Eldorado at Santa Fe

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Conservation Committee Minutes

July 3, 2012

Present: Mark Young, Jim Daniel, Mary Clark, Cliff Chetwin, John Cannella

Guests: Jim Rose, Matthew Rohr, Mark Sward, Unknown Other, Amanita Thorp, David Thorp

7:07PM Meeting came to order; Mark Young served as meeting lead

1)      Mark and others provided an overview of how the June trail 105 intial visit with Jan-Willem went. Jim Rose is interested in pursuing part of the 105 trail work for his Eagle Scout project. The concept would be to combine a service day and the trail workshop together, probably focusing on the first major arroyo that the proposed trail crosses.  Jim R proposed 8/25-26 or a weekend in early September for the project.  There was a brief discussion on scheduling and logistics followed by a group understanding that a follow-up meeting with Jan-Willem, John P, and Jim would be needed.  Since Jim R would need to make a proposal to his committee within approximately three weeks, Mark Y was going to assist with setting the follow-up meeting within the next week.  He'll try for something the afternoon of 7/9 or 7/10. 

Matthew Rohr, a second Eagle Scout candidate was present and also voiced his interest in a trail project.  He is also interested in another component of the trail 105 project.  He proposed that his project address the second major arroyo that 105 would cross.  It was discussed that Matthew is present for the next follow-up meeting with Jan-Willem, John P, and Jim Rose.

Jim Rose still needs a review of his project proposal.  Mark Y agreed to review the proposal, possibly with others, and provide feedback to Jim R. There was a suggestion to have  Jan-Willem review the proposal too, especially the section on materials.  Mark Sward reminded the group that Jim R needs to be in charge of his project.

There was brief discussion on the timing for the second workshop.  Tentative dates of 9/15 or 9/22 were mentioned.  Also mentioned was the need for additional flagging to be placed on the trail section further east.  Jim D provided some hard copy maps of the proposed 105 alignment.

2)      Mark Y announced that the trail intersection stickers are in.  The group would like to purse putting them up on the major trail map signs after Cherry returns.

3)      Mark Y provided an update on the status of the goats.  The goats started working in the southwest greenbelts and then moved to the northwest.  Currently the goats are on the fields and around the Community Center.

4)      Mark Y updated the group on the status of the new preseve trail map redesign.  Mark, Cherry and Judy are working on the copy layout.  They will be adding the trail 105 and the Vista Grande Spur trail.  The draft will be circulated for review among the committee members later this year.  Any feedback on the existing brochure should be sent to Mark Y for consideration in preparing the updated brochure.

5)      Mark Y announced that the Eco-Tone agreement is done.  Cliff asked abut the whereabouts of the existing “...ECIA overall plan for this area which will serve as our measuring stick...”.  There is a need to understand ECIA's long term management goal for this area and whether the committee project accomplishments address the goal(s). The group agreed that there was a need to track down a copy of the goal document and share it with the committee.

6)      Amanita and David Thorp (the Goat Professionals) stopped by the meeting to answer any questions the committee has related to the goats.  They provided some background and explained that they had been working in the neighborhood for the last three years with very few complaints. They asked that any complaints be directed to them and that they will gladly address them.  They described some of the changes in vegetation that they've observed in the greenbelts after the goat grazing.  Mark Y asked if they might assist with a future article for the Vistas or the website and there was agreement.  Amanita and David recommended that the committee review their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HornedLocustRemediation), Blog (http://hornedlocustgoatscaping.blogspot.com/) and other websites for additional information on the goat grazing.  There was also discussion regarding there recent article in Green Fire Times (http://greenfiretimes.com/2012/05/going-green-by-going-goats/).

7)      The group discussed the need to identify a new leader to follow John P  Everyone expressed their appreciation for John's leadership and that we'd continue to think about it.

8)      Nothing reported from the ECIA Manager.

9)      There was a brief discussion on the recent Vistas article about wildland fire and preparedness for residences.  Cliff suggested that early next year the marquees are used to advertize that people get their free assessment from the Eldorado Fire Department.

The minutes of the June meeting were approved with minor revisions.

Meeting adjourned at 8:55pm.

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Conservation Committee Minutes

June 5, 2012

Present:  John Parker, Gerry Gulseth, Mark Young, Jim Daniel, Mary Clark, Cherry Payne, John Cannella, Bob Sweeney

Guests: David Rasch, Jim Rose, Jan-Willem

The minutes of the May 1 meeting were approved with minor revisions.

1)      John discussed the revised Ecotone proposal we had worked on.  The two workshops are what put us over our budget at $4800.  We can always reduce the number of workshops to keep within our budget.  John also point out that the booklets and other materials were driving up expenses and we could limit the handouts to twelve to keep costs down.  Mark read Cliff Chetwin's concerns about the lack of a specific plan for the wetlands.  John Parker point out that we do have a plan for the wetlands but that the process is not defined.  He briefly reviewed the positive results of wetland restoration.  He further pointed out that the plans for 2012 with Ecotone, including working on the horse trail

    2)      Trail intersection stickers should be here within a week.  We should organize work parties to get them on the major trail signs and go in groups of two to lessen the chance of errors.

 

3)      Nine people attended the Bandelier hike.  Jim Daniel stated that it went well and that there was some emphasis on fire prevention.  John Parker pointed out that we do not have federal resources for fire mitigation, so some of the session was not applicable to Eldorado.  Cherry pointed out that local fire control agencies would work with us to put out any fires in Eldorado.

 

4)      A review of greenbelt signage resulted in agreement to put signs in the heavily used areas where there is foot traffic and in other areas where there is encroachment.  Mark will continue to work on this with Raven Hicks.

 

5)      The goats are here.  Mr. Rauch attended the meeting to speak about his concerns about the goats. He feels that the committee should not support the use of the goats due to the goats' tendency to eat everything.  He has done research and feels that goats are a bad idea overall. John Parker addressed the situation and pointed that we don't have any empirical evidence showing the effectiveness of the goats, but he feels that the goats are making a positive impact on fire potential and accessibility in the greenbelts.  They are starting this year in the southwest portion of the greenbelts.  Mary Clark is researching the effectiveness of goats in fire mitigation further.  Jan-Willem pointed out the need to have a plan for goat management and stressed the need to carefully supervise the goat herd.  John Cannella suggested a scientific survey be done to determine what the true effect is on the natural vegetation, with a before and after study of a specific area.

 

6)      Jim Rose, an Eagle Scout candidate, spoke about his need to come up with an Eagle Scout project and discussed his need to do it this summer.  Mark Young suggested that he link his project with our Trail 105 (Horse Trail) project.  Mark will keep in touch with Jim.

 

7)      John Parker said that the Eldorado Gardening Tour went well and was well attended by many residents and others.  Obie's cactus garden was especially well received.  He urged us to support this tour again in 2013.

8)       

8)      New Preserve Trail Maps:  John has not do anything to date.  Cherry has communicated with Judy Chetwin and will be meeting with her next Tuesday (June 12) at 10 AM at the Community Center to review the status of this project.  All are invited to attend.  John would like to see more photos of residents using the trails. 

 

9)      Work with Ecotone:  John Parker wants to modify Task 4 to allow flexibility with regard to the trail workshops in terms of how many we are going to offer.  In addition, he does not want to be individually charged for the booklets and materials.  He wants these costs folded into the overall costs. Jan-Willem spoke to the committee about his proposal to the ECIA and his background in environmental work in Kenya, the Netherlands and the United States, with Earthworks and the Galisteo Basin Watershed programs.  His experience is varied in wetland management, trail design and forest ecology, among other areas.  Ecotone was formed this year after the closing of Earthworks.  Cherry thought the proposal was solid but felt that Task 3 would require further definition as we go along.  She feels that Jan-Willem's work in the wetlands will provide further definition towards defining our 2013 goals.  Jan-Willem stated that he hopes his work will provide additional knowledge about the wetlands. He wants to be sure that committee members are involved in both wetland analysis and trail work.  He felt that within Task 4 the trail workshops could be split out and could be done as needed.  John and Cherry felt that just handing out booklets for free would not be effective.  They felt that it would be more effective to have residents pay a small fee ($5) for the booklets and that the committee should receive six from Ecotone as part of our agreement with them.  John Cannella asked where the data on the wetlands project would be kept and how it will be organized.  Jan-Willem stressed that it is important to keep visuals out for people to see and the need to store data digitally.  Some felt that data should be stored digitally in addition to a physical binder.  Jim Daniels moved that we accept Ecotone's proposal.  The motion was seconded by Gerry and passed unanimously.

 

10)  Manager's Report:  Mark pointed out that the goats are here and that the committee feels that the southwestern corner of the greenbelts is the logical place for them to start grazing.

