Hayman Day Volunteer Information

2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the Hayman Fire, the largest in Colorado's history. It also marks the final year of Vail Resorts' 3-year restoration partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and the U.S. Forest Service. In the last two years, we've accomplished a lot - with the multiple VR Echo Hayman Days and through the financial support provided to critical groups.

And this June, VR Echo once again looks for you to lend a needed hand in restoring the 115,000 acres of natural habitat from our state's most devastating wildfire. Volunteer slots for the 2012 Hayman projects filled up in record time. Email Anna Black to be put on a wait list, indicating which days are your first and second choices. 

2012 VR Echo Hayman Days - Yep, 4 Days to be Exact!
With the 10th anniversary and the final year of the Hayman Fire Restoration Project approaching, we're changing it up. Instead of offering one, large volunteer project, VR Echo is offering four smaller projects, spread over several weeks time. Each day will provide work for 20-30 volunteers with slots being awarded on a lotto system. The days are:

Friday, June 8: Official 10th Anniversary of the Hayman Fire - FULL!
Wednesday, June 13 - FULL!
Wednesday, June 20 - FULL!
Wednesday, June 27 - FULL!

Why is this Important?
The 2002 fire season is a distant memory for many, but problems still remain. Due to the severity of the fire, and to the naturally erosive soils, large quantities of sediment and metal continue to cause significant degradation to Trail Creek, a large tributary of the South Platte River. The Upper South Platte watershed provides over 75% of Colorado's municipal, industrial and agriculture water needs, making it vital that we help minimize the damage to our state's precious water supply.

This year marks the third of a 3-year partnership between VR, the NFF, the USFS and the Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) to restore the Hayman burn site. With a significant investment of $750,000 made in 2009, Vail Resorts looked to be a catalyst for the public/private partnership, intending to spur other financial and volunteer commitments towards the project. A portion of this investment helped secure world-renowned hydrologist Dave Rosgen, who specializes in river restoration and is imperative to the project's success.

What's Already Been Done?
During the past two years, Vail Resorts support has helped provide more than 600 individual volunteers and  4,900 volunteer hours:

- Planting 280,000 trees on over 2,000 acres
- Restoring 45 acres of wetlands
- Constructing and/or restoring 15 miles of trail
- Plus a whole lot more!  

How Can I Sign Up?
Volunteer slots for the four Hayman Days filled up in record time and registration is now CLOSED. Contact Anna Black if you'd like to be placed on an alternates list, indicating which dates are your first and second choice. Check back in July for project outcomes and be sure to sign up early next year!

Questions?
Contact Nicky DeFord.