Association News

Eagles Nest Trail Maps
We have a terrific trail system within Eagles Nest that is used year-round by our residents. No matter where you live, a trail is likely to be nearby. You could use it to take a leisurely walk or, if you have a sense of adventure, grab your backpack and trek into the national forest to the Gore Range Trail and beyond.
We haven't had a map of the Eagles Nest Trail System, but that's about to change. Bill Reed, our Trails Manager, has now become our cartographer as well. Bill will be out in our forests in the coming weeks using his GPS unit to pinpoint the locations of trails within Eagles Nest. Once that is done, Bill will prepare maps of our trail system. The maps should be available in mid-June. Thanks Bill.

Tax Deduction for Fire Mitigation
Save your receipts. The State of Colorado (HB08-1110) allows landowners to deduct the costs of fire mitigation measures on private land. "Wildlife mitigation measures" are defined in the act as follows: "The creation of a defensible space around structures; the establishment of fuel breaks; the thinning of woody vegetation for the primary purpose of reducing risk to structures from wildland fire; or the secondary treatment of woody fuels by lopping and scattering, piling, chipping, removing from the site, or prescribed burning; so long as such activities meet or exceed any Colorado State Forest Service standards or any other applicable state rules." Some restrictions and limitations apply. Consult with your tax preparer to determine if you qualify.

ENPHA Annual Meeting, March 28, 2009
The Annual Meeting of the Association took place on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at the Raven Golf Club clubhouse. There were 67 properties represented by owners at the meeting and 95 total residents in attendance. The 67 properties, along with the 177 proxies received, translated to 244 votes, well above the 157 needed for a quorum. Please review the Minutes of the meeting (attached below). Board members Vince Lanuza, George Resseguie and Len Shipman were elected to serve additional three-year terms. The membership also confirmed the Board appointments of Mollie Brunetti (to complete the term of John MacGowan) and Al Sanborn (to complete the term of George Fugere). If you have any questions or comments regarding the meeting, please feel free to contact any Board member. You can find phone numbers below. Also, call any Board member if you would like to volunteer to help on any Association project. View the 2009 Annual Meeting Minutes here. **2009 Annual Meeting Minutes** Download this file.

Protection from Wildfires/Important Information
Colorado State University has a number of publications on-line that will help homeowners to better protect their property from wildfire. Log onto their site at www.ext.colostate.edu and search the following publications: Creating Wildfire-Defensible Space (6.302); Fire-Resistent Landscaping (6.303); Fire Wise Plant Materials (6.305); and Grass Seed Mixes to Reduce Wildfire Hazard (6.306).

Town Slash Site
Again this summer, after much urging from Association, the Town of Silverthorne will make available a slash site for property owner use. Last fall the Association sent letters to Town and County officials urging the return of a slash site, stating that there must be a combined local government effort to ease the burden to property owners who are required to clear their property of dead and infected lodgepole pine trees. Without the site, property owners would have no option but to pay much higher prices for the removal of slash and/or take the slash to the landfill. Initially, the Association was turned down, but renewed effort, and the help of Council members, resolved the issue.
The fee-based drop off site will be located across from the north entrance of Golden Eagle (near the waste treatment plant). The site will stay open until July 17. Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:00 am til noon and Saturdays 10:00 am til noon. Property owners must first purchase coupons from the Town (at Town Hall or the Rec Center) in order to use the site. Slash is limited to 4 inches and smaller. Property owners should check the Town website (www.silverthorne.org) or visit the Town Hall for updates. You can also contact Jim Ernst, who has taken the lead on this issue for the Association, at 468-0626 or by e-mail at jimcindyernst@hotmail.com.

On-call Trash Collection Help Available
On-call trash collection is available to Eagles Nest residents, particularly part-timers. Just make a call to one of the following trash collection companies and they will send out a truck to collect your trash: Waste Management (468-2475), The Trash Company/Snow Peaks (668-0659), or Talking Trash (389-0101). Prices range from $15 to $23. So, if you can't arrange for a neighbor to take out the trash, you now have an alternative.

Winter Snowshoe Party
Forty-five hearty souls met at the Community Center on Saturday, February 28, for the Annual Snowshoe Party. We headed out about 5:30 pm for a chilly hour and a half trek along the back nine of the golf course. The evening ended with refreshments at the Community Center and a great time was had by all. Much thanks to Stuart Richardson and Dave Anderson for organizing the event.

