If you've travelled north on Highway 9, you've probably noticed the steady progress with the new firehouse for Summit Fire and EMS. Construction of the new facility is nearing completion. Officials with the fire department say the new fire house should be ready to open by the end of March. That's great news for residents living in the Lower Blue River Valley. The new facility will dramatically reduce emergency response time in the Lower Blue. Stay tuned for more on the official opening.
Come March first, I will step down as Executive Director of Friends of the Lower Blue River. This will be the last River Flow I publish. The last six years have been rewarding for me, because I truly believe in FOLBR's mission. The organization and focus has evolved over the years and I believe FOLBR is poised for the future, protecting the best interests of the Lower Blue River Valley. We are all fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful areas of Colorado and FOLBR wants to keep it that way.
The Summit County Outdoor Coalition (SCOC) is part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Regional Partnership Initiative funded by CPW and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). BRWG in partnership with FOLBR and Summit County Sustainability, seek to address a range of access and environmental issues facing our community as we strive to balance the health of our natural resources with outdoor recreation through this coalition.
SCOC has completed its Charter and Organizational Guidelines and is preparing to conduct a Community Needs Assesment of partners in our community to determine the best path forward for research and outreach. Together with local organizations and alongside other coalitions, the Summit County Outdoor Coalition joins a statewide initiative working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing for equitable and quality outdoor recreation experiences.
Our current Executive Director, Jonathan Knopf is retiring April 1, 2025! Jonathan is the keystone to the daily functions of FOLBR. For almost 8 years, he has been the backbone of our organization and brought FOLBR to where it is today - an active participant in issues facing the Lower Blue River Valley.
We need to find a great candidate to replace Jonathan. The Board of Directors of FOLBR NEEDS YOUR HELP! If you know any candidates for the Executive Director position or if YOU have an interest in this part time paid position, please contact FOLBR Vice President Kurt Dallow at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Job Description in the Read More Section
This is our final Water in the West Social of the summer! This is a social series in collaboration with FDRD, HC3, BRWG, and FOLBR. This month, Friends of the Lower Blue River will be leading the social.
In the face of climate change, we are all concerned about the scarcity of water. This is especially true for the Blue River Valley. The Blue River is a source of water for 40 million people in the Colorado River System. We invite you to join Friends of the Lower Blue River for an evening exploring the history and development of Colorado's most precious natural resource: our water. How can we preserve this important resource for future generations? How do we deal with the challenges facing us in a changing climate?
Nancy has dedicated her career to learning, teaching, leading, and innovating in the education and community sectors. As a philanthropy advisor with PhilanthropyConnect, she understands the challenges and opportunities not only of being a grant seeker, but also a grant maker. Nancy has run numerous community based programs and initiatives, and taught philanthropy to youth, teens, families, college students, and adults.
She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and has been a site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Nancy has been a member of the Summit Foundation's Executive Volunteers Corps and the Summit County Arts Forum. She and her family own Columbine Ranch on Harrigan Creek in Silverthorne, growing mountain horse hay for local horse owners.
Congratuations to outgoing Board President Sam Kirk named FOLBR's 2024 Founders Award Recipent. Thank you Sam for all your support and ciommitment to the Lower Blue River Valley.
In July, Friends of the Lower Blue River partnered with the Keystone Science School to talk about water, wildlife and the climate at KSS's Community Days. FOLBR Board Member Kurt Dallow and FOLBR's Director of Climate Action, Tom Koehler spent the day with about 150 youngsters. Overall, the kids were enthused to hear about the importance of water in Colorado, our river system, the impact of beavers and they even enjoyed a scavenger hunt. Thanks to Keystone Science School and we look forward to partnering more with KSS in the future.
The Friends of the Lower Blue River Annual Gathering Sunday, August 4, 2024 Historic Slate Creek Hall 11:00am to 2:00pm Celebrating the Lower Blue River Valley Community Hear the history and stories from multi-generational ranches Adam Poe-Pebble Creek Ranch Peter Roseberry-Brush Creek Ranch We'll update you on the BLM/Blue Valley Ranch Land Swap
Admission is free Buffet Lunch from Brother's BBQ Music from Randall McKinnon Come meet your neighbors and celebrate the Lower Blue River Valley
Sam Kirk currently serves as President of the Friends of the Lower Blue River Board of Directors. He will become Immediate Past President in August.
He is a long-time resident of the Lower Blue River Valley. Sam resides at Pebble Creek Ranch where he currently serves as ranch liaison as well as manager of the Pebble Creek Horse Association. He's been a member of FOLBR since its inception. This is the second time Sam has taken on the role of President of the Board.
Four area environmental non-profits come together to present a series of programs over the next four months. The first event is June 19th hosted by HC3 at Mi Casa in Breckenridge. All the events are from 5:30 to 7:00pm. Come join the conversation about our environment and our most important resource. Mark your calendars for each event, especially FOLBR's on September 18th at the Thisrsty Pika in Silverthorne.
Thank you to everyone who came out to help clean up Highway 9 between mile markers 111 and 113. Even though it is a relatively small stretch of the highway, it makes a difference. Just look at how much trash we collected.
We especially want to thank Lynn Amstutz for her leadership over the years organizing this event. She is passing the baton to Susan Knopf, who will coordinate the Clean Up in the years ahead.
Wolverines are going to be reintroduced into the Colorado environment. Planning is underway to achieve that goal. What's involved? What does it mean for you? What is the timeline for reintroduction? Join Friends of the Lower Blue River for an evening conversation with Dan Gibbs, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Get the answers to these questions and more from the source.
The event will be at the Silverthorne Pavilion on Tuesday, June 4th from 6:00 to 8:00pm. A cash bar for beer and wine will be available. Admission is free, but donations to Friends of the Lower Blue River are always welcome and accepted.