 

11)  Trail 105 (Horse Trail):  Members of the committee have gone out numerous times and a trail corridor has been defined.  John Parker and Jim Daniels feel that we have a workable corridor for the trail with reasonably flat and gentle terrain overall.  Mary Clark has taken horses over the proposed trail three times to see how it works and feels that it works well.  The group plans to go out on June 13^th to work on the project with Jan-Willem.  Meet at ECIA at 8:30 AM.

 

12)  Jim Daniels announced that he is now the Chair of the Information Committee.  Their new goal is to have representatives from that committee on as many committees as possible.

 

13)  John Parker pointed out again that he wants to step down as chair of this committee.  No one volunteered to become chair, although Cherry Payne is willing to be co-chair with someone else if they volunteer.  This will be addressed again next month.

 

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Conservation Committee Minutes

Tuesday, May 1 , 2012

 

 Present;  Jerry Gulseth, Cherry Payne, Mark Young, John Parker, Mark Young, Mary Clark, Jim Daniel

Guests:  Bob Sweeney (third meeting), John Cannella (third meeting)

Minutes: The minutes of the April 3 meeting were approved with corrections

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS AND ACTIVITIES

 1.)    Trail Sign Update for Trail Intersection Sticker Status :  Mark talked to Lee today; Lee said he would send the proof for the stickers.   Once we have them in hand, we will have to put them on the signs.  John noticed that signs on the Ball Trail have begun to fade; will that be a problem here?  Some of the Ball Trail signs have been out for seven or eight years, which is more or less how long we expected our signs to last. 

2.)    Status report on Geology Hike April 28th.  The hike was  a great success, with good attendance.    

3.)    Update on Bandelier Wild lands Fire Talk/Hike status:  Only six people have signed up so far; twenty spots are available.  Mark will put announcement on the marquee and will try to contact people on the waiting list for the geology hike.

4.)    Update on Status of Green Belt Fire Mitigation Plans:  At the request of the ECIA President, Jim put together a “Preliminary Wildland Fire Assessment for Eldorado” for publication in Vistas.  He will make sure that Ed sees it before it gets published.   Mark will talk to Carol to see if she has room for a half page in the June Vistas.  There was a question about the effectiveness of the goat grazing project; this has not been done by an expert.  Mary will check with the county about goat evaluation.  We have  already committed some budget to getting them back. 

5      Update on cooperative work with Eco-Tone:  John saw Jan-Willem a couple of weeks ago; he asked about working with us this summer  and gave us a summary of proposed work for this summer.  Federal funding for wetland/stream restoration work has dried up.  It would be desirable to work with them to develop a plan to maintain what we have done so far in terms of wetland restoration.  Trail workshops could be a good way to get community members involved.  It would also be a good idea to get them involved in cleaning up our greenbelts.   It was decided that we'll tell Jan-Willem which tasks we're interested in and ask him to flesh out his budget proposals.  Maybe he could help with the new horse trail.  We would be willing to spend up to $4500 of our budget on these projects.

6.)    New Preserve Trail Map re-design / planning update.  A draft of the brochure was emailed to all committee members.  Cherry will continue to work on it. 

7.)    Possible Trail connector link between Trails 101 and 301:  Committee members have spent  two days with the equestrian group and  determined that trail should be as close to our property boundary as possible.  They found a  corridor which could be marked for use, letting the horses and riders develop a trail, with one or two trail days to remove snags and trim some trees.   This shouldn't cost very much.  This trail could also be used by people who want a less rigorous trail than the ones which exist now.  Mark reported that we have a good supply of carbonite stakes which could be used to mark the trail, which we will call Trail 105.  There will be another trip to the area on May 16, meeting at ECIA at 8:30 AM.

8.)    Garden Tour Reminder: This will happen on June 2, and they need volunteers.  Cherry, Jim, Eleanor, Gerry will volunteer; Mary is willing to make cookies. 

10.)   Need for 2012 Eagle Scout Project:  Mark hasn't heard back from the troop leader.  We have several projects they could do. 

9.)     ECIA Manager Report :  They still haven't gotten behind the Country Store where our fence is compromised; staff is concentrating on getting the pool ready to open.  The committee will have a new liaison once the ECIA election is over.  The annual meeting of ECIA will be on May 7 at the Eldorado Church space.  

10.)   Other New Business :  John will resign as committee chair in June, so we'll have a new chair in July.  He encouraged committee members to think about becoming chair.  He will stay on the committee and will be willing to help the new chair and commended Mark for the help he provides the committee.

Cherry moved to nominate Bob and John as members of the committee since both of them have attended three meetings.   Eleanor seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. 

                   

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30.  The next meeting will be on June 5.

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Conservation Committee Meeting Minutes
Draft

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM.

PRESENT: Eleanor Gossen, Mark Young, Cherry Paine, Lynn Mortensen, Cliff Chetwin, John Parker (Chair), Gerry Gulseth

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: Jim Daniel, Bob Sweeney, John Dannella, Mary Clark, Jill Miller, Doug Armstrong, Loretta Armstrong, Jennie Dunn, Betsy Walker, Angelika Au dem Berge, Gregory Pemovic. This is the third meeting for Jim Daniel and Mary Clark. Mark moved that we nominate them to the ECIA Board for committee membership. The motion passed unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as written.

COMMITTEE REPORTS AND ACTIVITIES

1) Trail Sign Update for Trail Intersection Sticker Status: Mark and Cherry passed around a list of stickers indicating trail junctions to be put on trailhead maps. We decided that since the junction leading up to Vista Grande Peak is not a numbered intersection, we didn't need to put it on the trailhead maps, but that it should be added to the new brochure when it is printed. We need 138 stickers. All the signs we have are now in place.
2.) Geology Hike April 28 sign-up status and further planning: There was an announcement about the hike in the April Vistas and on the ECIA web site; 18 people have signed up so far. The group will beet at the clubhouse at 8:30 AM to carpool and will return around 4 PM. Participants should bring water and a brown bag lunch. There will be a $10 registration fee.
3.) Update on Bandelier Wildlands Fire Talk/Hike status: Nine people have signed up so far. There will be no charge for this trip other than the entrance fee to Bandelier.
4.) Update on Status of Green Belt Fire Mitigation Plans: Not much has been done yet. There has never been a comprehensive wildfire management plan for Eldorado, so there is some urgency to this task. We first need to prioritize what the community wants to do with regard to prudent and appropriate fire mitigation. Cliff has walked the greenbelts to assess fire risk. We need to formalize the information he has gathered and to figure out which areas most need work. By the next Conservation Committee meeting we should have a path forward plotted out. Cliff, Mark and John and other interested people will meet next Monday at 10 AM to come up with initial steps and a game plan. Mark will try to get someone from the county to come.
5 ) Update on Cooperative Work with Eco-Tone: No commitments have been made yet for this summer.
6) New Preserve Trail Map Re-design / Planning Update.: Mark and Cherry met with the brochure design person and went over the existing brochure. Cherry typed out the existing text and a more succinct bulleted version. They will send out a draft to committee members and would like comments. They are also working on updating and revising the map.
7) Possible Trail Connector Link Between Trails 101 and 301. Mary reported that horse access to the preserve is now very difficult since a fence has been put up across the old access off Lucero Road. People from the stables have tried to talk to the property owners but have gotten no response. Access from the trailhead behind the gas station is steep and difficult for horses. It was agreed that representatives from the committee and from the stables would together scout out possibilities for a low-level trail around Vista Grande Peak which would provide access for horses, hikers and mountain bikers who want a less steep and rocky trail. Mark will be liaison with the horse group. Once we know what our options are, we will approach the ECIA board about starting the planning process for a new trail. Manpower and funding are among the issues that need to be addressed.
8) Garden Tour Reminder: The pre-tour lectures have already started. The actual tour is on June 2. The need a few volunteers to help that day.
9) Need for 2012 Eagle Scout Project: Mark had a call from the Scout leader, who has a Scout who wants to do something with us. It would be nice to have a project in which the Scouts actually learn something. Maybe something appropriate will come out of the fire risk assessment. There is also always a need for trail construction and maintenance. Do they have a time frame?
10) ECIA Manager's Report: Trailhead 101 has been cleaned up and the culvert cleared out. Mark met with a PNM representative and will get together with surveyors about the gate above trailhead 401. The fence has been fixed but there is still a need for a better gate. Lynn reminded us about the second chicken forum tomorrow night. There are eight candidates for the ECIA Board; a candidate forum is scheduled for April 18. The annual audit has been completed and taxes have been filed. Things are basically in good shape. Maintenance and repair of the hike/bike trails are still under review to find out what's affordable.
11) Other New Business: Ken Koger has resigned from committee for personal meetings. We appreciate his long service on the committee.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:44 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Eleanor Gossen, April 8, 2012
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ECIA Conservation Committee Meeting Minutes

March 6, 2012

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM

Introduction of Guests: Bob Sweeney, John Cannella, Mary Clark, Jim Daniel (repeat visitors)

Present: Eleanor Gossen, Mark Young, Gerald Gulseth, John Parker (Chair), Cherry Payne, Lynn Mortensen

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting were approved with the following corrections: Under 6) Easements, it should read: Jeanne showed us a map of easements which provide access to Greenbelt trails. In some cases there are markers in the field but not on the current map. Particular cases cited were at the end of Dovela and Frasco Roads. We need to check to see if these are actually legal easements and, if they are, include them on a new map when it is printed.