Environment
Our Eagles Nest area as well as Summit County and the Rocky Mountain West have some serious challenges ahead of us. We are nestled within a 120 year old predominantly lodgepole pine forest. Over the years, fire has been suppressed in this forest and there has been little thinning that would propagate a more healthy forest, diversified both in size and species. Weakened by periodic draught and human interference in the natural process of destruction and renewal, the regionwide infestation of the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) has taken a toll on this forest. The Association has been and continues to be proactive in dealing with the threat posed by the MPB.

Mountain Pine Beetle Spray Policy for 2009
It is safe to say that all of us take a special pride in the natural beauty of Eagles Nest. The forest surrounding our homes is a treasure, a source of aesthetic enjoyment, recreation, and indeed a source of real value. That forest, as we all know, has been under attack by the pernicious mountain pine beetle. A number of years ago the Board of Directors of the Eagles Nest Property Homeowners Association, out of a strong sense of stewardship for the forest, mounted a campaign to battle the beetle. This involved a mandatory tree spraying program for both private properties in Eagles Nest and for properties owned by the Association. The spraying program was endorsed by forest officials at both the state and federal level. Even so, we were told that there was no program that would guarantee 100% effectiveness in the fight against the pine beetle; we would lose some trees no matter what we did. The Association took the lead and, while trees have been lost, the Eagles Nest area is still far ahead of surrounding areas in protecting the forest landscape.

Although the tree spraying program has saved an overwhelming majority of lodgepole pines, the Association has not been completely satisfied with the results of our spraying effort to date; far too many trees have died. Consequently, the Board established a special committee, chaired by George Fugere, to evaluate the program. That committee met five times at the end of 2008, consulting with forest officials, investigating the effectiveness and safety of spray chemicals, and interviewing four spraying contractors. In addition, the committee has also heard from a number of property owners who suggested that we simply stop spraying altogether.

In the end, the committee carefully weighed all the options in an effort to answer these questions: What is the best approach available to protect the forest from the pine beetle today? What can the Association do to preserve the forest so that it has a healthy future? First, the committee concluded that doing nothing would be disastrous. If our trees had no protection, they would all be immediately vulnerable to a pine beetle attack with the next infestation. Not spraying would lead to the loss of our entire lodgepole forest in a matter of just a year or two. We can spend a few dollars to spray today, even though we may still lose some trees, or we can do nothing and spend much more money in the long run to cut and remove dead trees. Needless to say, the loss of our forest would mean a catastrophic decline in property values and would greatly elevate our vulnerability to wildfire. Second, the committee came to the conclusion that our tree spraying program (even though it does not guarantee a 100% success rate) along with other changes provides us with the only option that may save a great deal of the forest.

Accordingly, we have adopted the following Mountain Pine Beetle Spray Policy for 2009:

• Mandatory spraying of all lodgepole pines 4” in diameter and larger.
• Property owners are strongly encouraged to spray their smaller lodgepole pines, the future of the forest.
• Thick stands of small lodgepole pines and aspens should be thinned, leaving 8-10 feet of clearance between trees.
• Property owners should take steps to improve the health of their trees by fertilizing, thinning, and watering, as needed. Healthy trees are better able to withstand a pine beetle attack.
• Spruce and fir trees should be sprayed.
• The system used for marking trees will be continued and property owners will be given an opportunity to mark their own trees.
• Dead and infested trees marked by the Town must be removed by June 15, 2009. (See a listing of Fire Mitigation Contractors below under "Fire Mitigation")
• All spray crews will be required to pay strict attention to human safety, wind conditions, overspray, and their surroundings, including streams and playground equipment.
• All spray crews shall be required to wear proper safety equipment, including respirators, safety clothing, and gloves.

Do You Know the Location of Your Property Lines?
If you don't know where your property lines or lot pins are, the tree sprayer won't either. Clearly mark your property lines. You could be paying to spray some of your neighbor's trees.

