1/26/04 Incline Meeting

Meeting Info:
Monday, January 26, 2004 from 3:30-5:00 P.M.
Colorado Springs Utilities - Blue River Conference Room on the 5th floor - So. Tower Plaza of the Rockies

Participants:
Bill Nelson and Jeffrey Hovermale (Forest Service)
Eric Howell and Vic Ecklund (Colorado Springs Utilities)
Kyle Hybl, Doug Doan and Spencer Wren (COG Railway)
Rich Havel (El Paso County Parks)
Matt Carpenter (Friends of the Peak)
Paul Cohen (Community Member)
Ken Jaray (Facilitator)

Agenda:

1. Update from the Forest Service - Current ownership and easement issues, memorandum of understanding with Friend of the Peak, feasibility of proceeding with studies needed to consider opening the Incline to the public
2. Plan of Action - Areas of study from December 5, 2003 meeting summary
3. Next Meeting

Meeting Summary:

1. Preliminary Land Status: Jeff reviewed the forest plan direction as well as the landownership management status including current easements on the Incline.

2. Forest Service Proposals and Application Processing Steps: Bill reviewed an eleven-step application review process (see scan at bottom of this page) that would need to be considered prior to opening the Incline to the public. Only the first five criteria were discussed or considered. The initial screening criteria includes:
   1. Use consistent with laws, regulations, orders, policies of NFS lands, other federal laws and applicable with State and local health and sanitation laws
   2. Use consistent or can be consistent with FLRMP’s (Forest Land Resource Management Plan)
   3. Use does not pose serious or substantial risk to public health and safety
   4. Use does not create an exclusive or perpetual right of use or occupancy
   5. Use does not unreasonably conflict or interfere with administrative use, other scheduled or existing authorized uses on adjacent non-NFS lands.

   The primary areas of concern include:

   • The steep grade of an average of approximately 44%. In order to be considered a forest service system trail, grades could not exceed approximately 8-14%.
   • Use by the public could pose serious or substantial risk of injury.
   • Public use of the Incline would potentially interfere with the COG operations as well as CSU’s maintenance and operation of the pipeline.

   For these and other reasons, Bill indicated that public use of the Incline would not meet any of these criteria and therefore would not be considered by the Forest Service as a viable or appropriate project or proposal.

3. Options Considered: The group considered two options: (1) leaving the Incline in its current state with the area posted with no trespassing signs or construction of some type of additional fencing. (2) begin stabilization and reclamation work.

4. Plan of Action: The consensus of the group was to pursue the stabilization and reclamation of the Incline. Vic indicated that CSU has been involved with a similar project in Ute Pass and over the long term may have funding and expertise to develop a suitable stabilization and reclamation plan. Bill and Jeff indicated support for the plan and offered to host the next meeting to continue discussions of how this could be accomplished. The COG was also in support of pursing this plan of action as were the other participants.

Submitted by:
Ken Jaray