Friends of the Poudre Summer 2000 Newsletter

Volunteers needed: Your chance to help the Poudre!

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New River Ranger Program begins this summer

Volunteers needed: Your chance to help the Poudre!

Members of the public will have the opportunity this summer to help maintain the beauty and recreational opportunities of the Poudre River through a new program that will place volunteers along the stream in the lower Poudre Canyon.

The River Ranger Volunteer Program is seeking volunteers who can spend parts of four to six days educating river users about the proper use of the river corridor.

The volunteers will be located along the stretch of the river from Lower Picnic Rock day-use area upstream to Mishawaka Inn. The 10-mile stretch of river receives the highest use by anglers, kayakers, rafters, hikers, wildlife watchers, and tourists of any other segment of the 136-mile river.

Problems related to human use of that length of the river corridor are increasing on an annual basis as the area is used more by the public. Among the problems are water pollution, stream bank ero-sion, disruption of riparian areas, traffic problems, and conflicts between river users and local residents.

"The goal of the River Ranger Volunteer Program is to educate river users in a positive way so they will become better stewards of the Poudre," explains Kristy Wumkes, volunteer program coordinator for the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service. "The River Ranger Volunteers will talk to users about the importance of the river in their lives today and for future generations. The volunteers will also be able to answer questions about the Poudre River and explain ways that users of the stream can help protect the river corridor."

The volunteer program was started by Friends of the Poudre and the Forest Service following observations by river users, local residents and others that increasing human use of the river is resulting in environmental and recreational damage.

"We're loving the river to death," says Gary Kimsey, a founder of Friends of the Poudre and a longtime resident of Poudre Park in the lower canyon. "Traffic is frequently bumper-to-bumper on the summer weekends and very often it's impossible for a kayaker to find solitude in an eddy or an angler to find a quiet fishing hole. I've seen anglers throwing rocks at kayakers and drivers getting in fights over parking spaces. Riverside pollution is at an all-time high, and river banks and riparian areas are being adversely impacted by public use."

The River Ranger Volunteer Program will be overseen by a Forest Service employee who will train and coordi-nator volunteers. The program is modeled after the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers, a group that provides public education in the Poudre Wilderness, and the Elk Bugle Corps, volunteers who provide public education about elk in Rocky Mountain National Park.

River Ranger Volunteers will be on foot along the river and at parking lots and trail heads; those that have boating skills will be in kayaks to talk to kayakers, rafters and anglers.

The volunteers will be trained in environmental ethics and stewardship, and such topics as local geology, river morphology, plant life, and other issues that make the waterway important in northern Colorado. Volunteers will also receive training on effective ways to talk one-on-one with river users.

Volunteers must meet these requirements:
• At least 18 years old.
• Friendly and outgoing, with an interest in talking to people.
• A love of the Poudre River
• Able to attend a June 10-11 training session.
• Spend parts of four to six days volunteering for the program this summer.

Information is available by calling Kristy Wumkes, 498-2733. The deadline for volunteering is June 7.

The program is funded through Friends of the Poudre by grants from the Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic and Historic Byway; Patagonia; River Network, a national watershed protection organization based in Portland, Ore.; and the Gannett Foundation.

Learn more about the Poudre through the River Ranger Program

Members of the public have the opportunity to learn about the history and natural features of the Poudre River by attending a free 1-day educational session June 10 that will be conducted for the new River Ranger Volunteer Program.

The educational session will be held on the first day of a 2-day training for River Ranger Volunteers.

During that session, local experts will talk about the history, wildlife, plant life, geology, river morphology, and other topics related to the Poudre River and the adjacent Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic and Historic Byway (Colorado Highway 14).

The session will go from 9 a.m. to about 3 p.m. in the Lower Poudre Canyon Community Center.

The second day of training will focus on such technical issues as first aid and communication skills and will not be open to the public.

The educational session for the public is funded by a grant from the Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic and Historic Byway Council.

The public is asked to register for the session by calling Kristy Wumkes, 498-2733, at the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service.