Fire Mitigation Contractors/Tree Removal
While we have a good number of fire hydrants in the community,there is not enough fire equipment to service just the Eagles Nest area in the event of a catastrophic fire in Summit County or the immediate area. Stopping or controlling the onslaught of the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) is our first line of defense. Accordingly, a number of years ago the Association began the program of mandatory tree spraying, discussed above. In addition, the Town of Silverthorne now requires that dead and infected trees be removed at owner's expense. Last fall the Town marked the trees that need to be removed with a blue line around the tree at eye level. The date for removal has been set for June 15, 2009. Call the Town if you have any questions (David Siberfin, 262-7339). The Association maintains a number of open space tracts within Eagles Nest and we, too, will have dead trees to remove. In fact, the largest expense in the Association Budget is "Tree Removal". We must all be fire-wise going forward. If a tree is thoroughly sprayed, it should be protected. Chemicals used by local tree spraying contractors work to eradicate the MPB, the Spruce Beetle, and the IPS Beetle. A listing of Fire Mitigation contractors, updated periodically, has been prepared for property owners interested in hiring a tree removal service. The listing may be downloaded as follows: ** Fire Mitigation Contractors** Download this file.


Noxious Weeds on Your Property?
A number of years ago, the Homeowners Assocation identified 8 species of noxious weeds in our community. Of these 8, we found 5 weeds that we classified as "serious infestations": False Chamomile (crazy daisy), Oxeye Daisy, Canada Thistle, Musk Thistle and Yellow Toadflax (butter and eggs). To deal with this problem, the Association began a program to educate property owners of the need to eradicate these noxious weeds. Each year we identify specific noxious weed infestations and require that property owners remove these infestations. Today, through the work of Jim Beltzer and his crew of volunteers, we are gaining the upper hand on noxious weed infestations. Compared to other communities in the area, Eagles Nest is in far better shape. Still, these weeds are "obnoxious" and we must continue to work at control. The Association provides chemicals and backpack sprayers to all property owners to tackle this problem. We also make available instruction on the use of equipment and chemicals. Given the availability of equipment, free herbicides and instruction, there should be no excuses. Call Stuart Richardson, 262-2165, for details. For information on weed identification, contact Lisa Taylor, Summit County Weed Coordinator, 970-668-4218, or LisaT@co.summit.co.us.

ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES

1. Meetings
Annual Meeting
The 2009 Annual Meeting was held on Saturday, March 28 at the Raven Club house. A report on the Meeting news will be included in our May edition of "Eagles Nest News". Minutes for the Meeting will be posted below. Please direct questions to any of the Board members. See phone numbers below.

View the 2009 Annual Meeting Minutes here.
** 2009 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

Monthly Board Meetings
Regular Board of Directors meetings are normally held on the 2nd Thursday of each month starting at 4:00 P.M. at the Community Center located at 2950 Community Center Road, across from the Raven Golf Club House. Please call a Board member to verify the date and time of our next meeting. Attendance is open to all property owners. If you have an item that you wish to have on the agenda, please call the President one week in advance.

View the monthly ENPHA Board meeting minutes here.

** May 13, 2009 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** April 9, 2009 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** March 12, 2009 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** February 11, 2009 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** January 8, 2009 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** December 11, 2008 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** November 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** October 9, 2008 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

** September 11, 2008 Meeting Minutes ** Download this file.

2. Dues and Budget
The annual dues for 2009 are $130.00, unchanged from 2008. View the 2008 and 2009 Budgets here. ** BUDGET ** Download this file

3. Annual BBQ/Picnic
The Annual Association BBQ/Picnic for 2009 will be held on Saturday, July 25, at the Community Center. Plan to arrive by 5:00 PM. Parking is limited. Dinner will begin around 6:00 P.M., followed by dancing until 9:00 P.M. This year entertainment will be provided by DJ Jimmy. Bonnie Guthrie and her great crew of volunteers will organize the event. Later this spring you will receive an invitation in the mail. It's always great fun. Hope to see you there. As a special treat, two hikes will be available the weekend of the BBQ. Last year there was a Mayflower Gulch hike led my Marty Richardson and a hike along the west side of Eisenhower Tunnel/Continental Divide led by Pat Taylor.

