We're working on soil health solution projects. As we refine the action plan, we will report to you the latest information including scope and timelines. We'd like to see these projects begin when the snow melts in the Valley.

Right now, we are determining the costs involved to carry out our pilot prescriptions. As we have reported before, these efforts will cost money.

We are developing the budget for implementation and looking to our members, friends, grants and governmental sources to help achieve FOLBR's climate action goals this year, and in the years ahead.

State Representative, and Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie and Summit County Commissioner Josh Blanchard were among the advisory committee members who reviewed the findings of our Phase 1 research. FOLBR's Safe Soils/Climate Resiliency Initiative now moves to identify the prescriptions needed to address environmental opportunities identified in Phase 1 research.

Our Advisory Committee is made up of County, State and Federal stakeholders who are committed to addressing climate change. Our thanks to our robust team members Caitlin Miller and Mark Volt of the Middle Park Conservation District, Stephen Jaouen and Kara Vigneau of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cindy Lair with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and FOLBR Board Members Sam Kirk and George Resseguie for their participation.

In November, we met with the ranchers who participated in Phase 1 of our Safe Soils/Climate Resiliency Initiative. Four key landscapes were analyzed by the lab at Cornell University, facilitated by Eco-Consulting firm Geosyntec. Soil samples were taken from forested woodland, shrubland, riparian/wetland and agricultural areas. We presented our ranchers the findings, which included analysis of the soil's physical, chemical and biological characteristics.

Our four partner landowners examined the results, soil types and composition to help inform future management practices. We are taking this insight to formulate prescriptive project recommendations for climate resilience and improved soil health. We will continue to work with our ranch partners to help them begin to implement projects in the summer and autumn of 2023.

Detailed reports from our eco-consulting firm Geosyntec finally arrived! We will meet with our four partner ranchers this month. Tom Koehler, our director of climate action, is carefully reviewing hundreds of pages of data to determine our best path forward.

We will identify specific prescriptions to benefit each ranch. All of our recommendations will be aimed at improving soil health, and the ability of these private lands to capture more greenhouse gases and positively effect climate change. We plan to target several projects in 2023.

After we meet with each rancher, we will share the findings and our recommendations with key stakeholders and the community at large.

From these pilot projects we hope to develop further programs to improve soil resiliency on public and private lands in the Lower Blue River Valley.