Hi Everyone,

It has been a little bit since we sent out an update. It sure has been a busy summer. So there are a number of things that have been going on. We have been working behind the scenes. We think we are right on the verge of a couple major breakthroughs. So keep your ears open in the coming weeks for some really good news. In the mean time, let me bring you up to date on this summer's activities.

1) It appears that using any kind of grant money is going to require that a Conservation Easement be placed on parts of Union Meadows. This is a formal document that the Palmer Foundation holds and allows third party oversight to make sure things stay in a natural state. While the easement can be placed onthe land anytime, a prerequisite document called a Baseline Inventory is always required. This report can only be put together during the summer while allthe plants are growing by a qualified person, usually a trained biologist. So we contracted with Charity Hall (she has done the bulk of Baseline Inventories for the Palmer Foundation) to conduct the inventory. We will be getting the report this coming week. A lot of the data (history of the area, flowers, birds, etc.) that many of you provided to us was used as input. The report is fairly large and documents the conservation values of the property along with any foreseeable problems. One issue for us is the noxious weed population in particular thistle. So be thinking of ways to manage the thistle patches. We may have to have a dethistle party.

2) Hopefully, some of you saw the article in the Gazette several weeks back that listed our project as the number two open space priority behind Red RockCanyon. Given our low cost and some of the problems facing Red Rock Canyon, we have really managed to bubble up to the top of the potential projects list.

3) Steve and I, along with many of you who wrote e-mails, helped support Lee Milner's efforts to get the Big Johnson Reservoir Open Space refinanced. This frees up a fair amount of money that can be used for projects like ours. So it looks like a push for TOPS funding is going forward this fall. We may need your support at some upcoming TOPS and City Council meetings. More to follow on this topic.

4) For all of our long term residents, we need to work on documenting use all along the trail going back at least 20 years. So if you have old pictures or can document activities down in the valley, please let us know.

5) Several folks from our neighborhood were at the Trails and Open Space Coalitions (TOSC) Gala in the Garden. It was a fun BBQ at the Rock Ledge Ranch to promote the on going efforts in El Paso and Teller Counties. We donated a framed print to their Silent Auction fundraiser. We have made a lot of progress. Even the State Parks guys know who we are now. (P.S. Scot is even a board member of TOSC now).

6) TOSC is offering all of our supporters a temporary membership that will allow all of you to get regular updates on local projects. This is totally voluntary. So if you would like a trial membership, I have placed a sign-up form on our website. Remember, the location of the site has changed to www.vintage-reproductions.com/union.htm

7) On October 20th (Saturday) at 9:00 AM TOSC is sponsoring a hike of Union Meadows. We will be leading the hike so join us if you can. It will start up by Ranch Drive.

8) Finally, there has been renewed activity on the church property. We don't have many details. So if you have information, please pass it on. However, we do know that they have a land consultant and have been doing some survey work. Expect things on this section of Union Meadows to heat up this fall. We plan on contacting them in the near future and will pass on any details as soon as we learn something.

Thanks for all of your support and positive statements. I never would have imagined that I was signing up for a multi-year campaign when we started this process. Fortunately, we believe the pieces are starting to come together.

Scot