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Now is the time to protect our wild areas
A letter from Jim Lockhart, Wild Connections' President, appealing for your financial support
Dear Reader, These are challenging times. In the past few years, we all have experienced political, environmental, health care, and economic stress. Many people have reacted to this by going to the outdoors. Our wild areas are feeling the stress, just as we are. So now is the time to protect these wild areas. With your financial help, Wild Connections will ramp up our efforts to protect the wild areas that we all love and enjoy. Go online to make a donation at the Pikes Peak region Give!, the state-wide Colorado Gives Day, or directly to Wild Connections.
The coming year will bring many opportunities to protect the vital lands of our region:
Post and cable removal in Wildcat Canyon. Photo USFS
  • The new National Forest Travel Management Plan enabled initial restoration work in Farnum roadless area and Wildcat Canyon. In 2023 Wild Connections will carry out further habitat restoration work in these areas, as well as other places in our National Forest.
  • Outside 285 - we are on the coalitions' steering committee - which is identifying recreation opportunities along the US 285 corridor and in South Park. This planning will promote non-motorized recreation while still protecting wildlife and wild areas by designating trail and facility locations, as well as habitat restoration options beneficial to wildlife.
  • The Bureau of Land Management’s Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, expected in 2023, will create additional restoration opportunities in our critical low-elevation public lands.
  • We are fighting climate change by identifying cold air pools and  “climate refugia” in our region.
  • Engaging citizens in governmental agency public processes will help protect wild areas.
  • Hosting outdoor events, trips to former restoration and threatened areas, and wildlands hikes are ongoing.
  • Our Keep It Wild Campaign will expand staff and make Wild Connections a more effective organization.
As you can see, we are working hard to protect and connect wildlife corridors and wild areas like Grape Creek: the “wild connections” from which we take our name.
Grape Creek Wilderness Study Area. Photo Jim Lockhart
If you have given to Wild Connections in the past, please consider continuing or increasing your donation. If you have not yet given, will you send your first gift today? If you've already done it, many thanks!
A gift of any size can make a difference. Go online to make your contribution at Give!, Colorado Gives Day, or directly to Wild Connections through our secure credit card site.
With gratitude and best wishes for a meaningful Thanksgiving,
Jim Lockhart, President on behalf of the Board and staff
PS. We’re counting on you! About 45% of our annual income comes from individuals like you
Go to our Donate page for other ways you can help.
Landscapes for December is here
Read about Cold Air Pools and climate refugia modeling, the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, defending roadless areas like Chicago Ridge, National Forest and Bureau of Land Management land management plans, and more about our vital lands.
Click the image to download the full edition.
Wild Connections stands in solidarity with our friends, families and community in Colorado Springs and beyond affected by the senseless act of violence at Club Q. This attack on the LGBTQ+ community is an attack on all. No one has a safe place unless everyone has a safe place.
Pike-San Isabel Travel Plan Finanalized
Forest travel under new managementForest Supervisor Diana Trujillo issued the Record of Decision on the long awaited Motorized Travel Management (MVUM) Analysis Project on September 26th. Here are two decisions on decommissioning travel routes that affect Wild Connections' restoration projects.
Wildcat Canyon at the S Platte River
Hikers resting at the river near Corral Creek in Wildcat Canyon. Photo Curt Nimz
Corral Creek 540, Hacket 220, Crossover 220A, Widow Maker 220B and Longwater 221 are decomissioned, thus protecting water quality, fisheries and quiet recreation on both sides of the S Platte River. This river segment is managed as though it is a Wild and Scenic River under the South Platte Protection Plan.
N Farnum Peak FR 233
Post and cable was installed at the decommissioned USFS route 233, a cherrystem route at the northern end of the Farnum Roadless Area, just southwest of the Tarryall Reservoir.  This route was closed due to illegal public dumping and camping, as well as illegal motorized routes that cut across the roadless area to Packer Gulch. 
Next year, we will revisit this project area and assess it with the USFS for a future 2023 restoration volunteer day.
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our mission
Wild Connections' mission is to identify, protect, and restore wildlands, native species, and biological diversity in the Arkansas and South Platte watersheds. We acknowledge these as the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Jicarilla Apache, Arapaho and other indigenous peoples.
Wild Connections stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. No one has a safe place unless everyone has a safe place
contact us
Info@wildconnections.org www.wildconnections.org (817) 939-4239 (Westcliffe) Administrative office Salida office 2168 Pheasant Pl By appointment, Colorado Springs, CO 80909 call 817-939-4239
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 January 2023   Dear Colleague,   Happy New Year from Wild Connections!   Here are our headlines for this month: • Wild Connections welcomes Doug Krieger to the board!
 • Dark Sky Award at Browns Canyon National Monument ◦ Florissant Fossil Beds offers a monthly evening Night Sky program • Special Thanks to our Donors! ◦ Ramp Up Restoration Donor Report
 Read on for more info!   Wild Connections welcomes Doug Krieger to our board of directors!  There’s a man who knows a great deal about Colorado’s wild waters, their aquatic animals and habitats.  His name is Doug Krieger. He recently joined the Wild Connections Board. We are extremely grateful to have him.   Doug grew up in Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan. His degrees, both in aquatic biology, came from Michigan State, undergraduate, and Colorado State, graduate.   He started his career with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (now the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife, CPW) as an aquatic biologist. He spent 25 years as senior fishery biologist in the Arkansas River Basin, working out of the Colorado Springs office. His last five years at CPW were spent as Aquatic Section Manager (AKA, the Fish Chief) and he retired in 2018.   In his retired time, Doug spends his time assisting other non-profit groups, hiking, and, of course, fishing.   Browns Canyon receives Colorado Dark Sky award  On December 20, 2022, Friends of Browns Canyon, on behalf of Browns Canyon National Monument, was selected as one of four recipients of the Colorado Dark Sky Certification Mentor Program awards!   This is the first year of the Colorado based program, in efforts to help achieve International Dark Sky Place certification. The recipients receive 50 hours of free consulting from the International Dark-Sky Association Colorado Chapter to implement activities that reduce light pollution and protect access to Colorado's incredible night skies.   The other three recipients were Ridgway State Park, San Luis Valley Great Outdoors for the Sangre de Cristo Dark Sky Reserve, and Visit Durango for the City of Durango.   Wild Connections was happy to write a letter of support for Dark Sky certification at Browns Canyon National Monument, in a very successful effort led by our colleagues at the Friends of Browns Canyon.     The Colorado Tourism Office has more info available here.   Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument offers a monthly evening Night Sky program  Speaking of Dark Skies, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (FFBNM) hosts a monthly evening Night Sky Program at the monument.  FFBNM received International Dark Sky Park certification from the International Dark Sky Association in 2021.   Their 2023 programming has not yet been released, however more info, including the eventual upcoming schedule, can be found at nps.gov/flfo/night-sky-programs.htm. FFBNM Night Sky Program. Photo Shell Bieker via NPS.gov    Special Thanks to Our Donors! Thank you donors!   Our Ramp Up Restoration appeal brought in nearly $35,000 from 167 donations!   Here's the breakdown: Colorado Gives Day at $7,098, Pikes Peak region Give! at $5,933, $10,550 for the Keep It Wild future staff fund and $10,915 by mail and other online sources led to this excellent finish.    With gratitude and cheers from all of us, Jean, Alison, John, Claude, John, Jim, Kristin and Doug  Wild Connections Board and staff Our Contact Information
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