Committee Reports and Activities:
Trail sign update: Six or seven signs are missing from the original project. The Vista Grande Peak sign has been put in; some are missing in the 100 and 200 trail areas. The trail head maps don't indicate all the trail junctions; it was decided that all maps should indicate all the trail intersections. Cherry will work with Mark to get a full set of intersection markers for all trail headl maps.

2011 Annual Report: The draft 2011 Annual Report was distributed to committee members. John prepared a final report incorporating comments received from committee members. Mark has sent it to Carol.

Eco-Tone: EarthWorks, an organization with which the committee has worked to improve environmental quality and trail maintenance in the preserve, has disbanded. Jan-Willem Jansens, who was the director of EarthWorks, sent us a proposal for work his new organization, Ecotone, could do for us. Mark will continue to talk to Jan-Willem about how we might work with him this year. Lynn pointed out that water and fire danger are important ECIA issues and we need to address them. We need to prioritize the issues the committee wants to address this year.

Bandelier Wild Lands Fire Talk: The fire talk and hike are set for May 12th. This will be limited to 20 people.

Geology Hike with Kirk Kempter: This is scheduled for April 28th. Announcements will be in Vistas.

Greenbelt access: Mark has visited the greenbelt trail heads at Monte AlLto Road, Dovela Place and Ortiz Lane, where we know there are legal right of ways to the greenbelts, and has made sure that they are all properly marked with greenbelt access signs.

New trails: There is still a problem with horse access to the preserve since access through The Ridges has been cut off. Equestrians have been using the new trail behind the gas station, but it has been icy this winter. They have suggested a new trail along the front of the mountains. The committee would like to see some new trails, but doesn't have the manpower or the finances to build and maintain them. We sympathize with the equestrians and will be happy to work with them to try to find a practical and affordable solution to this problem.

Road cleanup: For a number of years, ECIA has organized a road cleanup project on Earth Day (April 22), working with the Scouts to encourage community participation. Th It has been suggested that the committee co-sponsor this event. The committee feels that this should be an ECIA event, perhaps co-sponsored by the Road and Facilities and Grounds Committees. We would be happy to work with them, perhaps making it our April “trail day.”

Redesign of the trail map brochure: Lots of preparatory work has been done in the last year with the digitization of the trail system map. We should appoint a sub-group to edit the existing digital map-brochure. There are around 1000 maps brochuresleft, which should get us through the year. We'll defer this until later in the year to see how the budget is doing; if we have funds left, we can go ahead with this. Mark will find out how many maps were printed in 1997 and what they cost. Cherry will follow up with Judy Chetwin to get a cost estimate for a redesign/rewrite and printing.

Garden Tour: The Eldorado garden tour will take place on June 2, with a lecture series leading up to it. We are co-sponsors of this event and will help on the day of the tour.

Manager's report: The road to Trailhead 1 has been regraded and improved, as have the parking areas at the other trailheads. PNM replaced 2 gates at Trailhead 4; there is still one that needs to be done. PNM has still not responded with an acceptable final draft of an agreement to allow them access to their power lines.

Board Liaison Report: Lynn reminded the committee about the chicken forum this Saturday. There will be a realtor, a hydrologist, and an extension agent there. The forum will be repeated on April 4 in the evening. These will be facilitated discussions with a professional facilitator.

There are eight candidates for positions on the ECIA board; there will be a candidate forum on April 17.

July 11 will be Eldorado's 40th anniversary. The Board is starting to think about what to do.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 PM. The next meeting will be on April 3.

Respectfully submitted March 10, Eleanor Gossen

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Conservation Committee Minutes
Feb. 7, 2011
Attendees: John Parker (Chair), Mark Young (ECIA), Gerald Gulseth, Ken Koger, Cherry Payne, Lynn Mortensen (ECIA Board Liasion).

Guests: Mary G. Clark, Jim Daniel

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the January 3, 2012 meeting were approved as written.
The meeting commenced shortly after 7:00 pm with the welcoming of guests and introductions.
Committee Reports and Activities:
1) Final Trail Signs Installation update: About 6 to 8 directional signs need to be installed, which will happen after the weather improves and the ground thaws. The fabricator is making some additional signs, including one for the newly named Vista Grande Peak trail.

Cherry has committed to assess trailhead signs and figure out what stickers need to be ordered to mark intersections on them. These additional markers will the match the new signage.

2) Trail maintenance prioritization/planning spring 2012: The committee has not received much feedback from the community on requests for greenbelt trails that need work. Committee members will make an effort to get onto the trails this winter to assess conditions and to look for downed trees across the trail tread. This could also be a spring kick-off for a trail workday. Currently, trails 101, 301, and Bishops Peak are clear. A trail work day was tentatively scheduled for May 19, 9:00 am. In the meantime, if anyone sees any problems, please report them to Mark.

3) Results of January Petroglyph Hill tour and update on status of further tours: The tour was successful, but only 15 were allowed to participate due to the sensitivity and undeveloped nature of the area. Ninety people expressed an interest. Eleanor Gossen, who coordinated the Jan. 27th tour, is looking into the feasibility of another tour. If so, Eleanor will let Mark know the date(s).

Geology Tour: John has contacted geologist Kirt Kempter about leading a one-day tour on the geology of Galisteo Basin, tentatively scheduled for April 28th. It would consist of a morning 1½ mile hike in the basin, and an afternoon hike up Deer Creek. John will see if the multi-colored sedimentary rocks near trailhead 201 could be an added stop. There are plusses and minuses about the Deer Creek trail: it is a scramble, adding it would make the event an all day affair, but there are many interesting fossils. In an effort to keep people for the day, lunch (Dutch) might be scheduled for the group, either at the Clubhouse, Trail 201, or Real Food Nation. John will discuss with Kirt how many people he feels comfortable leading; also, the announcement will emphasize that the activity will be an all-day event. It was agreed that a nominal fee ($10/person) would be charged to ensure those who sign up show up, especially if we must turn away people. We will offer $250 + mileage to Kirt; the participation fee will help to offset those costs.

Bandelier Spring Fire Tour: Mark is coordinating, and reported that park staff are willing to meet participants at the Visitor Center for a general talk about wildland fire, to be followed by a hike up the Burn Trail. The hike is uphill and would be about 2 miles, 3 hours. The trip objective is to inform Eldorado residents about wildland fire and things they can do to mitigate hazards. The date is tentatively scheduled for May 12.

4) Update on Earth Works Closure: Jan Willem has emailed Mark expressing an interest in staying involved with Eldorado trail workshops and projects. He has established a company called Ecotone. Earth Works was a great partner, and its demise is a real loss to Eldorado. However, Jan Willem has a proven ability to network and to bring people to projects that are priorities for the committee. Mark will contact Jan Willem to see about what kind of resources he could bring to projects such as maintenance of already restored wetlands and additional efforts. Jan Willem has grant-writing expertise that might lead to a successful collaboration with Eldorado.

5) 2012 CC sponsored workshops: please see discussion at #3.

6) Greenbelt access by Jeanne Crawford: she has expressed concern that one access point is not on the greenbelt map and another access point may not be in an easement. John will follow up with Jeanne.

7) Prioritization of specific greenbelt areas for Goat Mitigation: ECIA is presently writing a contract with the goat owners for the 2012 season. Gallina Park and Pueblo Cañon East have been grazed in the last couple of years. John suggests Pueblo Cañon West and Los Alamos Park as priorities for 2012. Mark will let Bill know our suggestions.

8) Interested local resident who wants to cut firewood in the greenbelts as tool for fire mitigation: Some residents and others have expressed an interest in cutting dead and down firewood in the greenbelts. It was agreed that we do not want to give carte blanche for this activity, but strategically done, it might benefit the community. John will contact Cliff Chetwin about finding a knowledgeable person who could flag trees in problem areas. John will also ask Cliff if he is interested in completing an assessment in problem areas. Mark will contact the individual who wants to cut, letting him know that we are looking at a strategic plan and might be interested in such an arrangement.

(Note: the agenda had two #8 items, the second of which was marking intersections on larger trailhead signs to match the new signage. Please see discussion in these minutes @ #1)
9) ECIA Manager’s report: A new gate has been installed at trailhead #4 and barbed wire that had been taken down during the PNM work has been repaired. Mark is working with PNM on an access agreement to allow them to work on their lines. PNM will need to consult with ECIA prior to commencing work for non-emergency maintenance.

