicious mediterranean themed dinner! While we could have taken many more volunteers (we were aiming for 100 or so), we were still able to complete a full loop and open it by the end of the weekend with just 5 crews working. Overall a great success! Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: John Rushing went to the emergency room with chest pain and vomiting, but the clinic quickly cleared him of a cardiac event. He said he was recovering from a stomach bug and thought it might have flared up again unexpectedly due to exertion and dehydration. He went home. Incident report submitted to Director of Finance. VOC project manager (Kate) developed a bad cough from the tail end of a head cold and left the project Saturday morning after registration was complete. Mike Mattice took over managing the project. Description of Work Completed: