Bad news first: Due to these strange and unfortunate times in which we currently find ourselves, PPORA, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the City of Colorado Springs have come together (not literally) to make the difficult decision to cancel Get Outdoors Day for 2020.
HOWEVER... The spirit of Get Outdoors Day is more important now than ever before and we will continue to share the message that the outdoors is for EVERYONE and inspire our community to discover new outdoor activities and reap the mental and physical health benefits. Thus, Get *Back* Outdoors 2020 was born! Instead of a one-day event where we gather together, Get Back Outdoors will be a focused campaign to encourage people to get outside and will provide resources to make it fun, easy, safe, and sustainable.
Join us as we spread this important message and keep the spirit of Get Outdoors Day alive!
Stay tuned as we finalize and roll out this summer campaign and see how you can participate!
New Open Space & Outdoor Recreation Opportunities?
Yes Please! We need your voice!
Pikeview Frontage Property & Quarry, Photo Credit: City of Colorado Springs
Black Canyon Quarry, Photo Credit: City of Colorado Springs
Last week the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board voted unanimously to recommend a proposal to acquire over 340 acres of open space which includes the Black Canyon Quarry and frontage property of the Pikeview Quarry. The adjoining Pikeview Quarry we hope will be acquired as a donation at a later date, pending approval of its reclamation. These properties have significant values for the outdoor recreation community and we are excited about the possibilities!
In addition to the opportunity for hiking, biking, bird watching, photography, and other potential uses for both properties, the Black Canyon Quarry acquisition would provide close to town access to Waldo Canyon and was identified by the community as a desirable trailhead location. The probable donation of the Pikeview Quarry has been identified for development of a potential mountain bike park.
Please see the press release below. To get all the details, see the full PowerPoint from the City’s proposal, CLICK HERE.
PPORA has expressed our support but to make this happen, it will take ALL of us sharing our voice and letting Colorado Springs City Council know what we think about this! So please take a moment reach out to City Council and share your viewpoint.They will be considering the issue and voting on it in early June.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Vanessa Zink
Senior Communications Specialist
(719) 491-0363
Open space acquisitions recommended by Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board Wednesday Proposal includes more than 340 acres of open space on the City’s western edge
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board at its monthly meeting Thursday, May 14 recommended by unanimous vote a proposal for the City of Colorado Springs to acquire more than 340 acres of open space near the Cedar Heights and Oak Valley Ranch neighborhoods. The acquisitions will now be considered by City Council for approval in June.
“These acquisitions would conserve the western backdrop of our skyline, provide continued protection of wildlife habitat, and offer incredible views and fascinating possibilities for future recreation,” said Britt Haley, design and development manager for the City of Colorado Springs.
The 2014 Park System Master Plan identified these areas as candidate properties for the City’s open space system. If the acquisitions are approved by City Council, the two properties would undergo separate master planning processes with opportunities for public input on future use and development. The recommended acquisitions include the following properties, which are owned by Castle Concrete:
Black Canyon Quarry, which is approximately 193 acres of property adjacent to Williams Canyon and located to the west of the Cedar Heights neighborhood and Garden of the Gods Park. The quarry has been closed since 2015 and reclamation is largely complete. From a regional perspective, this property offers future potential to provide trail access to the Pike National Forest’s Waldo Canyon area. The U.S. Forest Service is currently engaged in an ongoing public planning process to reimagine Waldo Canyon.
A 148-acre frontage property of the Pikeview Quarry, which features rolling hills and oak brush. It’s located immediately south of Blodgett Open Space and west of Allegheny Drive and the Oak Valley Ranch neighborhood.
Additionally, the 100-acre Pikeview Quarry could be acquired as a donation from Castle Concrete at a later date on condition of state approval of physical reclamation.
The board’s recommendation follows an endorsement by the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) Working Committee earlier this month. Additionally, several groups voiced support for the proposal Thursday, including Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates, the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, and the Trails and Open Space Coalition.
The $8.9 million acquisition is proposed to be funded by revenues from the TOPS Open Space Category with the assistance of acquisition partner The Conservation Fund. TOPS is a 0.01 percent sales tax first approved by voters in 1997 that is used exclusively to preserve open space lands, trails and parks. It generates approximately $9.5 million annually.
Pikes Peak Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Mark your calendars for an inspiring and engaging morning on August 11th at the 2020 Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Industry Leadership Summit. We'll be taking stock of community goals set years ago, where we are today, and what the future looks like for outdoor recreation in this region. We'll hear from our land managers about the current state of our outdoor spaces, the potential effects of COVID-19, increasing impacts, and recreational successes and challenges. We'll also hear how other communities have addressed similar challenges to sustainable tourism and outdoor recreation and evaluate the models as we consider what our vision is for our own region.
