MESA COUNTY, CO — Mesa County is initiating trail recovery efforts in the Turner Gulch burn area following the approval of a $96,000 agreement to repair damage caused by last year’s wildfire.
On April 21, the Mesa County Board of County Commissioners approved the funding agreement in partnership with the National Forest Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Grand Valley Ranger District.
The grant will fund 12 weeks of rehabilitation work by Mesa County’s four-person trail crew. The crew will focus on assessing fire damage, clearing obstructed paths, and addressing safety hazards that have limited recreational access since the fire.
The county’s trail crew brings nearly seven years of backcountry maintenance experience to the recovery project. Because the rehabilitation efforts will take place in remote areas with limited communication access, crew members utilize specialized first-aid training and rigorous safety planning.