Colorado Parks and Wildlife releases
Backcountry Search and Rescue Study
With the passage of Senate Bill 21-245, Colorado Parks and Wildlife was directed to conduct a study to identify challenges within the existing volunteer-based Backcountry Search and Rescue (BSAR) program in Colorado. For more information, read the recently released Backcountry Search and Rescue Study and Senate Bill 21-245 Fact Sheet.
The study evaluated a number of issues faced by the state’s BSAR system, such as coordination structure, workers’ compensation, retirement, compensation and reimbursement, equipment, funding, governmental immunity, training and public outdoor safety education. The effort also included a detailed statewide survey of BSAR volunteers’ mental and physical health needs, documenting an increased risk of burnout and serious physical and mental health concerns faced by BSAR team members, and a pilot project to address these challenges.
“Our staff was grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with our state partners and reflect on the successes and challenges of BSAR,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Dan Prenzlow. “This foundational understanding of the current system helped our study team think about innovative ways to modernize our processes and recommend solutions that will advance BSAR moving forward.”
Alamosa conducts trail survey
Alamosa is a city of trails. To help connect more trails the city of Alamosa on the future of trail development along the Rio Grande. You can take the survey by following these links:
Survey in English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3ZJBFFF
Survey in Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RVLMJM8
The survey is open until Feb. 5.
Cumbres & Toltec community meeting
Scott Gibbs, president of Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, will host a community meeting in Antonito at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12. He will give a recap of the 2021 season and preview for 2022.
Now it’s easier than ever
to listen to our podcasts
Do you subscribe to our podcasts? In them you’ll find people like Corey Hubbard featured:
This week the Creative Citizen podcast takes a slightly different turn and begins a three-part exploration of the word “Archive.” The first profile is of Corey Hubbard, proprietor of the General Specific Store in downtown Del Norte. Her store holds a sprawling collection of items, new and old, curated with Hubbard’s very personal sensibility. As reporter Madeleine
Ahlborn writes: “Physical objects that hold significant value, the smell, the texture, the overall feel – now this is a type of archive. … By recognizing and paying homage in some way to these inanimate objects we are keeping history alive and also creating history at the same time.”
We also post a twice-weekly The Valley Pod, where we talk to the most interesting people in the Valley. You can now find Citizen Podcasts on major streaming services.
Photo credit: Kassiopeia Smith
