Horsetooth Mountain Open Space - concern from a Redstone family
Katie Kitzerow
Dear Larimer County Parks & Open Lands,
In the interests of public safety, this is a formal request to Larimer County to change current policy at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space (HTMOS) to Day Use only. This would include the elimination of overnight camping and campfires in the back country of Horsetooth Mountain Open Space.
As part of the emergency operations team for the city of Fort Collins, I have seen firsthand the trauma, financial cost and emotional toll that fires take on local communities and residents. The Cameron Peak fire could simply have been prevented had someone put out their campfire. This fire took the homes of many in the Redstone community and adjacent communities. Why would we risk this again when this is such a simple solution? We have a family with small children living in Redstone Canyon and want to continue living here without the added stress of rogue campers, who not only accidentally start wildfires but also encroach and even come onto our private property within Redstone Canyon.
It is our understanding that overnight, back country camping is permitted within Horsetooth Mountain Open Space. During the warmer months, we and our neighbors in Redstone Canyon often observe campfires in the HTMOS forest east of us late at night. So even if campfires are technically not permitted, we know campers are building them anyway in remote, back country sites. This basically happens due to the current policy allowing 24/7 access to the Park. This is of great concern to those of us adjacent to HTMOS, especially as we reflect on last October’s Cameron Peak Wildfire which destroyed so many homes in our area.
We do know that illegal campfires are subject to fines; however, we've been informed that the fines are quite low considering the potential catastrophic damage that can result.
This request is in the sincere interest of public safety, given the highly flammable nature of so many areas of Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, as well as the exponential growth in usage. Also, an illegal open fire citation should include a large, substantial fine as a deterrent; otherwise, prohibitions against campfires or open fires in general are not taken seriously and often ignored.
We respectfully ask for your consideration of this policy modification in the interest of fire safety as we all reflect on the impacts of the Cameron Peak Fire on those of us in rural Larimer County.
Sincerely, Katie, Brandon, Henry & Lucy Kitzerow