A volunteer group promoting quality of life, and the
environment of the Lower Blue River Valley.
The Friends of the Lower Blue River are dedicated to sustaining and protecting the traditional agricultural character, promoting the safety of the residents, livestock and wildlife, and maintaining the environmental integrity of the Lower Blue River Valley through education, collaboration and community involvement.
To sustain and protect the traditional agricultural character, promote the safety of the residents, livestock and wildlife, and maintain the environmental integrity of the Lower Blue River Valley through education, collaboration and community involvement.
Friends of the Lower Blue River is committed to preserving the rich history of the Blue River Valley. Through grant support from the Summit Foundation, we have created this interactive tool that documents and takes you to key points of interest in the Valley. You will see photographs and read about those who came before us. Those who settled this pristine area of Summit and Grand Counties in the 1800’s and the relevance those sites have today. FOLBR invites you to take this journey on our website and discover the treasure, that truly is the Lower Blue River Valley.
Click Here to see History Story Map
Example of a Beaver Dam Analog
Last month, our Wetlands for Wildlife project, funded and sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, took real steps forward. We began ground operations along with Ecometrics, uplifting previously modest wetlands, implementing beaver dam analogs as a natural climate solutions tool within our Climate Resilience Initiative. This process allows the stream to expand following historical flows, enhancing biodiversity, mitigating drought impacts and promoting healthy wildlife habitat.
The next phase of this project is already underway creating Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping designs. We are also working to develop field verification teams this autumn to examine the natural intricacies of streams. Next spring, we will continue this work throughout more of the Lower Blue River Valley.
This Farm Bill expires at the end of September. The bill is reauthorized every five years. It's quite comprehensive. It covers everything from commodities and conservation to nutrition, energy and forestry. That's a lot to manage within the Department of Agriculture. Negotiations on the myriad of issues continue. Historically, the capital outlay is not evenly distributed. The nutrition category with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as its main program, garnered approximately 76% of the farm bill budget or $325.8 billion from 2019-2023.
The Congressional Budget Office projects a similar baseline with an increase of about 5 percent to the nutrition piece of the puzzle. That will leave about 20% for everything else. American Rivers, a prominent national non-profit based in Washington DC, has some recommendations for a river friendly bill.
Promote river and land management best practices, paired with intentional and purposeful climate-smart goals. Increase authorized levels of funding for programs that improve river health, including water quality and quantity. These recommendations are consistent with the work of FOLBR and broadly supports the Lower Blue River Valley and the Colorado River Basin as a whole.
By: Joe Lewandowski--The Journal
I’ve been afforded the rare opportunity and honor to kneel beside Colorado’s state animal and its most iconic: the Rocky Mountain Bighorn. When I worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, I attended capture projects where skilled biologists examined Bighorns, weighed and measured them, and attached tracking collars to monitor their movements.
I placed my hands on their rough, thick coats and felt their solid frames. While the biologists did their work, I looked in awe at these animals. At the shoulder, most measured about 4 feet in height, their legs and bodies all thick muscle, tendon and bone. Their hooves calloused but pliable, providing the platforms needed for leaping among cliffs and climbing steep slopes.
Wild horses–majestic, free, galloping in the wind–are romanticized creatures of the American West. They are known for strength and beauty. But most people would be shocked to see the current state of wild horse herds in the U.S. Instead of running through a field of lush grass with a rushing river nearby, many wild horses spend their days foraging through dry, barren fields. They are faced with finding water in regions plagued by drought due to climate change. It is not uncommon to see malnourished wild horses with ribs and bones sticking out.
According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), wild horse populations are overrunning U.S. public lands, wiping out grazing resources for other species in a delicate ecosystem. Currently, there are more than 80,000 living on public rangelands. There are also cattle, sheep, deer, pronghorn, reptiles, birds, and sage grouse who rely on the rangeland ecosystem to survive. As wild horse populations grow, these species are also threatened. Left unchecked, the rangeland ecosystem could be damaged beyond repair.
No matter if you fish, raft, or wade, the Blue River is the lifeblood streaming through Summit and Grand Counties. Join FOLBR for an evening to talk about the health of the Blue River with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatics Biologist Jon Ewert. Jon has worked to improve fish populations and the habit of the Blue River Valley for years. What are the challenges facing the Blue in the future? The discussion will begin at 6:30pm, Monday October 23rd at The Pad located at 491 Rainbow Road in Silverthorne. As cash bar will be available.
John Hillman has been a part of the FOLBR Board since the beginning. In that role, his passions have improved public safety in the Lower Blue. He worked for years to get improved cell service in our valley and succeeded at that a few years ago with the AT&T tower at Quaking Creek Ranch.
