Tahosa Valley Landowners Association
PO Box 1605
Estes Park, CO 80517
Minutes of Annual Meeting Saturday August 12, 2023
Dao House, Main Lodge
6120 Hwy 7, Estes Park CO 80517
Check in and Registration
Call to Order
Roger Sherman, President, called the meeting to order at 9:15 AM.
Introduction and Presentation
Roger introduced the two guest speakers: Matt Marshall, Director of Forestry Programs, Larimer Conservation District; and Eric Frederick, Forest Project Manager, The Watershed Center. Their presentation focused on Fire Mitigation and Forest Health & Restoration. A Q&A session followed the presentation.
The speakers shared information on their roles and agencies. They also discussed other organizations involved in Forest Health & Restoration including the Saint Vrain Forest Health Partnership, the US Forest Service, Colorado State Forest Service, and National Park Service. Highlights of the presentation are listed below.
Review of current projects and recently completed projects, including
Pierson Park Fuels Treatment
Hall Ranch Open Space
Button Rock Reservoir
Jamestown Fire Mitigation Project (involves 47 landowners)
McGregor Ranch
Red Feather Lakes
Sources of funding
Various sources of funding are available. Some are matching grants where the landowner must match the amount of the grant. Others help provide 100% funding for projects. When Matt and Eric get involved with landowner projects, one of the services they provide is to help seek matching funds for projects. Some sources of funding applicable to the Tahosa Valley include:
EQIP: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (NRCS: Natural Resources Conservation Service)
NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act
FRWRM: Forest Restoration & Wildfire Risk Mitigation Grant Program (CSFS: Colorado State Forest Service)
COSWAP: Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program
Wildfire Ready Watersheds Grant Program (Colorado Water Conservation Board)
CWDG: Community Wildfire Defense Grant (US Forest Service)
Saint Vrain Left Hand Watershed Conservancy District
Need for Forest Management
Regrowth of trees after 100-120 years of fire suppression has encroached on meadows, eliminating natural fire breaks and leading to more crown fires
Severe weather is contributing to negative impacts of fire, especially wind events
Forests are denser than even just a few years ago
Need defensible space for firefighters as well as for homes and structures
As soon as some of the trees are removed, competition decreases and the health and resiliency of the forest and wildlife increases
Want to create a forest that is still resilient in 100 years
Next Steps
If interested in projects for your land, reach out to Matt Mueller (Larimer County) and Eric Frederick (Boulder County) as soon as possible. Contact information is listed in the Appendix.
Break
Roger announced a 15-minute break at 10:17am.
Call to Order
Roger called the meeting back to order at 10:31am and proceeded with the business meeting.
Introduction of Board Members present
Roger asked all Board Members present to stand and introduce themselves. The following Board Members were in attendance:
Roger Sherman, President
Jonathan Dings, Treasurer
Joanne Brownhill
Phil Gaughan
Phil Stern
Laurence Gibson
John Pickens
Eli Reese
Jeff Van Devender
Remarks
Roger shared remarks on the changing state of the Tahosa Valley and the Tahosa Valley Landowners Association (TVLA) over the past year. Highlights included: increasing year-round residents and retirees; more awareness of neighbors due to growth; increased visibility of private property from fire mitigation projects; and increasing short-term rentals. One of the noticeable results of these factors is an increased amount of light impacting our valley. Property owners are encouraged to reassess outdoor lighting needs and design based on Dark Skies principles to help preserve the historic “feel” of the Tahosa Valley.
Treasurer’s Report
Jonathan Dings, Treasurer, reported that we have approximately $6,000 in the bank and $14,000 invested. Our expenses are minimal and include a PO Box and a few miscellaneous expenses. Part of the purpose of TVLA funds is for legal defense, if needed. Overall, the organization is in good financial shape.
Minutes from TVLA 2022 Annual Meeting
A motion was made and seconded to approve minutes from the TVLA 2022 Annual Meeting. The minutes were approved as written.
Announcements
Estes Park, Big Thompson Forestry Tour 8/14/2023
This event was canceled due to low registration. Please participate and register for these types of events. Broad community support is absolutely critical for wildfire mitigation and forest restoration projects and funding, as well as Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) updates.
St. Malo Watershed Ecosystems Tour 8/19/2023
Use link above to register online.
Saturday Aug 19, 2023 at Camp St Malo 9:00am-12:00pm
Sack lunch provided at end of tour.
