Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) has just completed a series of public meetings gathering input to their strategic plan on how to spend their funds for the next five years. They are still gathering input using an online survey that gives you the opportunity to select your priorities. Go to www.gocolistens.org/bp/we-need-your-help and become part of the solution!
Perhaps city folks don’t notice, but few who live in mountains and foothills escape knowing when the pines are doing their thing, and this spring was certainly one of the obvious ones. We see pollen adrift on spring puddles, pollen gathered from the roof to collect in rain barrels, pollen like golden dust all over our decks–marking the tracks of squirrels that have passed. We may fuss at the inconvenience of this annual deposition, especially if we’re the ones that sweep up, and we may question whether all the mess is truly necessary. Along the way to your deck, though, aren’t there a few compensations?
Pollen of pines and other conifers appears in great golden clouds loosened by spring breezes to drift and swirl across mountain landscapes. A combination of events makes this special sight possible, and you ought to consider yourself lucky to catch it. The dark green background of conifer dominance gives these seasonal clouds their dramatic visual setting, surprising newcomers and delighting residents with a familiar, yet mysterious, phenomenon. Probably there are other golden clouds—of grass, or cottonwood, or willow pollen—destined to remain invisible only because they lack the necessary dark backdrop to display themselves effectively.
The air is so filled with this evidence of male energy taking wing that even the evening news begins to notice. When mentioning pollen, does the weatherperson report that this massive outpouring ensures future generations of Colorado’s forests? Not so. Too often we take the presence of airborne pollen to be yet another inconvenience. But look at it from the other point of view for a moment. Perhaps the pollen grain finds it inconvenient to be forcibly snuffed up into a foreign and inhospitable land—our noses—where its germination processes can’t possibly aid the procreation of its species and can only annoy our own. Far from its intended destination, the inhaled pollen grain attempts to initiate a pollen tube on the moist surface of our nasal passages, chemically eating its way through the tissue, much to our continual discomfort.
Had the errant grain landed on a more hospitable surface, sifting down between the scales of a developing female pine cone of the correct species, its life would likely have been longer and more productive. The successful pollen grain spends the entire summer growing a pollen tube—dissolving its way through the soft tissues of the female cone. During the winter it is dormant, its growth arrested by cold. A new surge of growth in spring brings the tube within reach of the developing egg, where it deposits a sperm cell about 13 months from the time the original pollen grain left the parent tree. That’s a substantial lifespan for a single cell, and just the beginning for the seed that’s to mature in fall. But surely only a tiny fraction of pollen grains enjoy such a fate.
What good are all those unsuccessful grains? Besides the allergy-annoyance and resultant boost to the pharmaceutical economy, pollen grains collectively have plenty to tell. Carried by the slightest breeze and its own bladder-like wings, pine pollen spreads far and wide—in space and in time. Its abundance and resistance to decay make it an important fossil marker. Fossils and fossil pollen closely related to our pines have been found in Colorado from rocks deposited in Cretaceous time, as much as 100 million years ago. Other fossil conifers—and their typical two-winged pollen grains—date to the Carboniferous Period, some 300 million years ago. The distinctiveness and widespread occurrence of this pollen type have made it useful to us in another way—as evidence of past climates and environments. Pine pollen, for example, is regarded as an indicator of warm, dry climates, and is used extensively to document the comings and goings of glaciers during the last million years.
Pollen chronologies ought to be unreliable. After all, pollen can be carried far above the Earth on air currents, or it can be washed into rivers and transported out to sea. So far from its source, it may not be telling us what we think. You would expect strong winds and varied source environments to create an incomprehensible mix—a regional pollen stew from our golden clouds. The wide dispersal of wind-borne pollen surely blurs the distinctiveness of the record it creates. Despite such concerns, pollen dating works—ask any oil company who has profited by trusting the usefulness of this tool.
Copyright © 2014 Sally L. White
Illustration by Jan Ratcliffe
Creating coyote-savvy open space users and residents helps reduce conflict between coyotes, pets and people throughout Jefferson County. Educating and motivating citizens to help preserve open space and the wild species that use it is at the core of the PLAN Jeffco mission. This is the first of two articles designed to improve our understanding of and to stimulate conversation about coyotes and their presence in our parks and communities. The comments and observations quoted below are actual observations and thoughts from Jefferson County residents and park users and are taken directly from the comment section of the Denver Metro Area Coyote Hazing Survey (Winter 2014).
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Please join the conversation—send your coyote comments or questions to: mbonnell@cojefferson.co.us |
Coyote Savvy Concept #1: Coyotes Make Great Open Space Managers
“We like [coyotes] because they take care of rodents such as mice and prairie dogs.”
“Frankly, I LIKE the coyotes. I avoid my neighborhood park because of the geese and their ‘leavings’ – the coyotes keep Crown Hill clean!”