An individual who was cutting firewood on ECIA property by Trailhead 101 was contacted by security. The individual thought he was still on private property, a mistake compounded by some fencing that is down in the area. When the weather improves, the fence will be repaired to prevent future incursions. No further action against the person is contemplated.

10) ECIA Board Liaison Report (Director Mortensen): The current issue of VISTAS has a survey in it. Lynn asked committee members to respond and to encourage neighbors to do so as well. Current budget realities preclude all amenities to be maintained at optimal levels. Responses from the survey will help the Board to make some difficult budget decisions.
Two public forums on the Hens and Goats issue hves been scheduled for March 10 and April 4. In May, an online survey will be launched to gather residents’ opinions. Based on meeting and survey responses and information gathered, the Board will determine by June if a covenant change vote is needed. (There are conflicting interpretations of the covenants.) If a covenant change is required, only votes cast by residents in good standing (i.e., up on dues) will be counted. A covenant change requires 50% +1 votes by lot owners.
Annual Report input is due March 1. John and Mark will develop accomplishments (2011) and goals (2012) to be included in the committee narrative.
Next Meeting: March 6, 2012, 7:00 pm. Horse access will be placed on the agenda.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.

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ECIA Conservation Committee Meeting
January 3 2012

Meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM

Introduction of Guests: Jean Crawford (Public Forum, Facilities and Grounds Committee), to talk about easements

Present: Eleanor Gossen, Mark Young, Gerald Gulseth, Cliff Chetwin, John Parker (Chair), Ken Koger

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the November meeting were approved as written.

Committee Reports and Activities:

1) Trail sign update: We had to reprint seven signs which weren't correct and had to get seven new posts, which still need to be put up. We also need to do a sign which will point to Vista Grande Peak. The new signs have been well received by public. It was pointed out that intersections aren't labeled on trailhead maps. It was recommended that we add stickers indicating intersection numbers to the four big trailhead maps. Mark will check with Lee to see if he can make such stickers and will ask Cherry if she will work on this.

2) Trail maintenance prioritization for next few months: It may be too muddy for much trail work in the next few months. Mark and Cherry removed the downed tree on 301. If there are reports of new downed trees in the next few months, we can take the chain saw to cut them down. We will put a request in the next Vistas asking preserve users to let us know about maintenance issues. In the last Vistas we asked for input about greenbelt trail areas that need help; there have been no responses we know of yet. We're willing to work with people on greenbelt areas but we can't do it all on our own.

3) Petroglyph Hill tour: Eleanor reported that enough people have called for at least two more tours in addition to the one scheduled for Jan. 27th ; she will check with Beth Mills to see if we can do more.

4) 2012 Committee sponsored workshops: Mark talked to Park Service personnel at Bandelier about doing a talk for Eldorado residents about the Las Conchas fire; they are willing to do something near the visitor center. It might be better to coordinate with something they are already doing for the public – we could find about it and tell the community that it is available and perhaps arrange for carpooling. It's not clear how many people from here would want to spend a day doing this. Mark also spoke to Dag (an Eldorado resident and Sierra Club trip leader), who said he would be glad to lead a group up into the edge of the burn area. We need more detail about what it would take to coordinate with Park Service to arrange such a trip. We should also learn more about what we can do to promote fire prevention and safety here. John reported that the Community College is running a class on the geology of the Galisteo Basin. Should we try to get the teacher to do a tour for Eldorado residents? If so, how much would he charge? If our activities have a cost, we want to make sure whatever we do is good enough to justify the cost.

5) Earthworks: Earthworks is in jeopardy of being no longer or being a very different kind of organization. There have been changes in the Board of Directors, which now wants to go in a different direction. Jan-Willem alerted us to this, will be leaving the organization, and wants to form some sort of entity to work with us on future projects. He asked for a statement of support from us. Last year was our best year with Earthworks and we'd be happy to work with them again if they're still around. Mark will let us know when he finds out more about Jan-Willem's new organization.

6) Easements: Jean showed us map of easements which provide access to Greenbelt trails. In some cases there are markers in the field but not on the current map. Particular cases cited were at the end of Dovela and Frasco Roads. We need to check to see if these are actually legal easement and, if they are, include them on a new map when it is printed. Jean also reported that our “horse people” were sad when access through Los Vaqueros was closed. They have asked if there were any way Eldorado could trade part of the preserve with the owners of the land in Los Vaqueros to get access back. Committee members thought this wouldn't work because Los Vaqueros residents aren't legally entitled to use Preserve. The “horse people” might be able to negotiate on their own but not as part of ECIA. Our equestrians seem not to be using our new trail; it is mostly riders from Los Vaqueros. If ECIA were to change the policy that the preserve was legally only open to Eldorado residents it would be more feasible to work with Los Vaqueros people. If the preserve were open to all, we would have more partners in maintenance. There is a need to better understand the legal and practical issues which might be involved in such a change in policy.

7) Committee members expressed concern that the water collected in the cisterns is not being used. It could be used to improve appearance of area behind Community Center. Eldorado can use only one acre foot of water per year from the well at the Community Center. The Committee would like to see the ECIA become a model for efficient, high quality xeriscape landscaping. It was pointed out that the Facilities and Grounds Committee has no funds for capital improvements. They would like to hear from people who would like to preserve and care for the pine trees around the proposed community park in back of the Community Center.

8) ECIA Manager's report: Mark reported that PNM worked on the power line in area of the 400 trails. They replaced some gates and also repaired some fencing. PNM has requested access through locks and chains to maintain power lines and permission to repair the access road to their “appropriate” standard. John asked about sections 5, 8 and 9 of their proposed “Agreement and Grant of Access” and questioned what their “appropriate” standard was. Do we want to give them free rein to do what they see fit? Cliff pointed out that it seems to be a pretty one-sided agreement – what's in it for us? Sections 5, 8 and 9 should have a mutual acceptance clause so that PNM would have to consult with us before undertaking any repairs/improvements. John will try to get some advice from Colleen Baker of the County Rail Trail group on this. ECIA will try to replace the gate at the top of the hill beyond Trailhead 4. ECIA is also dealing with some issues with the rock on the access road to Trailhead 1.

9) Next meeting: The next meeting will be on February 7. We need to prioritize spending for next year. We hope to know more about what's happening to the Earthwork team by then.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 PM
Respectfully submitted, Eleanor Gossen, January 8, 2012

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ECIA Conservation Committee
November 1, 2011 7 PM

Present: John Parker (Chair), Mark Young, Lynn Mortensen (ECIA representative), Cherry Payne, Gerald Gulseth, Ken Koger, Eleanor Gossen

The meeting was called to order at 7:02 PM.

There were no guests.

Approval of October Minutes: Approval of the October minutes was postponed until committee members had a chance to read them, but were never actually approved. We should do so at the next meeting.

Committee Reports and Activities:

-New Trail signs installations update: Mark and John installed new trail signs on the 100 series trails; Cherry put posts at 300 series trail heads. A few more signs have been ordered to fill in gaps. Mark and Cherry will go out Thursday afternoon at 1 PM to install more signs.
-Budget Discussion (end of year + FY2012 budget): We haven't yet received a bill from Earthworks for the recent trail project. Mark will encourage them to send a bill ASAP. That should be last bill for the year. We're expecting $6000 for next year's budget, which is what we got last year. We need to start thinking about how we're going to spend it. At previous meetings we have discussed the need for a new trail map, new brochures, and a GPS unit, which would be useful if we do more rerouting of trails in the Preserve and the Greenbelts. We still have part of a box of maps. We don't have any urgent equipment needs at this point.
-Scout Project Report: Mark and John took coffee and donuts to the work site, where they found the Scout leader. Around 15 people showed up to work. A tributary to the main trail was rerouted and the old trail abandoned. They did erosion control work on the hillside above the old trail. The area really still needs more work. Earthworks is willing to do more workshops if there is a demand for them. There was little support from the community. Earthworks did do some publicity but failed to attract anybody at all from town. Cherry suggested that we might invest in a temporary, moveable sign to alert people who walk on trails when there will be a work party; we might also work with neighborhood watch captains to let people know when we'll be working in the green belts. Marilyn has a distribution list for block captains which we might be able to use, but they are usually pretty guarded about what goes out on that list. We need to think about how to get people to come out to work on greenbelt paths. John is writing an informational article on the Scout project for Vistas; in it he will ask people to nominate greenbelt areas which need work in the hope that that will encourage residents to join in the trail work.
-Winter Activities? We don't need to get terribly involved in the garden tour, although they would appreciate help on the day of the tour. They have their own lecture series before the tour; we could work with them on that. We do need to recruit members for our committee. Maybe when we're not in a fire emergency mode, we should pursue becoming a Fire Wise Community, but we would need someone to spearhead the effort. The Forest Service's expectation is that the community does the work with the Forest Service's help. Mark will talk to a person (Dag?) he knows at Bandelier about setting up a “fire tour” there to find out just what happened and how to prevent fires in the future. Maybe we should hire someone to do a fire assessment of Eldorado. John will check with a geologist he knows about giving a lecture and perhaps a tour of the local geology; Eleanor will check with the county to see if we could sponsor a tour of Petroglyph Hill in the Galisteo Basin.
-Peak 101 spur and signage : The trail up what we christened “Vista Grande Peak” is an unofficial, rocky, fall line trail which is heavily used. Mark will have a sign made pointing to “spur trail to Vista Grande Peak”. This will be paid for out of next year's budget.
-Trail Maintenance Day for November: Trail 101 needs further work to prevent cupping; there is a large downed tree on trail 301, about ¼ mile in. Mark and Cherry will take a small chainsaw out when they go to put in new signs on Thursday to remove this tree from the trail. We will work on Trail 101 on Nov. 19. All committee members are encouraged to help. John will invite ECIA board members to come see what we're doing.