Allenspark Fire Protection District
Sign up for emergency notifications and a monthly newsletter at link below: https://www.allensparkfire.com/contact-us/community-outreach
TVLA Priorities
The TVLA Board wants to be sure the association is focusing on concerns most important to the membership. The Board would also like TVLA to be more proactive and not just reactive. Priorities were solicited from members prior to the annual meeting. Priorities were grouped into 4 categories: Land Use, Restrictions, Residential and Safety, and Other. The majority of concerns were related to Land Use. Phil Gaughan and Phil Stern reviewed the categories and specific concerns, listed below.
Land Use
Wildfire Mitigation and Forest Health
Dark Skies – would be a real asset to the Tahosa Valley and Estes Park
Horses and trails
Barbed wire removal
Restrictions
Short-term Rentals
ATV usage (eg, Bundt Road, Pearson Park)
Zoning – most of the Tahosa Valley is zoned Forestry
Noise – camp, residential and traffic, commercialization of the valley, Peak to Peak building codes
Estes Park “encroachment”
Residential and Safety
Insurance – need to be able to inform insurance companies what we are doing as a valley regarding wildfire mitigation and forest restoration
Assessments and Taxes
Broadband
Cell Phone coverage
Sort Yard
Firearms discharge – it is legal to shoot on own property
Other
Status of camps and lodges
Rocky Mountain National Park
US Forest Service
NEON tower: National Ecological Observatory Network
Estes Valley Land Trust
Priorities from floor
Members suggested various priorities from the floor including the following:
Getting an Allenspark address rather than Estes Park address for Tahosa Valley
Overnight camping and parking laws and regulations
It is legal to park and camp on National Forest Land.
Restricting parking and/or camping along Hwy 7 would require action from the County Commissioners.
Tax Assessments
Determined by state legislature; local officials following state mandates.
Gunshots at Longs Peak
Sounds like machine gun.
Start by calling the Sheriff.
If shooting occurs at Short-term Rentals, request the owner to prohibit shooting in their contracts.
Restricting growth to preserve heritage and character of Tahosa Valley
Land Use
Land use should be a primary concern. Consider hiring a lobbyist.
Wildfire mitigation
Ensuring Tahosa Valley is involved in any planning processes around wildfire mitigation.
Short-term Rentals (STRs)
It is up to landowners to police STRs and report violations.
Wildfire concerns are huge for STRs. Many guests do not understand or appreciate the danger of wildfire in our mountains.
Horses and trails
Four organizations are currently using horse trails in the Tahosa Valley: Wind River Ranch, Cheley Camps, Meeker Park Lodge, and Dao House (Elkhorn Stables). These organizations want to be good neighbors and are hoping to preserve the historical heritage of horseback riding in the Tahosa Valley.
Speed limits and speeding
Speeding involves both cars and motorcycles.
Motorcycle noise
Continues to be an increasing concern, especially during the warmer months.
New Board Members
TVLA is always looking for more people to serve on the Board, especially from Boulder County. Roger encouraged anyone interested in becoming a Board Member to let the Board know.
Elections
TVLA needs to elect a Vice President (VP). The VP's main duty is to stand in for the President when the President is absent. Phil Gaughan and Phil Stern volunteered to share that position. Roger solicited other nominations for VP from the floor and none were received. The membership voted and approved Phil Gaughan and Phil Stern as co-Vice Presidents.
Roger also solicited nominations to serve as Board Members. None were received.
Comments for the Good of the Order
None reported.
Adjourn
Roger asked for a motion to adjourn. A motion was made and seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 11:45am.
Appendix
Matt Mueller, Forestry Project Manager, Larimer Conservation District
970.889.6186
mueller@larimercd.org
2150 Centre Ave A, Ste 116, Fort Collins CO 80526
www.larimercd.org
Online bio: https://www.larimercd.org/staff-board
Eric Frederick, Forest Project Manager, The Watershed Center
303.968.5792 (cell)
efrederick@watershed.center
6800 Nimbus Rd, Longmont CO 80503
www.watershed.center
Online bio: https://watershed.center/about/staff/eric-frederick/
Other resources
Boulder and Longmont Conservation District vanessa.mccracken@bvlcd.com
Allenspark Fire Protection District – Mike Cousineau, Fire Chief mike@allensparkfire.com
Colorado State Forest Service
Boulder County – Ben Pfohl ben.pfohl@colostate.edu
Larimer County – Max Ericson max.ericson@colostate.edu