Friends Of The Poudre is one of the most active grassroots citizens groups that works on behalf of the environment in northern Colorado.
The organization was formed in 1986 to stop a billion- dollar water storage project that, in all likelihood, would remove water from northern Colorado and provide electricity to out-of- state users‹providing little, if any, benefits to northern Colorado while destroying a major environmental and recreational location in the lower Poudre Canyon. Although the threat of the water storage project still exists, it has diminished considerably due to high costs and little public support.
As a result, Friends Of The Poudre evolved in the mid- 1990s from a river protectionist group into an organization involved in basinwide issues that cover water use and quality, growth, quality of living, and, among other matters, environmental impacts. No other group has taken on this broad role which involves keeping track of and participating in issues that impact the environment in a geographic area that includes all of Larimer County and part of Weld County.
Not surprising in today's world, issues are complicated when they involve the Poudre River, the basin and water. Facts are complex. Many viewpoints exist. To remain abreast of the issues and make important contributions, Friends Of The Poudre relies on volunteers dedicated to community service. The number of volunteers varies from project to project and issue to issue. In some cases, it may be only one volunteer who oversees a project, while in other instances several hundred are called upon.
Friends Of The Poudre takes a proactive approach toward environmental activities related to the Poudre River basin. The general types of activities accomplished in 1996 and 1997 include:
Participating in projects that will benefit the public while enhancing the Poudre River and its basin. This includes identifying and implementing projects or becoming involved in important issues that other organizations or people have identified.
Creating avenues through which the public can make comments about environmental issues. Avenues usually revolve around encouraging Friends Of The Poudre members to write letters to the editor or guest editorials, or comment on proposed projects that impact the environment. The organization also distributes about 1,500 newsletters to members, key politicians and decision makers, and the general public; and provides press releases and background information as a way to keep the media and public informed.
Providing educational services through which community members, particularly youth, have the opportunity to make wise decisions by learning about issues impacting the Poudre. This involves conducting public seminars and forums, and speaking to school classes and other civic groups and government leaders. The overriding purpose for doing these activities is this: The more people who are educated about such issues, the more active they will be in the conservation, reclamation and restoration of the environment.
Helping other organizations develop projects that will benefit the Poudre basin. This involves providing expertise to help groups develop such much-needed projects as grant applications and publicity campaigns that focus on Poudre-related issues.
Took an active leadership role in the development of a $3.4 million GOCO Legacy grant for environmental projects in northern Colorado
Friends Of The Poudre played a major role in the development of a $3.4 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado that will conserve, reclaim and restore the environment in Larimer and Weld counties, particularly in the cities of Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, Windsor, and Greeley. Friends Of The Poudre provided significant authorship and other services and materials needed to develop the grant application.
The funding, acquired in 1996, will accomplish the following:
Conserve 20,000 acres of valuable and sensitive land in the foothills in northern Colorado.
Open Gateway Park, a 377-acre park site that is being restored in the lower Poudre Canyon.
Preserve major riparian areas along the Poudre River within the City of Fort Collins.
Open the way to preserve riparian areas along the Big Thompson River in Loveland.
Complete the Lake Estes Trail in Estes Park.
Expand public opportunities at the Environmental Learning Center near Fort Collins.
Construct an environmental learning center along the Poudre River near Greeley.
Help complete a 30-mile trail along the Poudre River from Greeley to LaPorte, west of Fort Collins.
Providing leadership in citizens effort to open and restore Gateway Park
Friends Of The Poudre has been the citizens advocate in a multi-agency effort to acquire $1 million to open Gateway Park in the lower Poudre Canyon and restore and develop the 377 acres into a public park.
In addition, Friends Of The Poudre has been working closely with the City of Fort Collins and Weld County to open an 80-acre park area at the mouth of the Poudre Canyon. This park area would be connected through a shuttle system to Gateway Park.
Once that it is opened in 1999, Gateway Park will provide alternative options that could lessen the public use of overcrowded areas in the Poudre Canyon and provide new opportunities for trails, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, environmental education, and handicapped use.
Most importantly, access to the park area will remove a major public hazard to Colorado Highway 14 by annually allowing approximately 40,000 to 60,000 rafters and kayakers to load and unload their boats within the park rather than along the dangerous highway.
By early 1998, approximately $700,000 had been donated by private individuals, businesses and public agencies, including $100,000 from GOCO through a Legacy grant. The Fort Collins City Council has committed to opening the area, which is owned by the city.
Saved the Timnath wetlands
In late 1996, Larimer County was on the verge of constructing a highway realignment and bridge that would have destroyed approximately five acres of valuable wetlands in the community of Timnath, located in the Poudre River basin.
The wetlands are critical to the natural recycling and purifying of water polluted by urban and agricultural uses in the Timnath area.
Friends Of The Poudre generated public support and worked closely with the Timnath mayor in a successful effort that ended the road project.
Influenced Larimer County to improve environmental regulations
In late 1995, Larimer County began a project that moved a rural county road through a beautiful waterfall on Campbell Creek in northern Colorado. The waterfall was the only one of its kind in Colorado and possibly the West.
The county undertook the project without properly notifying the public.
Friends Of The Poudre was unable to stop the destruction of the waterfall, but the citizens organization was able to persuade the county to revise its regulations involving the way it notifies the public about upcoming projects that have environmental impacts. This occurred in early 1996.
Participated in an effort to restore the North Fork of the Poudre River, where the fishery and other stream life were destroyed by human error
In the fall of 1996, an irrigation company emptied Halligan Reservoir in northern Colorado by opening dam gates and letting a flash flood of water and silt roar into the North Fork of The Poudre. The silt wiped out the stream's fisheries and supporting invertebrates for several miles. This natural disaster has become known as the Halligan Flush.