Simply put, it pays to have coyotes living in open space. Coyotes help manage populations of would-be nuisance or economically damaging species such as mice, geese, rabbits and insects. Coyotes enrich our open space experience with a rare opportunity to watch an apex predator in action.
“Coyotes enforce the leash laws. They are helpful.”
“Off-leash dogs are an invitation for [coyote] conflict.”
“What we need is more responsible actions on the numerous people I see letting their dog run off leash. This is not good for the dog or the coyote.”
While coyotes are not officially part of the Jefferson County Open Space Volunteer team, they might as well be. Coyote-savvy dog walkers know that the best way to keep a dog safe when walking in coyote country is to keep it on a leash. As the local “top dog”, coyotes sometimes are compelled to see our domestic canines as direct competition for resources such as food and territory. This competitive urge tends to peak during breeding, denning and pupping season. In parks, this competitive urge can play out in “escorting” behavior where a coyote will trot, at a distance, alongside or behind a dog walker. Dog walkers experiencing this unnerving behavior should be prepared to shorten their lead and actively “haze” or scare the coyote off by yelling, waiving arms and using noisemakers such as a whistle or air horn. Dog walkers should never allow pets to approach pups or known den sites. As pups emerge and begin to explore their surroundings, coyote parents can exhibit heightened aggression toward dogs that get too close to pups or den sites.
“The majority of dog owners that I have seen…are morons, countless owners take their dog up to “play” with the coyotes…can you put up signs encouraging people to haze the stupid dog owners as well?”
Dog owners should never let their dog play with or chase coyotes. Coyote has earned its “trickster” reputation for many reasons. One is its ability to trick dogs into thinking they’re on a play date only to find the whole thing was a set up for an aggressive ambush by one or more coyotes. No matter how big your dog is, it is no match for a family group of coyotes. As some pet owners know all too well, coyote’s “top dog” behavior is not limited to open space. Unattended dogs left in backyards can also be perceived as direct competition for a local coyote’s food or territorial resources. Fences mean nothing to a coyote if it is feeling threatened by the presence of a domestic dog. Don’t take any chances with your best friend. Make sure you supervise backyard time, particularly at dawn, dusk and through the wee hours of the night. It may seem like a burden, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Coyote Savvy Concept #2: Which Came First, Coyotes or People?
“THE COYOTES WERE HERE FIRST…LEAVE THEM ALONE AND THEY WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE.”
“Coyotes need places to live since humans keep developing land where animals were living.”
“I feel we’re intruding on their territory, not the other way around.”
“They were here first. This is their land.”
“I hate coyotes, period. They’re too big a predator to be tolerated in a city.”
While there is no question that coyotes lived and thrived on the Colorado Front Range long before humans colonized it, the research community largely agrees that the presence of people has made being a coyote a bit easier in many important ways. The best thing humans did for the coyote was eradicate wolves, which are the only animal known to successfully manage coyote populations. With the absence of wolves and the addition of rich, irrigated landscapes with fruit trees and locally abundant rabbits, squirrels and mice, many note that urban coyotes live lives of luxury and excess far beyond the wildest dreams of their shortgrass prairie-scrabbling ancestors. If you look at it through the eyes of an incredibly opportunistic and flexible creature like the coyote, humans may have invaded the coyote’s original territory, and we have arguably improved upon it in some key ways.
Coyote Savvy Concept #3: Humans Have a Direct Role in Reducing Coyote Conflict
“My impression is that most conflict is human-created.”
“Education is the best way to preserve these animals in such an urban area.”
Regardless of how you feel about coyotes, knowing more about them, their behavior and ecology in urban environments can reduce your chances of experiencing direct conflict with them. Simple acts of stewardship like keeping your pet leashed, supervising your pet in the yard and keeping cats indoors, particularly at night, are a great start. Taking care not to inadvertently feed coyotes by leaving pet food and water out or leaving food scraps in parks is another way to do your part in coyote conflict mitigation. Taking a moment to scare coyotes away that come too close, engage you, or enter your backyard is a more active way to help reduce conflict. I think this survey respondent said it best, “Being cautious and aware, along with exercising a little common sense has served me well.”
Copyright © 2014 Mary Ann Bonnell
Well, since I don’t monitor the news feeds every day, there’s a lot that I’ve missed…but this is what I’ve been able to glean as I career through my work-week. Please feel free to participate by commenting on the events and adding things that I’ve just plain missed.
Cheers,
Michelle
Golden Gets Grant For West 44th Avenue Trail (Golden Transcript, July 1st, 2014):
“The City of Golden received a $210,386 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) in order to build the West 44th Avenue Trail. Partnering with Jefferson County Parks and Open Space, the City of Golden applied for the grant through GOCO’s Path to Parks Program in March…”
Read the whole story at http://goldentranscript.net/stories/Golden-Awarded-grant-to-build-West-44th-Avenue-Trail,160956?