4. Annual Workday June 6, 2009
The 2009 Annual Workday of the Association will be held on Saturday, June 6. This will be an opportunity for ENPHA members to volunteer their services towards maintaining part of the Eagles Nest trail system, sprucing up the Community Center, and planting pansies at the south Golden Eagle/Bald Eagle entrances. We will begin at 8:30 A.M. and conclude Workday activities by noon. Pick your location: either go to the Pavilion or to the south Golden Eagle/Bald Eagle entrance. The Trail repair crew will meet at the Community Center. Lunch will be provided at the Taylor Pavilion. Brats, burgers and beverages will be served. The Board of Directors appreciates the volunteer efforts of all who assist in the planting and cleanup efforts. It is the generous and committed spirit of all the volunteers that makes Eagles Nest and its sub-associations the best community in Summit County to live. The following is a list of members who volunteered last summer: John Ahlquist, Jane Gansmann, Kathryn Resseguie, Dave Anderson, Ken Gansmann, Stu Richardson, Bob Armstrong, Colter, Jan Shipman, Jody Armstrong, Donna Goldich, Len Shipman, Rich Bender, Randy Goldich, Pavel Tajdus, Allison Bender, Jon Kirkpatrick, Susan Thiessen, Bob Brown, Suzanne Lanuza, Craig Thiessan, Bob Chebul,, John MacGowan, Rich Waterman, Penny Chebul, Brian Moriarty, Agnes Waterman, Kiki Cohlmia, Jane Mudd, Anita Welles, Joan Davids, Dan Pius, Peter Welles, Jack Doherty, Suzanne Reed, Rich Wharff, Susie Doherty, Bill Reed, Christopher Wrobel, Jim Ernst, and George Resseguie.

5. Healthy Forest Work Days
The Association has stewardship over a good deal of property in the Eagles Nest community. This property is designated open space and cannot be developed; it is there for the enjoyment of our members. This summer Board members Jim Ernst and Al Sanborn will organize two Healthy Forest workdays to maintain these open space parcels. Many thanks to those who volunteered for the Healthy Forest Work Day last year. The work was hard and rewarding and the Team’s expectations were met and then some. While no one would prefer to cut down a tree, especially a small one, sometimes that’s the best thing to do if we want a healthy forest. The work involved thinning and chipping hundreds of small trees. The hope being that those trees left behind will flourish and be strong enough to resist the mountain pine beetle. The project also reduced the threat of a wildfire to the homes in the area. Thanks to George Resseguie for obtaining some awesome tools. Environmental Forestry did a great job with the chipping. Thanks to the following volunteers: Warren Buettner, Bill Reed, Joan Davids, Jean Reitan, John Green, Fred Reitan, Diane Kotowski, Jan Shipman, Bob Kotowski, Len Shipman, Tom Meads, Rich Wharff, and Brian Moriarty.

Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you to our volunteer homeowners!

There are a number of volunteer activities throughout the year that make our community a more attractive place to live: installing holiday decorations, annual neighborhood cleanups in the spring, spring plantings of trees and shrubs, planning the Annual BBQ/Picnic, maintaining trails, and planting bulbs in the fall are just a few of the ways we can improve our community's quality of life. We will post these activities on this website (www.enpha.com) as we learn about them. If you are interested in volunteering to help with any of these, please call the appropriate person from the phone list. As mentioned above, the Association takes pride in maintaining our open space forest property. To that end, Board member Jim Ernst is compiling a master list of volunteers. If you are interested in helping us on a Healthy Forest workday, please contact Jim at www.jimcindyernst@hotmail.com or Go to Phone Numbers

Community Center and Taylor Pavilion

The Association maintains the Community Center and John Taylor Pavilion for use by members. The Community Center facility is located at 2950 Community Center Road, across from the Raven Golf Course. The facility is available for rental. Call Stuart Richardson, Association Manager, at 262-2165 for reservations. Sub-associations can use the Community Center and Pavilion free of charge for their association activities--annual meetings, holiday parties, etc. The Community Center is equipped with a warming oven and a small refrigerator. There are two inside bathrooms, a fireplace and a conference room. Outside, the Pavilion offers a number of picnic tables, gas heaters, a gas BBQ and a charcoal BBQ. BBQs and picnic tables are also available on the hillside above the Pavilion. In addition, the facility has a playground for small children, a volleyball court, and two horseshoe pits. Enjoy!

Recreation

Trails: The Association maintains an extensive trail system within Eagles Nest. The trails are open for skiing and snowshoeing. In the late spring and summer the trails are great for miles of hiking. The trails are indicated by GREEN and BIEGE trail signs. They connect to the National Forest trails and the Eagles Nest Wilderness. Have fun and be safe. Please, if you see any trash along the trails, be a good neighbor and help us keep the trails clean and free of debris. Look for maps of the trail system this summer.