-ECIA Managers’ Report : PNM has a power line crossing the Preserve near the 400 series trails. One of the poles needed to be repaired, so they asked for permission to bring their equipment in on Trail 401. They have agreed to replace the gate at the 401 trail head, and another one further up along fence, but haven't done so yet.

Lynn reported that the public hearing on next year's ECIA budget is next Saturday morning. This is among the last stages of the budget process which has been going on since July. The Finance Committee will recommend an increase in assessments to $340 because of escalating costs. They are anticipating increases in assessments every two years. They are also discussing chicken and goat issues and thinking about distributing Vistas electronically to save money. They are also putting together a survey about community amenities. The last survey was done 15 years ago.

-New Business: none

There will be no meeting in December. The next one will be on January 3, when we should flesh out the budget.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:31 PM.
Respectfully submitted, Eleanor Gossen, Nov. 7, 2011

 

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Conservation Committee Minutes, Oct. 4, 2011       

The meeting was called to order at 7:06 PM

Present: Cherry Payne, Ken Koger, Gerald Gulseth, John Parker, Eleanor Gossen, Mark Young. Aj has resigned from the committee.. John wrote a letter to John Kenny, acknowledging the work he has done for the committee.

Introductions: John Oberhausen, coordinator of the Eldorado Garden Tour.

Minutes: There were two minor corrections to the minutes of the September 6 meeting: in section 3, next to the last sentence eliminate “he” after “Dave”; in section 8, line 6, put a period between “so” and “Cherry”. The minutes were approved as corrected.

Committee reports and activities:

Trails: Cherry has hiked almost every trail. On the 300 series trails there are a lot of “social” trails in amongst the “official” trails, also an old road. This makes it difficult to determine which trail you are on. Closing the “social trails” might be a good project for next summer. There was a question about the couple who got confused a couple of weeks ago and whether we should write an article about preserve safety for Vistas. We decided it would be better to have article about the new signage rather than the perils of the “wilderness”.. Does anyone want to write such an article? Around 200 words.

Garden tour: John Oberhausen said they are in the planning process for next summer's garden tour. Last year they raised about $1200, which they gave to the school's outdoor classroom; this year, they are thinking about donating the money raised by the tour to some other Eldorado organization, including, possibly, the Conservation Committee. John had questions about where the committee gets its funding and what we would do with $1000-$1500 if they gave it to us. It could be used for goats in the green belts; community lectures which would get people out into the preserve; trail work; partnership with Earthworks, particularly evaluation of the health of the restored wetlands, etc. The garden tour sponsors a series of lectures before the tour, with which they need help, particularly on the day of the tour. The committee felt that we can probably provide two or three people to help that day (June 2).

Trail Sign Update: John and Mark met with Lee about the revised signs to augment the new signage. They include the trail number plus information about what the next intersection is. They will be made from the same material as the signs which are out there now, which are pretty rugged. They have been ordered. Lee is a good person to work with. Installation will be a big project and may take a while since there are around 100 signs. Bill has two staff members who will stay on through winter; they may be able to help us install the signs. We can do some on a November trail day, maybe in December also if the weather is OK.

October 22nd trail workshop: Mark and John met with Jan-Willem and John Bustemeyer. They are interested in the rocks we talked about at the last meeting and have moved three truck loads so far. John and Mark met with the Scouts twice; the second time they decided to have the trail workshop on Oct. 22, sponsored by REI and MBA. It will deal specifically with erosion control and they will close an old trail, deal with some head cuts, and cut a new trail. More details will be forthcoming. Earthworks can use our remaining budget ($600) for this project, which will take place off Gavilan, near where the work was done before. We should do article with pictures on this project. John will let the Information Committee know about this endeavor.

We have been getting good feedback from the summer's work on trail 101 – horses in particular are definitely using it. The entrance to the preserve which was used by the stables group has been blocked off by the landowner. We need to find another access route. There are no public greenbelts in Los Vaqueros, so access would have to go through someone's land. The horses are now using the new trail 101, which is getting badly trampled.

Manager's report: Mark will verify that Bill will let us use ECIA staff to help put up new signs. Mark and John will see if we should have the Kabota available on Oct. 22 to move dirt. Probably not, but he will ask. We shouldn't need ECIA staff.

Budget: The budget for next year has been sent to Bill. The budget meeting will be on 22nd or 24th – they want committee chairs to be there. John will be prepared to defend our budget if necessary.

Other business: There was no other business.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM. The next meeting will be November 1.

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Conservation Committee Meeting, September 6, 2011

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm.
Present: John Parker (Chair), Lynn Mortensen (Board Liaison), Eleanor Gossen, Mark Young, Cherry Payne, Jerry Gulseth
1.) Introduction of Guests: Dave Thorpe (goat manager)
2.) Review and approval of minutes of August meeting: take out second “down” ; change “aging group” to “committee”. The minutes were approved with those corrections.
3.) Goats: Dave Thorpe said that this is his second year working with his goats in Eldorado and that they have been very well received by the community. They come with a contract to do $7000 of work this summer; as of this meeting they have been paid $6000. They are currently working on the baseball field to be, eating lots of goats heads. He would like to work on large projects rather than individual yards since his daughter, Amanita, has been sick this spring/summer and he's been working by himself, so fencing in yards is more than he can cope with. The goats' diet varies with the seasons: they like kochia and Russian thistle once seeds have set and prefer areas with at least five different species so they have a varied diet. They help with rodent control because they destroy their burrows and remove vegetation that provides shelter from predators. While the Conservation Committee has spent it's budget for this year, it strongly supports the work Dave and his goats has done to make our greenbelts useable and to reduce fire danger. The committee will encourage ECIA to be proactive about managing greenbelts and the preserve to maintain trails and remove hazards before they become real problems. The Preserve might benefit by having the goats in places where there might be better forage for them. If Dave. needs a place to pasture his goats, this might be a good solution, but we can't afford to pay him. Mark will check with Bill to see if this might work.
4.) Trail day report: Four people showed up (Cherry, Jerry, Mark and John) to work on the new trail, which was in good shape in spite of a couple of heavy rains. It was apparent that horses are using the trail, so we may want to do some more trimming so that they have enough room to stay on the trail without going off the edge.
5.) Trail sign update: Cherry and Mark have developed a list of 65 small signs which will confirm which trail users are on. John will verify this list and go over it with the sign maker to catch any possible errors. The cost for these signs will come from this year's budget.
6.) Ideas for September trail work: Lynn reported that the Facilities and Grounds committee met this afternoon and requested that if we want the pile of rocks which is in the area which was used over the summer for the staging of equipment for repaving Verano Loop, they will have it moved to another location for us but that they need to move it very soon so they can restore the area. If we don't want the rocks, they will leave the pile there to become part of the landscape for the community park they are planning. It was suggested that Earthworks might like the rock for trail maintenance, perhaps in connection with a Scout project. Cherry suggested that Lynn ask the Facilities and Grounds Committee to give us until the end of the week to contact Jan-Willem. Mark will do so.
7.) Earthworks Trail Maintenance Workshop and Scout Projects: Mark and John went to a Scout meeting about service projects and it was agreed that we would like to work with them, perhaps coordinating an Earthworks trail maintenance workshop with a Scout project to provide them with training and oversight. Earthworks has a grant from REI and IMBA (Mountain Bike Association) which will fund the trail maintenance workshop. Perhaps Jan-Willem can use the above-mentioned rocks for this project.
8.) 2012 Budget Request: Mark and John have put together a budget request for ECIA. Lynn said that we should be ready to prioritize it so that we know what we can let go if need be. The Facilities and Grounds Committee has gotten a proposal to dress the bike/hike trails with some kind of polymer which will be much less expensive than repaving them, so they are planning to do so. Cherry suggested that if we haven't spent the remaining $600 in our budget by the end of the year, we allocate it to preliminary design for a new brochure. John would like to get a GPS unit for the committee.
9.) Article for November Vistas: This would be due in two or three weeks. Perhaps we could do something on the proposed trail workshop.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:37 P.M. The next meeting will be on October 4.