Team Evergreen Proposes Bike Series in Jeffco Open Space (Canyon Courier, July 23rd, 2014):
“Members of Team Evergreen Cycling are exploring the possibility of holding biking events at Jefferson County open space parks. The Mountain Bike Series of the organization would raise funds for trail construction and renovation, said Tom Hoby, director of Jeffco Parks and Open Space.’’
Read the whole story at http://www.canyoncourier.com/content/team-evergreen-proposes-mountain-bike-series-jeffco-open-space (subscription may be required)
Working Group Recommends Arvada Site for Outdoor Shooting Range in Jeffco (Canyon Courier, July 23rd, 2014):
“A working group charged with finding an acceptable location for an outdoor public shooting range in Jefferson County has narrowed the choices to a former quarry in Arvada or another site within that city.
Tom Hoby, Jefferson County Parks and Open Space director, said issues regarding proximity to residents and impacts on natural resources have made the selection process difficult, during a presentation about the shooting-range study to the Jeffco Open Space Advisory Committee on July 10…”
Read the whole story at http://www.canyoncourier.com/content/working-group-recommends-arvada-site-outdoor-shooting-range-jeffco (subscription may be required)
[This section of the article has me a little concerned…] Hoby said that a funding source for the shooting range has not been determined, but it would possibly be a public-private enterprise. If the county commissioners decide to move forward with the project, grants would be pursued along with proceeds from the state lottery, he said.
Development cost for the facility is estimated at $200,000 to $1 million, plus operational, insurance and staff costs, Hoby said.
If the county commissioners decide to hire a consultant to work on the shooting-range project, Hoby said he would recommend that the cost be shared between the county and open space.
Hoby is planning to present the working group’s finding and recommendations to Jeffco commissioners on July 22. [Note that BCC meetings most often take place at 8AM…but check the website http://jeffco.us/bcc/meetings/ for a full schedule]
Most members of the Open Space Advisory Committee listened quietly to Hoby’s presentation on the shooting range.
However, committee member Tookie Nemchak expressed concern about a perception that the shooting range may be an open-space project.
“The public is going to think this is an initiative we have undertaken. That’s a shame,” Nemchak said.
Neglected Trails in No-Man’s Land (YourHub, July 24th, 2014):
“JEFFERSON COUNTY —At the Morrison exit of Interstate 70, signs direct travelers to a point of geological interest. But anyone who follows the signs finds destruction and neglect, and local agencies do not seem to know who is responsible for addressing the situation…”
Read the whole story at http://www.denverpost.com/News/ci_26194768/Dinosaur-Ridge-trails-near-Morrison-showing-signs-of-vandals-neglect
[Is this an example of left-hand, right-hand, and no one really knows what’s going on?]
Representatives of CDOT initially said the path was likely part of Jefferson County Open Space, but that agency’s communication manager said the trail is not within its park system and, if it were, it would be better maintained.
The property likely does fall within CDOT right-of-way, public information officer Bob Wilson said after looking into the situation further.
Wilson said that if CDOT does conclude that the trails are its responsibility, it will look into the next steps toward maintaining the property.
This is a link to a disturbing article in the New York Times about the Nature Conservancy. I’m not sure what to make of it; I’d appreciate your feedback. Read the article and comment on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/PLAN-Jeffco/129286367169585
I suspect this update to our zoning regulations is in response to the recent Colorado Legislature ruling which stated that city and county regulations cannot override State. That was specifically in regard to fracking, but our county, ever on the leading edge of caving in to big industry, is obviously ready to fold. Read for yourself the the red-lined regulation with proposed changes: ZR Section 35 D&P O&G 073114 draft 14_107842AM
and the email cover letter follows. If you have any concerns regarding these changes to the drilling offsets from residences, or any of the other proposed changes, please contact Patrick O’Connell at poconnel@jeffco.us or 303-271-8707, and plan to submit comments by August 13, 2014. If you plan to attend the hearings, the Planning Commission hearing is scheduled for August 27, 2014 at 6:15 pm, and the Board of County Commissioners hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2014 at 8:00 am.
From: Pat OConnell [mailto:poconnel@co.jefferson.co.us]
Sent: Friday, 01 August, 2014 11:16 AM
Subject: Jefferson County Zoning Resolution Section 35, Drilling and Production of Oil and Gas, Proposed Amendments – Case No. 14-107842AM
The County is proposing changes to the Zoning Resolution, Section 35, Drilling And Production of Oil And Gas
Jefferson County staff is drafting an amendment to Section 35 of the Zoning Resolution regarding the Drilling And Production of Oil And Gas. This Section is being amended to clarify the process for drilling and production of oil and gas in different zone districts and to address the discrepancies between setback requirements with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rules and regulations. The setbacks are being amended to match those in the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rules and regulations.
