Hansen Wendlandt, Nederland.  In recent years, the Front Range’s mountain communities have experienced an increase in irresponsible and illegal camping on the public lands around them, including a rise in abandoned campfires, trash, human waste, drug use and crime. These concerning trends have brought together a broad group of stakeholders focused on creative solutions to provide human services to people in need, improve public safety and increase natural resource protection through education, enforcement and strong collaboration.

Originally tasked with addressing homelessness on public lands, the Nederland Interagency Council on Homeless Encampments (NICHE), a partnership of local, state and federal agencies and human service providers, quickly realized that the issues are much broader.

This coalition has spent the past several years working collaboratively to improve safety and protect natural resources on National Forest near Nederland. These efforts have resulted in measurable successes, including:

Strengthened communication between local law enforcement (Forest Service, Boulder Sheriff’s Office and Nederland Police Department);

Increased law enforcement patrols; particularly in dispersed camping areas;

Additional funding provided to Nederland Police Department for addressing issues on National Forest System lands;

Centralized reporting through Peak to Peak Forest Watch for issues across the National Forest that reaches all local law enforcement and Forest Service staff;

Improved data gathering and sharing amongst local and federal law enforcement;

Stewardship days that engage community members in activities such as campsite restoration, fire ring removal, installing signage, and fence building for resource protection;

Regular work days with the Boulder County jail crew to pick up abandoned property, perform campsite restoration, and fence maintenance;

Published brochures about fire safety and appropriate camping practices, with info on where to get help down the mountain;

Build relationships and trust with the homeless community, and connect them with the organizations that manage the camping areas, wildlife, and fire protection;

Trained groups on how to build more open communication with homeless campers;

Collaborate with Boulder homeless service providers, so they know what we face and we know what help is available;

Partnered with Boulder Open Space, the Boulder Municipal Judge, and the Boulder Homeless Outreach Team to direct people experiencing homelessness to safer places;

Connected with many, many other agencies that care about this issue, or deal with it in their own local context.

Looking ahead to this summer, the partnership is working on other initiatives, including:

Collaborating with Peak 2 Peak Forest Watch to provide training that will allow for volunteers to inform and educate forest users about rules and regulations and provide reports to local law enforcement and Forest Service staff through the centralized reporting system;

Developing a process with the Forest Service to evaluate and recommend implementable management options for areas impacted by dispersed uses on National Forest lands that incorporates the input and participation of our partners and of local community stakeholders;

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office’s contract with the Town of Nederland for nighttime coverage provides them the ability to add a new deputy, who will be put in the mix of the mountain patrols. The Sheriff currently staffs two mountain deputies per shift, seven days a week, and this addition will supplement the normal staffing;

Publishing a new brochure, with the latest news about homeless services in Boulder, namely the new presence of 210 beds in the summer, a better system for identifying needs and providing appropriate resources, and more housing-focused shelter options;

Applying for grants to create a mountain outreach position, for someone who can proactively connect with campers in need, to point them to existing resources and educate them on better and safer camping practices.

Community members looking to get involved can participate in the next Boulder Ranger District Stewardship Day on Saturday, May 12, at West Magnolia. Volunteers are invited to join in campsite restoration, fire ring removal, installing new fire restriction signage, and building fences to contain camping areas.

About NICHE

The Nederland Interagency Council on Homeless Encampments includes the Nederland Community Church, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Boulder County Commissioners’ Office, U.S. Forest Service staff and law enforcement, Nederland Police and Fire Departments, Peak 2 Peak Forest Watch, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Boulder Bridge House, Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, Boulder County Housing and Human Services, representatives from the town of Ward, representatives of the Nederland business community, Boulder County Public Health, City of Boulder Watershed, as well as staff from the offices of United States Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner, United State Representative Jared Polis, Colorado Senator Steve Fenberg, and Colorado Representative KC Becker. For more information, contact Hansen Wendlandt (ncpcpastor@gmail.com).