This will be a fun and full morning of engagement with one another as we roll up our sleeves and dive into meaningful conversations to lead us to the future we want for our region.
More details to come; sponsors welcome - click on the link below.
Getting Out & Giving Back How 2 Outdoor Partners are Leading the Way!
PPORA applauds our partners for making a difference as we celebrated Colorado Public Lands Day May 16th.
Although the celebrations were many and varied throughout the state, here in the Pikes Peak region we want to shine the spotlight on two local initiatives, conducted by an outdoor experience business, Adventures Out West (AOW) and a motorized recreation club, Colorado Motorcycle Trail Riders Association (CMTRA).
CMTRA made an impact May 17th on Captain Jack’s trailhead as well as nearby areas with 14 volunteers collecting over 30 bags of trash, tires, a mattress, a safe and more! When asked why the club conducted this effort, club president Mark Reimler said, “In conjunction with the city of Colorado Springs and the US Forest Service, CMTRA has adopted Captain Jack’s trail and takes pride in keeping Captain Jack's clean, unblocked, and in great condition so all the different users can enjoy this gem of a local trail system.”
AOW’s regular business activities include jeep tours, zipline adventures, segways and more. But they
recently pivoted to keep staff employed and make a difference through clean-ups that they’ve branded “Pick It Up COS” for us locally, and which have spread to other states and even to Japan!
On May 14th they conducted multiple clean-ups locally, such as at North Cheyenne Canyon, in small groups and the 50 participants collected over 50 trash bags full of garbage! Owner Greg Wellens said, “At AOW business is slow, so we are using this opportunity to give back to our community. We encourage all humans to Pick It Up and participate in some way to better your part of the world.”
We couldn’t have said it better! PPORA encourages our community to get out and enjoy the outdoors but also do your part to give back.
Partners in the Outdoors Register for FREE Virtual Sessions
The Partners in the Outdoors Conference is moving to entirely virtual sessions over the months of May and June! Many of these events require registration, so be sure to check the details of the events you are interested in!
PPORA Partners with Generation Wild Family Adventure Guides Distributed to Kids & Families
Generation Wild has been working with Colorado Springs School District 11 during the pandemic to reach kids and families in the southeast part of town and encourage their outdoor participation. As a Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region partner, Catamount Institute has been providing nature science kits to families that pick up lunches through the summer (and pandemic) school lunch program. In collaboration with Catamount Institute, PPORA provided over 1,000 Family Adventure Guide to the Pikes Peak Region booklets in both English and also in Spanish through the program last week!
We hope to find new ways and work with more partners to help kids and families in our region get outdoors. If you have an idea or would like to partner up or be a sponsor this initiative, please contact us at info@ppora.org.
To view the digital guide and download activities and games, click the link below.
PPORA Needs Your Support! Join us in strengthening the outdoor recreation industry for the Pikes Peak region today!
Whether you've partnered with us in the past or this would be your first time, every gift makes a difference! As is true of so many in our community, the pandemic has hit PPORA's bottom line with reductions in funding commitments. If you like what we're about and want to help, please click the link below. Thank you!
With the dynamic nature of this pandemic, it can be difficult to stay on top of it all. America Outdoors has built an incredible resource to help you navigate the pandemic and its effects on your business/organization. This website provides useful information for navigating the uncertain waters of payroll loans, pandemic marketing, staff housing and guiding on public lands with new and diverse restrictions.
Stay strong and keep up the great work everyone! We're all in this together!
Tired of missing out on all the insider information? Follow us on social media (click below) to join the conversation and be a part of what is going on in the outdoor industry in the Pikes Peak Region!
Bad news first: Due to these strange and unfortunate times in which we currently find ourselves, PPORA, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the City of Colorado Springs have come together (not literally) to make the difficult decision to cancel Get Outdoors Day for 2020.
CMTRA made an impact May 17th on Captain Jack’s trailhead as well as nearby areas with 14 volunteers collecting over 30 bags of trash, tires, a mattress, a safe and more! When asked why the club conducted this effort, club president Mark Reimler said, “In conjunction with the city of Colorado Springs and the US Forest Service, CMTRA has adopted Captain Jack’s trail and takes pride in keeping Captain Jack's clean, unblocked, and in great condition so all the different users can enjoy this gem of a local trail system.”
AOW’s regular business activities include jeep tours, zipline adventures, segways and more. But they