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ECIA Conservation Committee Meeting

August 2, 2011

Present:  Ken Koger, Mark Young, Lynn Mortensen (Board Liaison), Cherry Payne, Eleanor Gossen, John Parker (Chair)

Meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM

Introduction of guests: EJ Evangelos (former co-chair)

Review and Approval of minutes: The second paragraph under Greenbelt Discussion should be deleted since it's redundant.  The minutes were approved with this change. 

Committee reports and activities:

 Opening of preserve:  After consultation with committee members, Mark and Bill decided to open the preserve on Monday morning.  After some discussion, Mark moved that openings and closings of the  Preserve follow county policy.  This was seconded by Gerry.  The measure passed with no opposition.    It was recommended that we should put some wordage on web site warning people that fire danger is still high.

101 trail expense report:  All labor and supplies have been paid for, except for some additional signage.  We could still use a few more signs.  We have spent $4329 out of an allocation of  $6000.  We  got our money's  worth this year; it would not have happened with volunteers.  We could allocate more money for signage; it would be good to get additional signage done while we have a good working relationship with SignGraphics.  We estimate that we'll need $500-$600 for additional signs after junctions which would let people know they are on the right trail.   At some point (probably next year) we'll have to update the folded paper maps.   Cherry will help Mark chart out exactly what we want each sign to say to send to Lee of SignGraphics.  Mark said that summer help will be available until early October to help install the posts for the new signs.

Rain Water Catchment Forum: There was a decent turnout for this event, although there was some feeling that attendance would have been greater with better publicity.   Participants looked at the existing rain catchment system at the Community Center.  Some water now goes to a stand pipe, other goes to an irrigation box which seems to go nowhere.  This resource appears to be underused at this point.  John will attend a meeting of the Facilities and Grounds Committee to draw their attention to this resource and find out what their plans are.  The two committees should be talking to each other.  

Trail maintenance day for August:  There will be a trail maintenance day on August 20 to do some light maintenance on the new trail 101.  We'll meet at 8:30 AM at the clubhouse. 

Budget:  We need to send our budget request to ECIA for next year by October.   We don't expect any dramatic departure from previous years.  There are some trails which need work and probably a new trail map brochure.    John will get a budget request to Lynn as soon as possible.

Greenbelts and Greenbelt Trails:  The ECIA Board has been looking for recommendations about greenbelts in general, not just trails.  It's not clear who has the responsibility for managing the greenbelts.    ECIA hasn't done much to address this situation.  During drought, mechanical means are able to spark fires.  We have used goats.  Maybe we could work with ECIA to cut down snags down and remove them.  At least three conditions need to be addressed: erosion, overgrowth, fire issues.   The Conservation Committee has, up to now, focused primarily on the Preserve, although the greenbelts are technically part of our responsibility.   Actively managing them would really stress our small, aging group.   Fire fuel removal is something that community would benefit from – if we can mitigate fire danger by lowering amount of fuel in the greenbelts, we would be doing a community service.  This might be done with resources at hand, working with Earthworks and staffs.  Maybe we could work with neighborhoods to set priorities.  There was a consensus that maintenance should only be done on trails when issues have been identified by people in the community.  It was suggested that the community might benefit from a collaborative survey with the Facilities and Grounds Committee which would include questions about the preserve, hike/bike trails, greenbelt use, soccer fields, tennis courts, etc.  John will talk to the F & S committee about it.  This would help the community develop a systematic plan to address the long term maintenance of community amenities.

Article for Vistas:  John  will draft an article on the new Trail 101 and the new signs for the September Vistas.    

ECIA manager's report:  There is one pile of rock left at the preserve for our committee to use for greenbelts or preserve.  There is new fencing at Trailhead 101. Mark has put in a handicapped parking sign and would like to have another sign pointing to the trailhead . 

The Board approved Cherry as an official committee member.  The Information Committee is working on a proposal to the county for a new marquee at the end of Avenida. Eldorado.  Lots of people showed up to protest the use of the soccer field as a staging area for road work.  County equipment is  now out of there.  They will work with the Facilities and Grounds  Committee on a plan to restore the area to a sustainable landscape.  There will be a swing band to play at ECIA on Labor Day.

John Kenny has resigned from the committee, effective today, after 30 years.  We should send him a thank you letter in appreciation for his long service on the committee.  John will draft a letter to be signed by ECIA President, Bill,  and John. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM

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Conservation Committee Meeting July 5, 2011 -Final

Present: John Parker (Chair), Mark Young, Gerry Gulseth, Cherry Payne, Lynn Mortensen, (Board Liaison).

Guests: There were no guests

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM.

Approval of minutes: Gerry Gulseth moved that the minutes be accepted. Mark Young seconded the motion. This motion passed unanimously.

Committee Reports and Activities:

Closure of Preserve: Mark and John reported that due to the high fire danger and concerns from adjoining land owners, the ECIA management and Board decided that it was wise to close the preserve at this time pending further moisture. This occurred on June 30th , 2011 and was noted on the marquees and website. The ECIA has placed large trail closure signs at each of the trailheads and our security staff is monitoring trailhead 1 to ensure that no one is accessing it. The committee spoke at length about how we will decide to reopen it. No firm decision was made regarding what criteria will be used to determine if it is safe to reopen, but we may follow the lead of other land managers, and re-open the preserve once they do.

Trail 101 Update: John reported that with the help of the Earth Work’s Institute trail crew that Trail 101 has been re-routed and is complete. As well, the social trail has been closed leading to the overlook. Work began on Monday June 6th and was completed by the end of the week. John and Mark both spoke highly of the work done by the Earthworks Institute’s summer trail crew and that they really worked hard to make this a trail re-route a reality. John reported that the new grade is much easier to hike than the old trail and that we may do some fine tuning on the trail but we are awaiting more soil moisture to do this. Lastly Mark has added that there are two new signs for this trail re-route in place at the new intersections.

Trailhead 1 Update: Mark reported that the old wire fence has been repaired in the parking lot, with two no trespassing signs posted. Mark further reported that there the ECIA has done grading work in the parking lot for Trailhead # 1 and there is now a wood split rail fence in place to more clearly define the parking areas and to further block off the old illegal social trail entrance.

Trail Sign Status: Mark reported that we still are looking at adding individual trail signs showing the trail numbers and he will report back to the committee on the cost to do ones by Sign Graphics, in the same style as the new trail signs. Upon receiving a quote the committee will review our current balance on our budget and see if it is feasible to do in 2011 or whether we will need to wait till 2012

Water Catchment Upcoming Workshop: John discussed the fact that we are all set with Reese from the Rain Catcher and Jan at Earthworks Institute to host a rain water catchment / permaculture open talk on July 11th, from 6:30 to 9 PM .at the ECIA. As well, we have at least another 4 vendors available to speak to residents as part of the forum. Mark will be sure that this is up on the marquees as well as on the website home page. All were encouraged to attend this open forum.

Greenbelts Discussion: John Parker reported that we are at an impasse at this time with the project of a trail leading from the ECIA Property into the Greenbelt due to the fact that all access to the greenbelts is on private lands and to get access may require legal work to gain an easement on these lands. One other possibility might be the use of the 10 foot utility easement for access, but we have been advised by Bill Donohue that such access in a utility easement is not possible to achieve from the utilities. We are still going to continue to work the Facilities and Grounds Committee on this project.

Article for Vistas: John Parker agreed to work on a future vistas article about the new trail 101 and will also be working on doing a new power point about the new trail.

ECIA/Earth Works Institute Collaborative Efforts: Mark will work to get a tally from Earthworks on the costs of collaborative work done YTD. With this information we will be able to work on what additional collaborative efforts can be done in 2011 with Earthworks. John pointed out that once we get some rain, we might want to consider doing a wetlands program in the preserve.

ECIA Liaison Report: Lynn Mortensen pointed out that the Board has reviewed the greenbelt report that was done by Cliff Chetwin and they are looking for some recommendations from the Conservation Committee in terms of how to address the problems, such as excessive fuel loading, in the greenbelts. The committee discussed this matter and Mark pointed out the idea of trying to work with residents and encourage them to take ownership of their own greenbelt trails and help to maintain them. John Parker brought up the idea that we should work with the Eldorado Fire Department and the County Fire Department (and perhaps Martin Vigil, the SFC Emergency Preparedness Coordinator) to help educate residents and work to reduce volatile fuels in the greenbelt. Once the area gets some moisture, we could identify the areas within the greenbelts posing the greatest problem and remove dried weeds and shrubs and snags of Pinon. We would also continue efforts in communicating with and educating the public. The committee agreed that this was a good idea and Lynn Mortensen will bring this recommendation to the board.

ECIA Managers Report: Mark reported that the work done on the trailheads seems to be holding up well. As well, he reported that he will be working with the ECIA staff and Bill Donohue on further improvements to trailhead 1 in terms of signage.

