Greetings Black Forest trails users and I trust your Summer is going well in spite of all the turmoil in the world.  
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In this newsletter we again have a couple of guest articles for you plus interesting articles from our board members.  Dr Judy Van Ahlefeldt explains the Section 16 lease history and Keith Henry updates us on his trail ventures. I hope you enjoy it and please contact me if you have anything you think our members need to hear.

But first I want to appeal to you to become an active member of BFTA using the iconic Uncle Sam character.  Popular legend has it that a meatpacker from Troy, NY (adjacent to my hometown of Albany) supplied rations for American soldiers during the War of 1812.  The meatpacker, Samuel Wilson, was required to label his packages with” E.A. – U.S.”  When someone asked what that stood for, a co-worker jokingly replied “Elbert Anderson (the contractor) and Uncle Sam (referring to Wilson”.  And thus the legend was born and later disputed.  I know this image worked well for recruiting for the Army in World War II and I’m hoping it will work for BFTA this recruiting season.  

BFTA needs you!  After many years of dedicated service, two critical board members are stepping down this year and we ungently need replacements.  Andy Meng is one of the workhorses of BFTA.  Not only is he our current treasurer with many ancillary duties but he also produces our biannual newsletter you’re reading now.  He’s served BFTA well and deserves to move on.  Nancy Reinhardt is another long serving BFTA member.  She currently serves as secretary and keeps track of my ramblings at board meetings.  Her historical knowledge of the association is invaluable.

So now it’s your turn to step up and serve your community.  Board meetings are held every other month at the Black Forest Community Club.  So the commitment is not overwhelming.  I plan on stepping down next year after four years as president so that position will also require replacement.  I figure if I can’t convince you, maybe Uncle Sam will.  It’s time for some new thinking in BFTA.

Meanwhile BFTA has contributed 15 tons of trail base to Fox Run Regional Park and is working with the county to provide a bench around the halfway point in the Pineries Open Space.  We have some other projects and solicit your ideas for improving the Black Forest trails system.  Your generous donations have made this possible.  Thanks!

I’m still struggling with documenting all our connector trails that cut through private property that were established with verbal agreements years, and probably owners, ago.  This year I’d like to revisit these trails to ensure the owners are still cool with the agreement and try to establish a formal easement.  So if you’re one of these property owners please contact me to discuss.  Community trails increase property value and security.  

Our annual members meeting is Tuesday, Jul 12 at the Black Forest Brewing Company 11590 Black Forest Road starting at 630 PM.  Susan Davies from Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC) will be our guest speaker.  Greg Stanchon from El Paso County will discuss the Homestead Ranch Master Plan.   Get there early to enjoy a beer on BFTA and sample the food truck offerings.    We will be electing new officers and board members at this meeting so be prepared to step up.

I hope me and my Uncle Sam can convince you to be an active part of the BFTA team and don’t forget to visit us at the BFTA booth at the Black Forest fest August 13.  As always, feel free to contact me at president.bfta@gmail.com with your thoughts, issues and ideas.  And look for me and my dogs on the trails. Happy Summer!  

Greetings Black Forest trails users and another Happy New Year to you!  My new year’s resolution is to keep Black Forest cool.  I love that word – cool.  It dates back to my youth and is still used by kids these days.  What cool means to me is a nice place to live with friendly, helpful neighbors, plenty of healthy outdoor activities and no McDonalds or paved sidewalks.  I’m sure we’ve all seen the changing demographic in the Forest but we have a long history of a cool place to live.  So let’s keep it that way.

Greetings Black Forest trails users.  It’s suddenly Summer!  Hard to believe after the cold deluge and hail at Meadowgrass.  But as we all know -- that’s Colorado weather.

I think we have another great newsletter for you with updates on The Great American Cleanup, Backyard Market and another guest article from Molly Clarke submitted by Rachel Gaffney on preserving nature while hiking.  We love guest articles so please send your thoughts our way.

I’ve always liked Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat quote about ‘if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there’.  To me, organizational goals are the roadmap.  The BFTA board discussed goals at our last meeting and decided on the following in priority order:

​El Paso County has released the draft Master Plan for public review and comment.  This comprehensive document, when approved by the El Paso County Planning Commission, will replace the El Paso County Policy Plan and the numerous Small Area Plans dating back to the 1970’s .  The website with information on the Master Plan is here:  https://elpaso.hlplanning.com/pages/draft-plan-outreach As the web site notes, revised placetypes models and Implementation Chapter 14 will be forthcoming.   Additional  information regarding the Master Plan effort can be found here: https://elpaso-hlplanning.hub.arcgis.com/
 
We're looking for input from our friends and members on the Master Plan, primarily as it relates to trails in El Paso County.  Trail information is mostly contained in Chapter 6, Transportation & Mobility and Chapter 10, Recreation & Tourism. We'd ask that you please review the draft Master Plan and provide any comments to president.bfta@gmail.com by April 6 for consolidation and submission with our organizational weight.   We anticipate an evening public meeting from 6-7 pm on March 31, with more details to follow that will be posted on the county web site.   

I am Rich Mock, your new president. Following Larry Fariss’s ten year term and record of success will be a real challenge for me but with your help and the support of the board staff, I think we can make some progress.
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I’ve lived in the NE corner of the Black Forest by Hodgen and Eastonville for over twenty years. My wonderful wife, Cris, and I have two horses and four cats but am currently dogless. We were instrumental in establishing the Palmer Divide trail when I was president of the Woodlake HOA. I started a friend’s group there (see my picture by the sign) and at Homestead Ranch. I’ve also served on the El Paso County Parks Advisory Board and am currently part of the Fairgrounds Corp. I admit to being a chronic volunteer. Serving my community is important to me.