About Grand County, CO

There are new temporary trail closures in the Arapahoe National Forest, just outside of Winter Park and Fraser. The Fraser Boundary Fuels Project has moved to Vasquez Road on October 31st, 2011. This is the logging operation to mitigate the pine beetle trees by removing fuels and reducing the chance of a wildfire near the towns of Winter Park & Fraser.

Trails Closed:

• Twin Bridges & Surrounding Campsites - there will be a burn pile near the junction of Twin Bridges and Blue Sky

• Elk Meadows Area (near CR 72)

• D2

• D4 (upper section)

• WTB

The Forest Service asks that everyone please respect these temporary safety closures so that loggers can complete their work and move on as quickly as possible. And for public safety, closures will remain in effect during evenings, weekends and holidays. Please follow posted signs. Maps of alternate routes and recreation areas are available at the entry points to the work areas, on the Sulphur Ranger District website and at various locations around town including bike shops and the Winter Park Visitor’s Center.

Call 970-887-4100 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/arp for more information.

If you live or visit Winter Park, CO, you have probably seen logging operations to remove the dead pine beetle trees from our National Forests. The US Forest Service has been planning to clear the dead trees along the Winter Park boundary by Vasquez Road and Arapahoe Road for some time and it now appears this project is imminent! It's our duty as US citizens to make sure they do a good job!

Since the area to be cleared is wetlands and old-growth forest, it is hoped that great care will be taken in the dead tree removal. Although this section of the forest has had a lot of beetle kill trees, it is full of young growth and many varied species of trees as well as flowers and grasses that are specific and unique to this area! The key to this project is to make sure that they do not just destroy everything in their path. Wetlands are protected nationally and the Army Corps of Engineers as well as conservation consulting should have already taken place!

We need to organize and monitor the upcoming work that will take place. The more oversight we are able to put in place, the better the outcome of the finished product. Therefore, I am sending this letter out to all property / project owners who live directly along the line of the forest boundary in downtown Winter Park as well as other property owners adjacent to the proposed project location.

The town is aware of this project and has been instrumental in applying pressure on the Forest Service to get this project done. There are several very popular trails that along this project boundary and they also need to be preserved and protected from falling timber and one of the reasons for this project. The other is the forest fire mitigation. They plan on taking the dead trees out in two locations: (1) along the forest service boundary on upper Vasquez Road and (2) within the forest service boundary at the end of Arapahoe road.

Therefore, I am asking everyone who uses this area to be diligent in monitoring the work! The more interested people involved the more impact we can have on the ultimate “finished product.” We hope to be proud of the work being done and look forward to a vibrant re-growth of the beautiful forest we all love and appreciate. The town of Winter Park has been fully informed about the upcoming work and may even contributed to the project being done successfully! We only get one chance to complete this project in the correct manner.

Below is contact information for the Town of Winter Park as well as the United States Forest Service office in Granby, Colorado. So please contact Reed Armstrong or Town manager ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­to find out the schedule of work to be performed. Remember we can help to insure the best possible outcome of such a sensitive project and make it into a “show case” and preserve what we have been blessed with to have in our backyard. So, please do what you can within your power to help to encourage, monitor and have input into this work to have the best possible outcome of this project.

Contact info:

Town of Winter Park

Drew Nelson, Town Manager

970-726-8081

dnelson@wpgov.com

Reed Armstrong or Craig McGuire

970-887-4100 main office #

United States Forest Service – Sulphur Ranger District

970-887-4145 Direct to Reed

office in Granby, Colorado

Property Search App - Whether you’re searching for a house or want to see what homes are selling for in your neighborhood, my app brings the information to the palm of your hand anytime, anywhere. This is the only real estate app that works on standard cell phones and smart phones alike. Plus, it's free! How it works:

• Search all homes for sale by GPS, address, city or zip code.
• The "Call" feature will connect you to a Real Estate of Winter Park representative if you have questions or want a tour.
• Select a property from the list to view price, square footage, taxes, features, descriptions, maps, pictures and more!
• Save a property or your entire search to access later.
• Share what you find! Send a property to a friend via text or email.

How to get the app: 1) Text REWP to 87778; Or 2) click here to enter your phone number or scan a QR Code. There are options for iPad and iPod users as well! If you are not in Grand County, you will need to enter Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, Tabernash, Grand Lake or Hot Sulphur Springs as your Search Area.

Text: REWP To: 87778

Property Search App - Whether you’re searching for a house or want to see what homes are selling for in your neighborhood, my app brings the information to the palm of your hand anytime, anywhere. This is the only real estate app that works on standard cell phones and smart phones alike. Plus, it's free! How it works:

• Search all homes for sale by GPS, address, city or zip code.
• The "Call" feature will connect you to a Real Estate of Winter Park representative if you have questions or want a tour.
• Select a property from the list to view price, square footage, taxes, features, descriptions, maps, pictures and more!
• Save a property or your entire search to access later.
• Share what you find! Send a property to a friend via text or email.

How to get the app: 1) Text REWP to 87778; Or 2) click here to enter your phone number or scan a QR Code. There are options for iPad and iPod users as well! If you are not in Grand County, you will need to enter Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, Tabernash, Grand Lake or Hot Sulphur Springs as your Search Area.

Text: REWP To: 87778

Chill Out! Colorado Snow And Waterfalls! Cool Colorado Scenery from June 2003.

View from Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, near Milner Pass.

A second view from Trail Ridge Road.

This is the Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Alluvial Fan was formed July 15th, 1982 at 5:30 am, when a dam burst and the contents of a Lawn Lake came down the hill (along with the huge boulders).

This is one of the many beautiful waterfalls in Rocky Mountain National Park. Make sure and visit Alberta Falls when you go to the park, it is not too strenuous and the scenery is beautiful.