New Business: John pointed out that Cherry Payne had not yet been recommended to the Board as a new member of the Conservation Committee. He further pointed out that due to her involvement and meeting attendance she should be a formal committee member. All were favor of this recommendation and Lynn will make a motion at the next Board meeting to officially make Cherry a committee member.

With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.

Respectfully Submitted

Mark Young

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Conservation Committee Meeting  June 7, 2011

Present:  John Parker (Co-Chair),   Mark Young, Cliff Chetwin, AJ Melnick, Ken Koger, Gerry Gulesth,  Lynn Mortensen, (Board Liaison).  

Guests:  There were no guests

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM.

Approval of minutes: The minutes of the May meeting were approved unanimously.

Committee Reports and Activities:

Trail 101 Update:    John discussed the status of the work being done to re-route trail 101.  Work began on Monday June 6^th and, at the time of this meeting, the new trail is about 90% complete.   The reroute of this trail will be completed this week and the old social trail will be closed.  In addition, the old wire fence has been repaired in the parking lot, with two no trespassing signs posted.   John and Mark both spoke highly of the work done by the Earthworks Institute’s summer trail crew and that they really worked hard to make this a trail re-route a reality.  John reported that the new grade is much easier to hike than the old trail    He and Mark will be working with Sign Graphics to come up with 2 new trail signs for the new intersections on this trail.   Discussion arose over the issue of a more permanent fence along the side of this trailhead.  After some discussion it was decided that a 2 or 3 split rail wood fence would be a good deterrent to further encroachment.  Mark will research costs of such fences and report back.  As well it was determined that we would need 3 additional signs in the parking area at Trailhead 1, so as to direct hikers to the actual trailhead.  Mark will order these signs.

Trail Sign Status:  Mark reported that all 21 new trail signs had been placed in the preserve at the various junctions.  Mark and John agreed to look further into the costs for various smaller trail number signs and will report back to the committee on our ideas and options.

Earthworks Wetlands Status:   John reported that the Phase II of the wetlands project was now complete with a number of new rock dams upstream as well as many other  wetlands restoration features.

Water Catchment Upcoming  Workshop: John discussed the fact that we are all set with Reese from the Rain Catcher and Jan at Earthworks Institute to host  a rain water catchment / permaculture open talk on July 11^th, from 6:30 to 9 PM .at the ECIA.    As well, we have contacted some other rainwater catchment organizations to see if they might want to participate and have a table at the forum. All were encouraged to attend this open forum.      

Greenbelts Discussion:   Cliff Chetwin distributed his Greenbelt report that he had been working on for some time.  This report details the actual status of each of the trails in the greenbelts and the conditions ranged from poor to good.   He also reported that there were many trails that were social trails leading to homes all over the place, and that most of the access points showing on the map were legitimate points but that there were some access area,  in the field, that are not shown on the map.   Cliff felt that this access point matter was one project that the committee might be able to tackle.  Cliff also reported that Greenbelt trail signage is limited and scattered and that this should be addressed in an updated 3 or 5 year plan for the Greenbelts.    There was much discussion about whether we wanted to just adopt a few trails from the Greenbelts or not. John was very concerned about opening this Greenbelt Pandora’s box due to the poor condition of many of the trails and the amount of work and monies required to maintain them.   Mark pointed out the idea of trying to work with residents in neighborhoods to take ownership of their own greenbelt trails and help to maintain them.  This would then be a matter of communicating with and educating the public.  The committee thought that this idea might but we might not get much pubic interest.  This idea will be further discussed.

With complaints from residents, however about the condition of the greenbelt trails, the committee has been working on the concept of building a loop trail, into the greenbelts, from the Community Center area.  John and Cliff and Mark had met with Bill Donohue last week and walked the proposed area only to find that there could be issues of possible encroachments on private lands, thus we are awaiting a formal survey map of the area showing the property lines.  As well, John and Cliff and Mark have met with the ECIA Facilities and Grounds Committee to present our Greenbelt trail concept.  They were receptive to the idea of a loop trail into the greenbelt and around the Community Center grounds.  Once we have more definitive property line information, we will again meet with this committee regarding this trail project.  

ECIA Liaison Report:   Lynn reported thatsince the last committee meeting that she and John Parker and Mark had met with Amanita Thorpe regarding using the goats for further fuels reduction in the middle greenbelt.  The ECIA Board did approve of a special spending measure for this effort and Amanita and the goats did spend 10 days in late May to further reduce fuels in the Pueblo Canyon Greenbelt.

ECIA Managers Report:   Mark reported that the work done on the trailheads seems to be holding up well. As well, he reported that he will be working with the ECIA staff and Bill Donohue on further improvements to trailhead 1.

New Business:     John reported that he will review our 5 year plan and get back to the committee with his ideas for updating this document.  He stated that efforts like the Firewise Community efforts, and working with the Fire Department of such efforts should be incorporated into this plan.    

With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.

Respectfully Submitted

Mark Young

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ECIA Conservation Committee Meeting

May 3, 2011

Present: John Parker, Mark Young, Dana Richards, Lynn Mortinsen (ECIA representative), Ken Koger, John Kenny, Eleanor Gossen

Meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM

Introduction of guests: There were no guests.

Review and Approval of minutes: The minutes were approved as written. Eleanor won't be able to make the next two meetings, so we need a volunteer to take minutes for the June and July meetings.

Trail Signs Project Update: The trail signs were delivered to Mark after last meeting. Mark and John went out to the preserve with posts and set three signs on 101-102 trails. It worked well for the most part; some places were too rocky to put in the posts. Mark will go with an ECIA crew tomorrow tomorrow to put in some signs on the Los Vaqueros trail.

Trail 101 improvements: John and Mark went out and laid out corridor for new trail; they are optimistic that it will be a big improvement. It is not far removed from the old trail. The next step will be to flag the exact trail base now that the corridor is established. We hope to have additional help (ECIA crew and Earthworks staff) to build the trail. Dana says that the new Earthworks crew will start next week but will be busy until the end of May. We will aim to work on the trail during the first week in June. Dana mentioned that Earthworks has written a new guide to building trails in this environment which might be useful to us. John wrote notice about our new trail plan. It has been posted at the trail head but maybe not in the proper spot. We need to close the gap in fence and have better signage. John will work with Mark and Bill to develop plan for closing old trail.

Greenbelts : Cliff submitted a report on the condition of our greenbelts. We have never been able to get anywhere in dealing with greenbelts. All are in all in pretty bad shape. The community seems to want them improved. We decided to make Gallina Park a priority, to make it a clear path with signage which would go from the Clubhouse to Gallina Park, then around the ball field to return to clubhouse. There is good parking there and safe walking. Bill has committed resources to this project. We could use the Kobota to establish the trail and maybe could use mulch to “pave” the trail, which would make for better footing. This would accommodate people who want to walk but don't want a “wilderness” experience. John will contact Cliff to see if he will commit to overseeing this project.

Lynn reported that she has been advocating with the Board to improve the greenbelts and that there is a great deal of public demand for improved access and trails. The goats have technically finished for this year, having worked mostly in Gallina Park. Bill wants us to request that the goats come back in late July, to expend another $3500. Lynn doesn't see any reason to wait to deal with the weed situation when the fire danger is so high. The Board needs recommendations for high priority areas and costs. Mechanical controls are potential sources of ignition. The committee recommends getting goats to work right away. There was a suggestion that we might work through Neighborhood Watch groups to let people know what they can do to make areas more fire safe; maybe we could do this as a community building activity.

Phase II of the Canoncito Earthworks Project Update: They seem to be pretty much done with their work in the wetland. They have used up all rocks and have done some willow planting.

Earthworks Agreement for Coming Year (2 yrs?): Jan-Willem requested that we formalize Eldorado's relationship with Earthworks. Mark has the document which has four items in the agreement for the current year; John thinks it might be better to do a two year agreement which would allow the Board to better understand the relationship and what we hope to accomplish. Our intent is to get Bill to sign the agreement, pinpointing specific areas which need attention. Our budget for this year is $6,000; the Earthworks agreement would be around $5000. Jan-Willem had also suggested that we become an “ecowise” community, which might enable us to get some help from Sustainability Community.

John went to the ECIA annual meeting. They voted to charter the Sustainability Planning Committee. The first meeting of this committee will be on/around June 20th. We will be happy to work with them, particularly on community workshops. Mark will call the Raincatcher people to see if they might be willing to do a workshop on water harvesting and permaculture. We'll aim for a workshop in July.

 

Board reports:

 

Mark: He will set up meeting with Amanita to talk about the goats.

 

Lynn: The ECIA annual meeting happened last night; the conservation committee was well received – one person said the preserve was in really good shape.