Subsequently, an effort by fishery and stream experts, as well as members of the local environment community, developed a plan to restore the North Fork and prevent such a disaster from occurring again. Friends Of The Poudre participated in the effort.
Gave leadership to the Water Forum for Larimer and Weld counties
In 1996, Fort Collins Mayor Ann Azari and then Larimer County Commissioner Janet Duvall proposed creating a Water Forum that would develop direction to help northern Colorado keep its water from being diverted to metropolitan Denver.
Friends Of The Poudre helped to create the Water Forum by publicizing the proposal through newspaper columns and lobbying with city council members and county commissioners.
The Water Forum began in 1997 and has brought a variety of groups together from the water development, agriculture and environmental communities, including Friends Of The Poudre to establish an open dialogue on the future of northern Colorado water.
In mid-1997, the Water Forum was expanded to include representatives from Weld County.
Acquired a $30,000 grant so the Cache la Poudre- North Park Scenic and Historic Byway could develop a management plan
In 1996, the newly formed Byway Council wanted to develop a management plan for the Byway (Colorado Highway 14), a state highway that goes for 101-miles from Interstate 25 east of Fort Collins to Walden in Jackson County.
Friends Of The Poudre offered to develop the grant because the Byway Council did not have the expertise to do so.
The management plan is a document that helps conserve land for public use and prevent overcrowding and such problems as air and water pollution. The management plan is seen as a critical document to help maintain the Byway's integrity.
The grant was funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Volunteered indepth support to Cache la Poudre Junior High School in a successful semester-long class on the Poudre River and related water issues
In the spring semester of 1997, the junior high school in the Poudre School District conducted a pilot class that focused on local, state and national water issues related the Poudre basin. Topics included water quality, water storage, political issues, conservation, and other issues related to the river.
Approximately 50 students took the class as part of their extra curriculum.
Took a lead role in helping the Fort Collins Museum acquire a valuable historic painting of the Poudre River
In late 1996, the Fort Collins Museum needed assistance with the $35,000 purchase of a century-old painting by Worthington Whittredge, an American landscape painter who was famous in the late 1800s. The painting was one of two that he painted of the Poudre River at a time when northern Colorado was still largely wild and unpopulated.
Friends Of The Poudre believed this was a very worthwhile project because the painting will help local citizens understand how northern Colorado has changed. Meanwhile, the painting will give them insight into the fact that people today need to be involved in the restoration and preservation of the environment.
Provided valuable support in the congressional passage of the Cache la Poudre Heritage Corridor
In the late 1980s, then U.S. Senator Hank Brown proposed legislation that would create a national heritage corridor along the Poudre River.
Among other benefits, this would allow land owners within the flood plain to trade their property for pieces of unused federal property located elsewhere. The impact would be to conserve and protect riparian areas and other lands valuable to the Poudre environment along the 40-mile river stretch between Fort Collins and Greeley.
Senator Brown's legislation was submitted annually in Congress and defeated for one reason or another. Throughout the lengthy process Friends Of The Poudre wrote letters of support to Congress and newspapers and lobbied one-on-one with members of congress and their staff members.
The legislation passed in 1996 thanks to support from several local groups, including Friends Of The Poudre.
A 15-member commission is being created to oversee the heritage area. A member of Friends Of The Poudre will be a commission member.
Hosted three public forums on northern Colorado water issues
Since early 1996, Friends Of The Poudre has conducted an ongoing series of water forums that involve such issues as conservation and quality of water, retaining northern Colorado water for local use, and other matters relating to the Poudre River basin.
Conducted an annual Poudre River Festival for the last 11 years as a way to educate the public about the need to make the Poudre River environment a priority
Friends Of The Poudre began hosting the festival in 1986. Activities include a picnic lunch, raft rides in the lower Poudre Canyon, and educational tours of river sites and riparian areas. In the last three years, the festival has been held at the Gateway Park site where Friends Of The Poudre is taking a lead role in opening and restoring. Approximate annual attendance: 350 people.
Actively worked for the passage of POST 2001
POST 2001, which stands for Parks, Open Space and Trails, was a key ballot issue in the 1996 general election. POST 2001 was designed to annually provide millions of dollars in sales tax revenue over seven years for Larimer County to purchase and conserve open space, build hiking trails and develop public parks.
Friends Of The Poudre actively supported the successful ballot issue because of its ability to preserve and enhance the environment in the Poudre River basin.
Larimer County is currently pursuing an aggressive program based on the POST 2001 goals. Friends Of The Poudre provides advice and assistance as needed.
Provided valuable public relations and citizen involvement in the passage of a statewide ballot issue in 1996 that improved the Colorado State Land Board to make it more responsive to the public
The State Land Board oversees three million acres of public land throughout the state, including 70,000 acres of the Colorado State Forest along Cameron Pass near the top of the Poudre Canyon in Jackson County.
Friends Of The Poudre became actively involved in State Land Board affairs in 1993 when a California developer announced plans to construct a year-round resort in the state forest. The resort would have adversely impacted by the Poudre River environment within the canyon by increasing traffic, air pollution and the numbers of visitors. It would have been possible that the Poudre River federal Wild & Scenic designation would have been revoked by Congress because of infrastructure changes that would have had to take place to accommodate more traffic in the Poudre Canyon. The Poudre is now the only river in the state with that federal designation.
Friends Of The Poudre was a leader in the effort that defeated the resort proposal. Subsequently, the organization participated in efforts in 1994-96 to improve the State Land Board so such a proposal can never surface again.
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