[cobirds] Turkey Creek Ranch CLOSURE UPDATE, El Paso County

Spoiler alert! There is no good birding news in this email.

 

Hi, Cobirders.

 

Today, Wednesday, February 4, 2015, I went to Fort Carson to find our about the closure of Turkey Creek Recreation Area and if necessary, to use my powers of persuasion to get permission to either bird there as an individual or to take groups to TCRA.

 

I started a the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) office where I was told in no uncertain terms that we were out of luck. I asked who had made the decision and was told it was the Ft. Carson Garrison Commander. I asked where I could find him and after they got over the shock of someone not just taking their word for things, they gave me the building number. (By the way, I am a retired US Army Chief Warrant Officer, thus explaining my lack of timidity about asking to see the next person in the chain of command.)

 

At the Garrison Commander's office I was granted an audience by the commander's adjutant who listened to my request and explanation with interest. I explained about migration data, bird counts, and the difference in the birds on TCRA and the Aiken Canyon location across CO Hwy 115. She tried calling a couple of people and got no help.

 

At this point the Garrison Commander (a full Colonel) came in and said he had overheard our conversation. I was wearing a Husker hat and he was a Husker fan – ooh, promising. He knew a couple of my former commanders – ooh, more promising. After small talk about football in his office he asked some pertinent questions and gave a response equivalent to "Not only no, but **** no!" Just then a Red-tailed Hawk landed on a pole outside his office window. I said, "It's a sign!" To which he replied, "No, it's a hawk, and the answer in still no."

 

TCRA is now considered a training facility and is off limits to non-essential personnel. Anyone on the grounds is considered to be trespassing and is subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Believe me when I say it is not worth tempting fate to go onto the facility.

 

I wish I had better news, but I wanted to make sure you all knew the current status.

 

Regards,

 

Mel Goff

Colorado Springs