 

Dana: He is retiring from the committee, but will be happy to collaborate when appropriate and possible. He will be devoting his time to the Sustainability Committee. It's core task is to bring Eldorado into alignment with the County sustainability program – engaging in how we live in a built rather than a developing community. Dana suggested that we should replace plexiglass cover to the map at the wetland area. The committee will recommend to Bill that it be replaced.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 PM.

 

Mark E. Young

ECIA Covenant Compliance Representative

One La Hacienda Loop

Santa Fe, NM 87508

Tel: 505-466-4248

e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

______________________________________________________________________________________
 

ECIA Conservation Committee Minutes, April 4, 2011

The meeting was called to order at 7:03 PM
Present: John Parker (Chair), Lynn Mortensen (ECIA rep.), Mark Young, Gerald Gulseth, Ken Koger, John Kenny, aj Melnick, Eleanor Gossen
Introduction of guests: There were no guests at this meeting.
Review and Approval of minutes: The minutes were approved as written.
Trail Signs Project Update: The new signs should be done no later than April 15; heavy gauge posts will be used. Bill’s staff will put the signs in, although some committee members should go out with them to site the signs.
Website Updates: The ECIA web site now has a list of links relevant to our committee, John’s slide show is also on there, as are the current meeting agenda and any approved minutes. Suggestions are welcomed, although we are somewhat constrained by the ECIA template.
Trail 101 improvements: A group of committee members went out with Earthworks representatives to look at Trail 101. There now are two trails going up; the official trail and a “social” trail which goes across private land. The latter goes straight up, is beginning to degrade and is very rocky. It brings a lot of water down, causing cupping and erosion at the bottom. We would like to close this trail with brush and repair the fence which lets people through to it and put up a sign telling people that the trail has been closed. We would like to maintain the current official trail and .put in another with a more gentle gradient, We got good input from Jan-Willem of Earthworks, who has lots of trail building experience. We proposed a multi-use trail; Jan-Willem questioned whether it would really be appropriate since an equestrian trail needs to be wider with more overhead clearance. He suggested that we talk to the equestrians and find out what they really want. Before we start work on the trail, we should post a notice letting people who use the trails know what we’re going to do. The initial flagging of the new trail will take place on Saturday April 16th. Work would actually start in June. Who is going to do the actual work?? Should we collaborate with Earthworks, Scouts, committee members??
Greenbelts : Several complaints have come to John about the poor condition of the green belt trails. We need to think about how to deal with these complaints. If the ECIA doesn’t deal with this, users will, perhaps not in the best way. Most of the green belt trails need work, removing fallen trees, rerouting when necessary, cutting back weeds, etc. Bill may be willing to use his staff to help with this. Cliff has expressed concern about the green belt just behind the tennis courts where a social trail has developed. Maybe we can use this as a starting point, working with Bill’s staff. We need to come up with plan of attack; John will ask Cliff to be champion for this effort. Probably more people hike in the green belts than in the preserve, so we should make an effort to ensure that they are in good shape.
Phase II of the Canoncito Earthworks Project Update: Earthworks has done a good job on the tributary to the main arroyo; work is now moving upstream from the restored wetland. They started work a week or two ago and it seems to be going smoothly.
Goats Project: The goats are already here, working in the Avenida Azul area. We would like to have the goats do two passes in areas which need most attention
Sustainable Eldorado Committee Status: This committee has revised their charter based on comments and on the county’s sustainability plan. The new charter emphasizes community education and advising ECIA committees. In general we regard this as a good thing, but there was some concern about how this committee will interface with county and state groups and how they would represent Eldorado, other than in the context of how we are conforming with the broader sustainability goals of the county. Maybe this committee could have some input into further development of 285 corridor. (Lynn said that board will be reviewing all committees every year from now on to make sure they continue to be useful.)
Community Stewardship Survey : Earthworks would like to formalize our relationship and develop a partnership agreement. Jan-Willem would like us to investigate the “Ecowise” community concept. They have a questionnaire to determine “where we’re at” with regard to these ideas. Maybe we should ask the Sustainable Eldorado folks to help us with this. It might engender some useful discussion. Maybe we could get certified as an Ecowise Community. We need to decide what we want to do with Earthworks this summer. John would like to have Earthworks work with us on the Trail 101 project.
Fire Prevention Workshop: This will happen tomorrow night at 6:30 in the Railroad Room. Karen Lightfoot from the State Forestry department will talk about Firewise Communities.
Management & Board Reports : Lynn: the ECIA election is going on now, people should have gotten ballots in the mail. The Annual Report just went out. ECIA is in good financial shape. They are going to remodel and repair the rental property where Debbie lived. There will be an appreciation dinner for volunteers on April 21st from 5-7. The annual meeting will be in May or June. Mark: Bill needs to know our needs so he can plan activities for his work force We would like their support on the Trail 101 project, the greenbelt project, placing signs. We would also want him to purchase 4 Mcleods for trail work. Lynn reported that the Facilities and Grounds committee has developed a landscaping plan for beautifying the front entrance to club house. We will ask someone from the Facilities and Grounds Committee come to our next meeting to let us know what they’re doing.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:31 pm . The next meeting will be on May 3.
 

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 Conservation Committee Meeting March 1, 2011

 Present Mark Young, Cliff Chetwin, AJ Melnick, Ken Koger, Gerry
 Gulesth, John Kenny and Lynn Mortensen (Board Liason)

 Guests: Jeanne Crawford

 The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM.

 Approval of minutes: The minutes of the February meeting were approved
 unanimously.

 Committee Reports and Activities:

 Trail Signs Project Update: Mark presented a final prototype trail
 sign for review by the committee. The committee overall was in favor
 of the final draft. Cliff Chetwin did ask that we get quotes on steel
 posts as well as stainless steel posts from Lee our sign maker. Mark
 further reported that the signs would probably be ready sometime in
 March and it was the plan that committee members could work with ECIA
 staff to get the signs in place in the preserve. Mark will follow upon
 this. Cliff Chetwin then reported on his trail sign inventory that he
 has been working on and showed committee members some of the work he
 has completed to date. The committee was in agreement with Cliff continuing
 his work on this project in 2011.

 Fire Prevention Workshop: With the dry summer ahead, Mark pointed out
 the need to further work on organizing a fire wise workshop this spring.
 Cliff Chetwin agreed to work on setting this up with the local fire
 departments. With a goal to host such a talk in April, Mark will
 communicate with Carol Leyba on reserving space in the April Vistas for
 an article on this talk.

 2010: Annual Report Review: Committee members were all in favor of
 this report as printed.

 2011 Goals Report Review: Committee members were all in favor of
 this report as printed.

 Website Updates: Mark reported that a subcommittee of this committee
 had met to discuss improvements to the website. They have reported
 their findings to the web contacts Jack Arnold and Elan Colello. These
 suggested changes have included a revised format to our committee's
 web page in conjunction with increased web links to relevant organizations
 and other web sites. Since to date only a few changes have been
 implemented, Mark and John will have to follow up on the feasibility
 of the other desired changes.

 Earthworks Update: Mark reported that he and John had met with
 Earthworks Institute to further review our cooperative projects in
 2011.
 Much of this discussion centered on the need for significant
 improvements to Trail 101 this summer. Mark reported that he and John
 Parker will be meeting with Earthworks on March 17th at the trail 101
 trailhead to walk the trail and discuss the needed improvements of
 this heavily used trail. Committee members are invited to join us and Mark
 will communicate a specific meeting time once he has it. Cliff asked
 about the details of phase II of the Canoncito project and Mark said
 he did not have that information but will request it from Earthworks. He
 also reported that they should be starting on the phase II anytime
 now.


 Vista Articles: Mark asked if he could get a volunteer to write an
 article for a future Vistas edition but no one volunteered for this
 task.

 Goats Project: Guest Jean Crawford asked the committee if they were
 still in agreement with earmarking $500.00 of their 2011 budget to
 support the goats in Eldorado this summer. After some discussion the
 committee agreed to this level of support with a request that the
 goats do not begin their weed control till after the 1st of July. Jean
 Crawford would report this back to Treasurer Todd Handy.

 Sustainable Eldorado Committee Status: Board Liaison Lynn Mortensen
 spoke to the committee about the fact that the ECIA Board wanted input
 from each of the committee's regarding the establishment of the
 Sustainable Eldorado Committee, as an official committee of the ECIA.
 She explained that the latest draft charter was centered on working
 with the community on implementing the Santa Fe County Land Development
 plan.
 Much discussion centered on the fact that committee members felt that
 this group should be taking the entire 285 Corridor area into
 consideration and not just include Eldorado. As well there were
 questions on how this new committee would interface with the existing
 committees. Lynn responded to these concerns and in the end the
 Conservation Committee was in favor of this draft charter with the
 request to add one more section under the mission statement to require
 this proposed committee to work towards including other 285 corridor
 area developments in this effort.

 With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.

 Respectfully Submitted,

 Mark Young
 ECIA Staff Representative

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 ECIA Conservation CommitteeMeeting Minutes