2008 Volunteer Field Projects

Once again, we are joining up with the Forest Service to assist

with some field work in the Abajo and La Sal Mountains.

No cost.  All equipment provided by RRF and the Forest Service. 

You need to bring:  water(!), food, sunscreen, bug juice, clothing appropriate

to the season, and camping equipment if you are staying overnight. 

More information on meeting times, local camping areas, etc.,

will be provided when you RSVP.  Note that the FS will waive camping

fees at designated campgrounds in the area if you are part

of our project (and you RSVP).

UDWR Dedicated Hunters can earn service hours by working with us on our projects.  Call us for details or visit (http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/dh)

Saturday May 10 - Sunday, May 11, 2008

Monticello Lake and Foy Lake (Race Track Reservoir)

Riparian Protection Project, Abajo Mountains

Protect riparian areas by outlining general parking areas, driving paths and turnouts.

PLEASE RSVP

Friday, May 23  - Monday May 26, 2008

(rescheduled from May 1st)

Arch Canyon Recon-Backpacking Trip, Abajo Mountains

10-mile hike from the trailhead on BLM land to the Forest Service boundary

to scout conditions of non-motorized trails into both Arch and

Texas Canyons for future rehab project work.

PLEASE RSVP

Saturday, June 28 - Sunday, June 29, 2008

Johnson Creek/FS Road 079 Riparian Protection Project,

Abajo Mountains

Multiple projects along this designated route to protect a series of

riparian areas/meadows from motorized incursion.

PLEASE RSVP

Saturday, July 19 - Sunday, July 20, 2008

Babylon Pasture Camping Rehab Project, Abajo Mountains

Outlining dispersed campsite areas to minimize impacts from

large groups on area vegetative communities.

NOTE:  This project may be postponed until 2009 if Forest Service road maintenance

cannot be conducted in 2008.  If that happens, we will substitute

this for another project on the same dates. 

PLEASE RSVP

Saturday, August 16 - Sunday, August 17, 2008

Little Notch Route Meadow Protection Project, Abajo Mountains

Protect meadow by eliminating shortcut routes between designated routes.

PLEASE RSVP

Saturday, September 20 - Sunday, September 21, 2008

Dark Canyon Trail Protection Project, La Sal Mountains

Rehabilitate non-motorized trail that has been subject to motorized use.

Note:  This is the Dark Canyon of the La Sals, on the back side of Geyser Pass

- not it's more famous namesake wilderness area in the Abajos. 

PLEASE RSVP

EARLY PLANNING FOR 2009!  SAVE THE DATE(S)!

June 7 - 13, 2009

with Utah Backcountry Volunteers

Week-long trip into Dark Canyon Wilderness (Abajos) to inventory campsites

and assist with Tamarisk removal.  More details will be available later in 2008.

A big THANK YOU to all of our volunteers who helped with our

 road rehab projects in 2007. 

Here are the Road Rehabilitation Projects we accomplished in 2007:  

La Sal Pass, La Sal Mountains.  On July 4th, Red Rock Forests joined with volunteers and the Forest Service to construct low rail fence sections in three locations at La Sal Pass.  The purpose of the fence sections is to allow for continued used by hikers and horses on non-motorized trails that were being used by motorcycles and ATVs.  We were joined by a great group of youth from Deer Hill Expeditions from Mancos, Colorado.  These young folks came from all over the U.S. (and one even came from France!) to participate in wilderness expeditions and service projects during the summer.  They learned all about building fence, setting posts, running an auger, sweating and swatting horse flies!  We also had tremendous support from Stephen Schultz and Naomi Wilson of Southeast Utah Backcountry Horsemen, who arrived with four pack horses.  What luck that turned out to be, as one of our locations was too muddy to get our equipment in by truck.  Those horses were amazing.  Stephen and Naomi also served as our horse advisors, ensuring that we built the fence sections so they remained passable by horses.  Last but not least, we had some hearty volunteer from the community of Moab who earned their sweat equity that day.              

Pine Ridge, Abajo Mountains.  On August 18, 2007, Red Rock Forests was once again out in the field, this time down in the Abajos.  Our project was to fence a meadow that was being torn apart by trucks and ORVs drivng through it to get to dispersed campsites along the perimeter.  Staff was joined by Mike and Jean Binyon, Tamsin McCormick, RRF board members Paul Frank and Kalen Jones, and three Forest Service field crew members.  Along with the hardworking kids of our Issues Director (Anna, age 14 and Alex, age 11), we built a perimeter fence around the meadow, including closing off a double track along an existing authorized road.

We put in a hard day and actually ran out of fencing material, so we have a little more work to do.  The interesting thing was the day of our project was also the opening day o f bow hunting season.  So, we saw our fair share of folks wondering what we were doing.  Double benefits that day, as we were able to do some community outreach with hunters and campers about staying on existing roads and letting the meadow recover.  Thanks to all our great volunteers!

Hammond Canyon, Elk Ridge area of the Abajos.  Under blue skies on Oct. 13, 2007, Red Rock Forests' staff and volunteers met with the Forest Service at the Cream Pots Trailhead to work up a sweat!  This trail leads into the Hammond Canyon, which is a sandstone canyon cut into the high ponderosa mesa tops of Elk Ridge.  Because of its roadless character, scenic value, and rich archaeological sites, it has be designated as one of two Inventoried Roadless Areas in the Abajos by the Forest Service.  At the trailhead, it is obvious that the trail has been traveled by ATVs, circumnavigating boulders that had been placed across the trail.  ATVs have been traveling into the canyon, threatening the value of Hammond Canyon and violating its roadless designation.

By the end of the day of muscle and sweat, our team created a barrier that wrapped not only clear parking area (to reduce wide and scattered impacts from trailhead parking), and providing a clear entrance to this beautiful non-motorized trail.  Special thanks for volunteer Robert 'the Caterer' Hurley, from Cortez, who kept our energy and blood sugar running strong!

Mt. Linnaeus, Abajo Mountains.  On Oct. 16, 2007, Red Rock Forests and the Forest Service joined forces to create a barrier along an illegally constructed ATV trail in the Mt. Linnaeus area of the Abajo Mountains.  This trail was originally a designated non-motorized trail that has been obliterated when someone mechanically bladed the trail to make it wide enough for ORVs.  A small crew worked all day in the variably changing fall weather and the work was strenuous!  To dig holes for barrier posts, the mostly solid rock had to be busted through by hand.  Most of the trail was pick-axed and boulders were carried to rehabilitate this trail back into its designated status as non-motorized.  We re-signed the area, making it clear that the trail is a single-track non-motorized trail.