The remarked version for the following Section is available for public review and comment, Case Number 14-107842AM:
Information can also be found on the Regulation Revision webpage which can found here: http://jeffco.us/planning-and-zoning/regulations/regulation-revision/
For more information contact Patrick O’Connell at poconnel@jeffco.us or 303-271-8707.
Please submit comments by August 13, 2014. Planning Commission hearing is scheduled for August 27, 2014 at 6:15 pm. The Board of County Commissioners hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2014 at 8:00 am. Both hearings will be held in Hearing Room 1 of the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Building, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden. Public testimony is encouraged at both hearings.
Pat OConnell, poconnel@co.jefferson.co.us
The LWCF (Land & Water Conservation Fund) coalition published a report July 23, Land & Water Conservation Fund 50 Years of Conserving America the Beautiful, under the signatures of former Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and Beveridge & Diamond PC Senior Counsel Henry Diamond. The report is available at: http://lwcfcoalition.org/
front and center on the home page. Click the link on that page to download a PDF copy of the report, or Click here to view the 50th Anniversary Report of LWCF
In a show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the House bill to make permanent an enhanced tax incentive for conservation of farmland, rangeland, woodlands and other important open spaces. The bill, which included other charity provisions, passed by a vote of 277-130.
This has been a priority for the Land Trust Alliance since 2006, and it represents a huge victory for conservation that reflects the strength of our community, which came together to urge Congress to act. This would not have been possible without land trust leaders from across the country reaching out to their representatives and their congressional staff to demonstrate the importance of this legislation to voters in their district.
The measure now goes to the Senate, where we have strong support, but will face new challenges in breaking through a legislative logjam.
So please join me in taking some time to celebrate, and then stay tuned for next steps on the march to permanence.
Your Help Needed to Make the Easement Incentive Permanent. … learn how to get involved »
Don’t Miss Rally 2014 (Sept. 18 – 20) in Providence, RI… more info and register online »
Be one of the first to check out the new photo albums and pix that I’ve just finished posting on our PLAN Jeffco Facebook page…https://www.facebook.com/pages/PLAN-Jeffco/129286367169585
As you can see, these are not professional photos. They’re simply snapshots taken by ordinary folks who like to visit these Open Space parks. And that’s what we’re looking for…photos of your favorite OS park that you’d like added to the albums.
If you have photos that you’d like us to post, please attach them to an email message and send to me at mapoolet@ix.netcom.com. Write a brief description of each photo, including at which OS park it was taken at, and a rough timeframe when the photo was taken – for example, circa 2010.
By doing this, you’re giving us permission to post your photos on our Facebook and web pages, which is why we want to credit you with the work. You may think it’s just a snapshot, but to us, it’s a way to show how beautiful and accessible our Jeffco Open Space Parks truly are.
See you in the park,
Michelle Poolet, PLAN Jeffco Board Member
Jefferson County straddles one of the most conspicuous and important geographic and geologic boundaries in western North America, the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains. To the east you can travel 1,100 miles across Great Plains and Central Lowlands before you sight the western foothills of the Appalachians. If you travel in the other direction you will cross or skirt mountain range after mountain range until you sight the Coast Range near San Francisco, more than 900 miles to the west. Many of these mountains have different ages and origins than the Colorado mountains, but they are all part of the great mountain belt called the North American Cordillera that extends along the western edge of the continent from Alaska through Mexico.
What is the reason for the remarkably straight and abrupt eastern flank of the Colorado Front Range? The brief answer is that it marks the edge of a block of ancient metamorphic and igneous rocks that has been uplifted relative to younger flat-laying sedimentary rocks that underlie the plains to the east. During the uplift, the sedimentary rocks along the boundary have been uplifted and tilted eastward to form the discontinuous line of hogback ridges that parallel the mountain front. Erosion during and after the uplift has removed the sedimentary rocks that once lay above the harder rocks of the mountain uplift, carved the scenic peaks and mountain canyons in the hard crystalline rocks of uplifted block, and worn away the softer layers of sedimentary rocks of the plains, but left a few of the harder upturned layers along the mountain front as hogback ridges.
Jefferson County Open Space Parks, as well as other nearby parks and National Forest lands, offer marvelous opportunities to explore the geologic story behind this singular landscape. At first the distribution of rocks of different ages and types seems almost random, but careful study of the rocks and landscape features reveals a captivating geologic story, a history that tells of the building of the foundations of the continent, the rise and destruction of long vanished mountain ranges, the ebb and flow of ancient seas, and the constant shaping and reshaping of the landscape in response to the never-ending interplay between uplift and erosion. This historical account is constantly being improved and expanded as new evidence accumulates and new interpretations evolve.
To read the rest, please download the full PDF.